EBLEX conference: Support for West Midlands

Careful cost control will, hopefully, see livestock farmers in the West Midlands receive support from the EBLEX BRP until new funding is secured from the region’s development agency Advantage West Midlands.

New monies were not expected until June 2009 due to matters outside the EBLEX team’s control, regional manager Clive Brown told delegates. “But thanks to BRWM programme manager Phil Hadley’s tight financial control, there’s still about £30,000 remaining from the original budget [that took the two-year programme to December 2008].”

A verbal agreement with Advantage West Midlands should allow the residual budget to be used to support events for the region’s farmers until new funding is secured, it was explained.

The Better Returns programme has supported over 75 practical events across the five counties making up the West Midlands Better Returns programme’s area and won EBLEX a lot of applause for the hands-on approach used.