A YOUNG farmer is at the centre of a scheme to attract young people to agriculture.

David Martin features in a National Farmers' Union (NFU) campaign to inspire youngsters to consider the opportunities in agri-businesses, stressing they do not need a farm background.

He has just stepped down as president of the student union at Harper Adams University College, in Shropshire, where he gained a degree in agriculture and crop management.

The third son of a farming family in Tursdale, near Coxhoe, County Durham, he plans to live in Sedgefield and undertake contract work and take on land to farm in-hand.

After completing a four-year degree, he was elected president of the students' union.

He said: "To run the student's union and manage the facilities and staff, with a turnover of £750,000, has really been an eye-opener and will stand me in good stead for managing my own business."

NFU vice-president Paul Temple said: "A life on the land in the 21st Century is not just about muddy wellies and dirty finger nails - it is about adapting new technology, selling to your strengths and listening to your customer."