Farming group in talks over battle for survival

The trustees of the charity have been locked in discussions all week, trying to find an alternative to sacking all staff and wrapping up.

Accountancy firm Baker Tilly was on standby to take over the administration of the organisation if nothing better could be fixed, following a refusal by FWAG’s bankers to lend any more money.

The independent advisory body, which operates in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, was started in 1969 by farmers concerned at the industrialisation of the countryside, and remains better liked by farmers than most environmental protection agencies.

It used to get some direct government support, which gave way to contracts to work for government agencies including Defra’s biggest subsidiary, Natural England. But a lot of that steady work fell victim to spending cuts and the fees earned by its UK-wide network of advisers, plus subscriptions from thousands of members, paying £45 a year plus VAT, have been falling short of running costs for a year.

Even membership income is partly dependent on government patronage. Farmers have to become members to get a FWAG adviser and they usually want an adviser because Natural England has recommended they get one to help apply for a government scheme.

The organisation’s beginnings mean it still has a network of farmers’ committees which act as its friends. And the FWAG committees for North Yorkshire, South & West Yorkshire and East Yorkshire, will hold an unusual joint meeting tonight at the FWAG offices at Thirsk Mart, along with the six staff based there.

North Yorkshire chairman Nick Ramsden, who runs a mixed farm at Myton-on-Swale, near Helperby, said: “We are going to brainstorm to see what we can do. The Yorkshire team has always met its budgets and produced a margin.”