The CLA, the rural economy experts, has published its second set of results from its Rural Economy Indicator (CLA REI).

The results show that confidence in the rural economy is significantly more buoyant than that of the general economy.

The CLA REI is conducted quarterly to sample confidence in the rural economy by those who live and work in the countryside.

CLA president Henry Aubrey-Fletcher said: “The results outline that confidence in the rural economy is up on the previous set of results, showing that businesses are fending off the negative effects of the recession better than the rest of the economy.

“Only four percent of respondents have no confidence at all in the rural economy over the next three to six months compared with 69 percent in the general economy – a jump of 13 percent compared with the first quarter."