"FARMERS need to think of their holdings as a business first and a farm second and to look at how they can do things differently."
That's the view of Madge Moore who is farming project manager for Lantra National Training Organisation. She says farmers need to look at "every aspect of their business, including their financial management, business administration, use of information technology, marketing skills, diversification opportunities, and scope for environmental conservation."
She advises farmers to identify the skills they need to learn to be able to achieve all this and says that £22m will be available over the next seven years in the England Rural Development Programme to help farmers gain news skills. For more information (and a free skill check), telephone freephone (0800) 1699794.
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