THE huge contribution that rural non-farming business makes to the British economy has finally been acknowledged in a newly published book designed to help country folk with business start-ups.

Although fewer than four per cent of rural jobs are in farming, other country-based businesses employ more than five million people and create almost 30 per cent of the nation's GDP.

These staggering figures are given by rural affairs minister Alun Michael in a forward to A Guide to Rural Business produced by the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) in association with the specialist business publishers Kogan Page.

It includes contributions from leading experts on financial management and funding, land and buildings development, marketing and product development, legal and tax issues, and the general operation of a country business.

Says Alun Michael, "Where rural economic activity is well integrated into urban and regional economies, rural areas often thrive and even out-perform that of their region as a whole."

The CLA's Yorkshire office has a limited number of copies available at £12.99 including postage and packing: tel 01347 823803.