A LEADING farming supplier based in Worcestershire is to make job cuts because of difficult trading conditions with two directors among the first to go.

Countrywide, a leading supplier of products and services to the rural community, has lost two members of its senior team with more job cuts expected to be announced in the new year.

The business, which has its head office in Asparagus Way, Evesham, supplies products in the farming, smallholder, equestrian, rural business and country home sectors and has branches in Malvern, Upton-upon-Severn, Evesham, Bromyard and Ledbury.

Two members of the senior team have already left but a spokesman for the company said there would be further redundancies but these would not be announced until the new year “along with a number of further measures to take cost out of the business”.

Retail director Garry Wharmby and commercial director David Asquith have left the company with immediate effect.

Countrywide chairman Nigel Hall said: “The economy generally is tougher than ever before. Considerable uncertainty and volatility exists in the UK and world markets and the impact of measures taken by the Government to reduce the public deficit have started to feed through and will continue to have an impact on disposable incomes for some time to come.”

Chief executive John Hardman said: “We have had to take difficult decisions to counteract this trend within our retail business and it is with regret that I announce that two members of our senior team have left the company with immediate effect.

”I pay tribute to David and Garry for their commitment to the business and their contribution to Countrywide’s growth over the last five years.”