FARMERS in North Yorkshire are being urged to start growing coppice willow to meet a sudden huge demand for energy.

The plea comes from farmers group Renewable Energy Growers (Regro) as people turn to domestic wood burner boilers to cut fuel costs – and as major power generators like Drax Power are increasing their use of sustainable energy crops to meet Government guidelines.

Drax, near Selby, has just announced it is to build three new bio-mass fired generation plants at a cost of £2 billion.

Regro, based in Market Weighton, represents 60 farmers throughout Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, providing comprehensive support to members from planting to harvesting.

Its appeal for more growers also comes as farmers are battling against a massive rise in costs for growing mainstream crops, such as cereals, rape and potatoes.

While the cost of growing these crops has doubled in the past 12 months, prices have plummeted. However, willow remains a low input, low-cost crop, producing consistent returns.

Regro director Philip Huxtable, who is also a director of 9,000-acre JSR Farms Ltd of Southburn, near Driffield, said: “Farmers are facing huge increases in costs for mainstream crops and with market prices plummeting, many will be lucky to break even next year.

“We can offer an alternative solution by helping them to start willow production and open the way to them taking advantage of the massive demand for energy crops.”

Mr Huxtable said some farmers were facing an exceptionally tough year in 2009 with fuel prices trebling and fertiliser up around 140 per cent.

“I don’t think many farmers realise just how bad prospects are. Our calculations for JSR show that the cost of growing wheat is rising by 88 per cent compared to last year and the cost of growing rape will virtually double.

“We are offering farmers, particularly those with less productive land, the opportunity to put stability into their farm incomes. Willow has become a premium product with an increasing demand from industry and consumers for wood chips and billets.

“Power generators are desperate to source material from the UK and I believe that prices will strengthen further because demand is outstripping supply.”

Farmers interested in growing willow can contact Tony Holmes, chief executive of Regro, on 01430 871888.