A GROUP of 70 farmers plan to introduce a marketing brand with a northern flavour.

The farmers, members of the North East Grains Ltd co-operative, hope their Northumberland Meat brand will become a household name.

One of its key features will be the use of quality-assured animal feed made by the co-operative, which is based at Longhirst, near Morpeth, Northumberland.

The feed is made from the barley, wheat, beans, peas, and other products which members supply from their own farms.

"It may seem that a bid to make the marketing tag Northumberland Meat synonymous - or perhaps as instantly recognisable - as Aberdeen Angus beef is very ambitious, but it is certainly achievable," said Neil Carr, general manager of the co-operative.

"The manufactured animal feed North East Grains provides is recognised as being of exceptionally high quality.

"We want to reach the stage where Northumberland farm animals are flourishing on feed produced by Northumberland farmers from Northumberland-grown grain, and that we end up providing excellent field-to-table food under the proud banner Northumberland Meat."

North East Grains was founded by 12 farmers in 1987.

It began as a hands-on venture, with members dealing mainly with grain drying, storage, and marketing.

Now it does much more and has seen membership grow, mostly within a 15- mile radius of Longhirst.

However, it now wants to recruit more producers from further afield.

The group has an eight- strong board of directors under the chairmanship of Ian Craigs, of Tritlington Hall Farm, near Morpeth.

Mr Carr has managed the co-operative for six years. A Wearsider, he has worked in agriculture all his life.

One of his many functions is to help members cope with the time-consuming and never-ending legislation and form-filling they face.

"It is one of my functions to simplify the contents of the deluge and to help members cope with it," he said, "It is a service I know is appreciated."