Farmers and growers in Hampshire have taken new steps to combat the crisis in the rural economy by setting up their own limited company.

The company, Hampshire Farmers' Markets will take over the running of the very successful Hampshire farmers' markets programme, organised for the last three years by Hampshire County Council. Trading will start on 1 January 2002, but business planning is already underway and a board of directors has been appointed.

The new company has the support of the county's main economic forum, the Hampshire Economic Partnership, as well as Hampshire County Council and many district councils. It is being helped through the initial business set-up stage by a business adviser from Business Link Wessex.

Hampshire Farmers' Markets Ltd will run around 70 farmers' markets in Hampshire next year in busy town centre venues including Basingstoke, Winchester, Alton, Petersfield, Ringwood, Southsea, Aldershot and Romsey.

Hampshire Farmers' Markets will be a company limited by guarantee, overseen by farmers and growers through a steering group which will include representatives from district councils, the county council, environmental health, trading standards and the NFU.

A board of seven directors has been elected, six of whom are farmers or producers and one a representative of Hampshire County Council. In time, a manager will be employed to run the markets.

The directors of Hampshire Farmers Markets Ltd are: Michael Smales - Farmer and NFU, Landford; Robert Hardy - Hardy's Cottage Garden Plants, Whitchurch; David Doble - Ashmore Farmhouse Cheese, Shaftesbury; Julia Roach - Ashford Water Trout Farm, Fordingbridge; Martin Martindale - pig farmer, Anna Valley; John Cossburn - bee farmer, Romsey; Frances Stokes - business development manager.

Hampshire County Council chairman John Cossburn commented: "This is a challenging time for the farmers' market movement. Farmers' markets have enabled producers to bring fresh, wholesome, locally produced food to local people and for many of us the markets have provided a lifeline.

"However, farmers' markets in many forms are now springing up all over the place. We want to maintain the strong customer following we have established in Hampshire so we will continue to enforce the producer-only rule for stall-holders and uphold the county council's strict trading regulations, while offering delicious local produce at the right price all year round."

Martin Lowry, chairman of the Hampshire Economic Partnership Rural Task Group welcomed the new direction for farmers' markets: "Local producers and farmers have been able to find alternative and additional outlets for their produce through the very effective farmers' market programme that the county council has run for the last three years.

"It has proved an excellent business model and the time is now right for the farmers and growers to take on the responsibility of running the markets for themselves.

"HEP is committed to helping the new company to maintain the integrity of the Hampshire farmers' market brand and face up to the challenges for all farmers' markets - that of financial viability, maintaining strict trading and environmental health regulations, and product diversity.

"We wish them every success in what is a very exciting venture."