Organisers of a local produce market have accused Bradford Council of failing to support farmers after turning down their grant application.

B-FIT has been organising the markets in Bradford and Keighley and educating farmers and growers on how to run their businesses over the past year.

It applied to the Regeneration Partnership Scheme for funds of £5,000 but was refused.

Now plans to provide educational events to give farmers ideas on how to improve their businesses will have to be shelved.

Carolyn Lowing, B-FIT chairman, said: "The Bradford points system on awarding grants seems to help the urban needy but not the rural needy. They don't seem to care about the rural parts."

A Bradford Council spokesman said: "This application was fully assessed by officers against a clear and thorough scoring criteria and was considered along with nine other projects for a share of a limited pot of funding. Unfortunately, there are insufficient funds to meet every application made."

Only last week the Telegraph & Argus reported on a campaign by the Bishop of Bradford to Buy British and save the district's farmers from ruin.

Mrs Lowing said: "We support the Bishop's plea for people to write to their MP to persuade the government to develop a strategy to help the farming industry. We would also urge people to write to their local councillors to ask them to do the same. It is frustrating that Bradford Council has not supported B-FIT."

Since B-FIT was formed in December 1998 it has organised 12 markets in Bradford and Keighley, taught farmers about direct selling and produced a series of recipe leaflets to back up cooking demonstrations using fresh, seasonal produce.

According to Mrs Lowing farmers are being increasingly pressured into debt by banks and the numbers of farmers being treated for depression is rising as is the number of premature deaths because of illness or suicide.

The next Local Produce Market will take place in Bingley on Saturday, March 25 from 10am to 3pm.

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