CO-OPERATION between small farmers who join together and take on the big boys is being studied by a Yorkshire farming scholar.

David Cousins will travel the world looking at how people working together can take on the bigger corporations.

He said: "The co-operation of smaller farmers and businesses and how to take on the huge corporations is what I am interested in.

"I will be looking at how people can work together, how they can help each other to achieve the same impact as the large companies.

"I think small organisations can get together and get more things going, particularly in the Yorkshire area."

Mr Cousins, 38, will travel to Australia, America, Europe and New Zealand to look at the importance of scale in the farming industry.

"I am thoroughly looking forward to travelling and seeing different parts of the world and looking at agriculture in different parts of the world," he said.

"I believe it is a very positive thing to be doing, and hope this can bring back important messages that apply to many businesses in the region, not just our own,"

Mr Cousins, who is general manager of JSR Agriculture at Driffield, is being sponsored as a Nuffield Farming Scholar by the Yorkshire Agriculture Society (YAS).

YAS chief executive Nigel Pulling said: "These provide a wonderful opportunity for those within agriculture to further their knowledge at an international level, meet some of the key people within the industry and generally broaden their farming horizons.

"Our two scholars are extremely worthy recipients and I am sure will not only increase their knowledge, but be excellent ambassadors for British agriculture."

Mr Cousins has already begun his scholarship with a college course in Kent, before trips to Brussels and Paris to meet EC and national agricultural representatives, followed by tours of farms in Brittany.

Updated: 09:04 Friday, June 06, 2003