FARMERS in Lanarkshire have joined the ranks of those seeking an in-depth study which will demonstrate the extent to which their economy has been hit by the downturn in farming.
Members of the Lanark area executive of the National Farmers' Union of Scotland met local authority representatives and Lanarkshire Development Agency to put forward the farming case.
Area president Alex Allison said the North Lanarkshire Council, which is in the midst of its own financial crisis, had been unable to attend but South Lanarkshire had agreed to pass on details of the meeting. ''We had a lengthy discussion and the council emphasised how keen it is to support us,'' said Allison. ''We have agreed to look at the possibility of an impact assessment which, hopefully, could move things on one stage from the kind of work that has already been done in the Borders and Dumfries and Galloway.''
The development agency has agreed to lead a group which will draw up specifications for the assessment and try to identify sources of finance. A further meeting will be held on June 18 to consider the appointment of a specialist research organisation to undertake the detailed work.
The farming representatives also raised a number of issues with the local authority including the disposal of plastic and problems of farming on the urban fringe.
NFUS president Jim Walker has expressed the union's gratitude to those local authorities which have carried out studies into the problems affecting rural areas. The results had backed up union concerns about downward trends and the knock-on effects on jobs and investment in related industries, he said.
''We must make the Government see how local economies are dependent on a thriving agricultural sector for their economic well-being. We have taken our appeal at national level to all Scottish MPs and our areas and branches are appealing individually to their constituency MPs.
''One way or another we must all work together to find a way forward for our industry. The fabric of the Scottish rural community depends on it.''
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