THE whole countryside is facing the biggest crisis in living memory, says Country Land and Business Association (CLA) president Anthony Bosanquet.

"Farmers are going bankrupt, established rural businesses are struggling and new rural businesses are just not meeting targets," said Mr Bosanquet.

"A very great deal of this is due to the misery of the foot and mouth epidemic which is already the worst in the world in terms of the total number of animals slaughtered in less than a year."

Mr Bosanquet said: "The situation is grave. There is the worry of losing livestock through the disease, by association, and there is also deep anxiety among farming people not affected by it. For those carrying out non-agricultural activities in rural areas, the situation is financially devastating."

He said that it was easy for people to say to farmers 'move to something else.' "That is not an easy option because in addition to the difficulties with planning regulations, there is the question of finance. Diversification requires considerable investment and when your main source of income has gone or is threatened it becomes less of an option.

"We do need to see more jobs in the countryside and farmers and landowners are the people who are best placed to provide them. They have the land and buildings but many do not have the cash to change direction. The number of jobs on the land continues to decline but alternatives need to be found for the up-and-coming generation.

"As an organisation we have been looking forward to the day when the scourge of foot and mouth is finally over and we have suggested to Government a number of ways in which we can overcome the crisis in the countryside. Diversification may offer the best way forward for some but all can see that change is set to continue.

"Change has happened in urban areas. The smoke-stack industries have either disappeared or are a mere shadow of what they were. They have been replaced by service industries on a scale never thought possible. The countryside has to embrace change and move forward.

"Of course we need a profitable agricultural industry. Food production is vital to all of us in a literal sense. Whatever we do, we have to eat. Once that is accepted we can move forward and think of alternative uses for that land which is no longer required for food production.

"Food production will not offer full-time employment to as many people as it has in the past."

Mr Bosanquet is expected to elaborate on his remarks at the annual meeting of the Yorkshire branch of the Country Land and Business Associationto be held on Tuesday, September 25, at Broughton Hall, Skipton.

Updated: 08:50 Thursday, September 20, 2001