FIFTY-FIVE upper dales farmers had signed up to the farm business advisory scheme, Richmondshire District Council foot-and-mouth working group was told at its meeting on Monday.

The scheme's project officers were appointed by Business Link, in consultation with Wensleydale-based self-help group Rejuvenate and Defra.

Mr Jim McRobert, Rejuvenate secretary, told the meeting in Hawes that the farmers would work with a project officer who would advise on business, environmental schemes and other matters and help them draw up a five-year business plan.

The main problem for farmers was lack of cashflow, said Mr Mc Robert. "Some people have sold no stock since February 23. Apart from a little bit of subsidy, they have had no cashflow at all."

Keeping stock which had not been sold or slaughtered meant fodder shortages this winter, with serious cost implications.

Rejuvenate was in touch with Marks and Spencer, Morrison's and Sainsbury to discover how the red meat industry could be made more profitable and also continued to try to persuade the agencies and organisations involved to work together.

There was hope that a first-stop shop could be developed, possibly at the community office at Hawes, for farmers and other businesses wanting information and advice on foot-and-mouth-related matters.

l Reporting on a meeting with government minister, Mr Alun Michael, at Thirsk last week, Coun John Blackie said Mr Michael had accepted that North Yorkshire was not an affluent area and that the upper dales had been allocated European structure funding for deprived areas before foot-and-mouth struck.

The delegation, Coun Blackie, Mr Harry Tabiner, chief executive of Richmondshire Council, and Mr Jeremy Walker, North Yorkshire County Council chief executive, referred to the lack of quality employment and the fact that wages in the upper dales were 63pc of the national rural average.

Many business people had been unable to get hardship and recovery grants because of the limited funding that came to North Yorkshire.