Assembly First Secretary Rhodri Morgan has expressed his disappointment at the poor take-up of a scheme to boost Welsh farming.

Just 700 of Wales's 17,000 farmers were prepared to contribute the £250 needed to get the Welsh Meat Company off the ground.

The scheme required 1,000 shareholders to start up.

Mr Morgan said that farmers must take more responsibility for developing their own industry.

The scheme was launched with the backing of the National Assembly and Welsh Development Agency.

But the lukewarm response to the scheme reflected the way it was set up, claimed Bob Parry, president of the Farmers' Union of Wales.

"I believe a lot of the fault of the failure is a lack of confidence in the WDA in implementing a plan that would be of benefit to farmers," said Mr Parry.

'Take responsibility'

Mr Morgan said the "wait and see" attitude of Welsh farmers would not work and that innovation was the key to a positive future for the industry.

"It is disappointing that more farmers have not taken advantage of this offer to join the new company," said Mr Morgan.

"The proposals set out in the company¿s prospectus would bring a number of benefits for farmers, including a greater stake in the supply chain and the opportunity to move into processing when the time is right."

Many farmers believed the new company would only succeed in making matters worse, forcing local marts across Wales to close.

To become a shareholder, farmers were asked to pay £250.

The aim of WMC was to have 10% of Welsh farmers signed up by the year 2002, supplying 800,000 lambs, and 20,000 cattle every year.

But livestock auctioneer Aled Ellis said that similar co-operative ventures had failed in the past.