Skilled staff shortfall
Skilled staff shortfall
By Andy Collings
THE impact of foot-and-mouth disease is adversely affecting the recruitment of staff into agricultural dealerships, reports BAGMA.
A recent survey by Lantra NTO on behalf of BAGMA revealed that 64% of dealers indicated recruitment had been frozen indefinitely.
BAGMA director general Ian Jones says a shortage of skilled technicians will have a long lasting effect at a time when there is a need to continually recruit new staff to service and repair the sophisticated machinery being operated in agriculture.
The survey also indicated that over 45% of dealers have experienced a reduction in sales of over 50% and, to compound the dealers problems 48% expect their sales to drop further during the next six months and 8% anticipate being out of business in 12 months time. And all because of F&M disease, says Mr Jones. *