A £1.5 MILLION Centre of Vocational Excellence in Food Chain Technology was opening today at the Askham Bryan College farm in York - amid applause from more than 120 agricultural bosses and policymakers.

The new centre, backed by the Learning and Skills Council and Yorkshire Forward, the regional development agency, will promote understanding of the industry throughout the process "from field to fork".

There to open it was Sir Donald Curry, whose report in the wake of the foot and mouth disaster recommended that ways should be found for farmers to more fully understand food chain processes and be better prepared to diversify.

Afterwards, Sir Donald, who is chairman of the Government's sustainable farming and Food Implementation Group, said: "This centre will be a crucial support tool to enable the farming and food industry in Yorkshire to really develop a food culture."

The centre has already begun to offer practical courses for the agricultural industry across a range of subjects, from butchery to dairy production, from food hygiene to food labelling and microbiology.

Learners will gain a working knowledge of the food industry, with a general introduction to food manufacture backed up with a range of specialist options. Courses will lead to a BTEC national award, certificate and diploma.

Visitors, including the Lord Mayor of York, Coun Janet Greenwood, toured the new hi-tech robotic milking shed, in which automatic milkers home in on cow teats using laser guidance systems, alongside a more conventional "herringbone" milking parlour; plus a beef centre.

One by-product of courses there will be the manufacture of Askham Bryan cheese and the butchering of Askham Bryan beef, for which master classes are planned.

Professor Gareth Rees, pictured, principal of the college, which has 705 full-time and 4,500 part-time students, said: "We are trying out the Askham Bryan beef on staff and plan to extend sales to the wider public, but, judging by the quality, the only trouble we will have is supplying the demand."

Prof Rees believes that the centre will help to address a major skills crisis looming for the nearly 8,000 farms in Yorkshire.

More than 70 per cent of all land-based jobs demand skills at Level 3 or above, and experts forecast that this is due to rise to more than 80 per cent by next year. Yet fewer than half the workforce needed to work at this level are qualified.

Updated: 10:36 Wednesday, October 12, 2005