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Farmers from across the North East are helping to develop Defra's "Whole Farm Approach" to support the farming industry.

John Littlefair, Paul Little & Allan Coxon

The Whole Farm Approach (WFA) is a long-term programme to develop an integrated access point to Defra and related agencies to support the industry across the entire range of its activities.

The WFA is of major strategic importance to Defra and its partners. One of 14 initiatives under Defra's Sustainable Food and Farming Strategy, WFA also supports a number of Government strategies to improve rural service delivery and government efficiency.

The solution is a fully electronic system that will be accessible to the widest audience through the maximum number of channels.

Set to be launched in 2006, the WFA has been developed with the help of farmers and aims to streamline and simplify the system whereby farmers have to input data to comply with regulatory processes and provides on-line access to advice and guidance.

In September a series of programme review events began to demonstrate the Whole Farm Approach (WFA) website and invite farmers to try out the new system and offer suggestions on how it may be improved.

Earlier this month (November) the WFA team was at the Rural Development Service North East offices, at Newburn Riverside, where it hosted two sessions for farmers to check out the system.

Among the farmers who took part were Allan Coxon, who runs an arable farm near Sunderland, and John Littlefair, an arable farmer from Hart Village, near Hartlepool.

Mr Coxon said:

"It's excellent. It's a great start and there's going to be a lot more liaison with farmers to get it absolutely right.

"It's all about helping farmers meet all the requirements - it's not about catching them out - which is as it should be. I'm very positive about the system and as it develops we should hopefully, in two or three years, have something that's very workable."

Mr Littlefair added:

"It's a very good idea. It needs a few modifications but once it's up and running it will save us a lot of work and a lot of unnecessary visits by regulators.

"I'm not particularly computer literate myself, but I found it easy to use and the system helps you as you navigate your way around providing additional information when you need it."

Mark Egerton, of Defra's Whole Farm Approach team said:

"The feedback we've had so far has been very positive and we'll be using the comments and views of the farmers to help us develop and improve the system.

"We want it to be as user-friendly as possible, to help ensure we avoid duplication and that farmers have easy access to the advice and guidance they need and can more easily understand the regulations affecting their business."

Sue Harrison, an adviser at the Rural Development Service North East, which hosted the events, added:

"The WFA aims to help and support farmers, making it simpler and easier for them to supply the statutory information required by regulations and to gain access to the advice and support they need.

"These events offered an opportunity for farmers to put the new system to the test and to help shape its development."

More events are to be held between now and the end of December at other venues across the country. To find out more log onto the Defra website at www.defra.gov.uk

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