THE first of a series of meeting for upland farmers took place at Hexham Mart on Wednesday (OCT 29) .

Held by SAC Consulting, and funded by Defra and Adas, the Upland Farming Group will cover key areas which upland farmers deal with on a daily basis. Topics will be driven by those attending and, although the new Common Agricultural Policy will figure, other topics such as land management, animal health, nutrition and genetics may also come under the microscope.

The launch meeting was attended by Andrew France of Santander Bank, who offered tips for managing finances in the current financial climate, and SAC Consultant Neil Carter who gave an overview of the new CAP reforms, and talked through trends in upland farm management. He said: “We are committed to making information available to help farmers understand how the new CAP will affect their businesses and how to plan ahead for 2015.”

The group aims to gather together like-minded and pro-active farmers who will use the meetings to improve their farm businesses in a variety of ways, learning from each other and local experts. Further information from SAC Consulting’s Kendal Office on 01539 566 226.