WEST Midlands beef and sheep farmers can get a hatful of handy tips on ways to improve their livestock businesses from a free DVD or interactive CD discs.

photo courtesy of www.jennifermackenzie.co.uk

Produced by the English Beef and Lamb Executive (EBLEX) and funded by the Rural Development Service's West Midlands Farm Demonstration Programme, the separate sheep and beef CDs or combined DVD identify best practice which could help farmers improve their own enterprises.

Clive Brown, EBLEX Western Regional Manager, said: "The discs are easy to use and present practical business improvement tips in a lively and entertaining way.

"Currently the CDs and DVD are only being distributed to West Midlands producers, but if the feedback from farmers is good, we would hope to roll this programme out nationally."

The CDs and DVD feature local and national figures from the world of beef and sheep including national beef farmer of the year - Yorkshire's Mike Powley - and sheep industry consultant Lesley Stubbins OBE.

The DVD - Pointers to Better Returns Beef and Sheep - has the programmes for both sheep and beef on a single disc and is ideal for group presentations such as discussion groups.

The two interactive CDs each concentrate on individual specie - Pointers to Better Returns Beef / Sheep. They carry additional information relating to each subject allowing the user to drill down for additional information on a variety of subject matters including breeding, feeding & marketing. They are ideal for individual use on a PC and include various useful web links. (Running time is approximately 35 mins on each specie)

West Midlands producers can obtain free copies of the disc(s) on a first come first served basis by contacting Diane Northrop at EBLEX on 01480 482981 or dianen@eblex.org.uk.

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