MARKETING opportunities and alternative crops were highlighted to cereal growers at an Open Day at Acorn Arable, Throckmorton.

Richard Burt, director of Acorn Arable, grain traders, fertilisers and lime suppliers, said: "We are taking the opportunity after last year, when there were no shows because of foot and mouth disease, to demonstrate this company's confidence about the future of agriculture and to give us an opportunity to meet customers."

He stressed: "We are trying to put across the message we are still here for the farmers. These are difficult times for everyone but we want to gain information on what crops they have got and the best ways of marketing those crops for them."

Kim Wells, also a director of Acorn Arable, said alternative crops for cereals included rape, linseed, peas and beans. "Some of these we can contract forward so there is a market for them from the time they are put into the ground," he said.

Alternative crops were going to be increasingly important, he explained, because run-of-the-mill feed wheat crops are going to be difficult to market.

The Open Day was supported by a number of other associated companies and Chris Tallis, of Chris Tallis Agricultural Machinery, Hinton-on-the-Green, echoed the fact that farmers were facing extremely difficult times. "Having said that," he added, "the machinery market is surprisingly buoyant with national tractor sales 40 per cent up on last year."