ARABLE farmers in the North-East are being urged to get a better deal by using a grain contract drawn up by the NFU.

The new contract, designed to strike a fairer balance between the interests of grain producers and those of their customers, has been developed in response to farmers' long-standing concern about contracts which can leave them facing hidden costs and penalties.

At last week's inaugural meeting of the NFU's new combinable crops board, Paul Temple, chairman, urged farmers to seize the initiative.

"It is very much a seller's market at the moment, with demand outstripping supply," he said. "This presents a real opportunity for farmers to achieve a better deal for themselves."

He said the new cereal contract was free, user friendly and easy to get either by post or on-line. "As a result we are urging all regional producers to use it and tackle head-on the problems they have been facing for far too long," said Mr Temple