TWO organisations have raised concerns about the future of the rural economy and landscape.

The Forum of Private Business (FPB) said the rural economy was still in crisis.

"Unless something is done to address the issue there will be no rural economy left to develop," said Nick Goulding, FPB chief executive.

Problems with the single farm payment had been addressed, belatedly, but the FPB fears problems with the Rural Payments Agency will continue.

Mr Goulding believes the future for the rural economy is bleak. He asked what the Government was doing to encourage start-up businesses in the countryside, where the training and support was for entrepreneurs, and why small businesses in rural areas could not find cashpoints outside normal working hours.

FPB member Colin Hair said many vets were giving up farm work and no young people were entering rural business.

"In 20 years time there will be a real problem. Something needs to be done," he said.

The FPB was responding to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affair's (Defra) consultation on the future of the Rural Development Programme (RDP).

The Tenant Farmers' Association also warned that Defra could not deliver the RDP and environmental policies without farmers.

It is particularly concerned about plans to make major changes to hill support which, it believes, will "destabilise" the fragile farming/environmental balance.

"Without the hill community in the uplands making a sustainable living from livestock production, the landscape will change out of all recognition in a short time," warned George Dunn, TFA chief executive.

The TFA also believes the move to regional administration will cause inconsistencies in national policies and vacuums in decision making.