THE strength of the pound against the euro, over-regulation and exorbitant fuel prices are crippling efforts to turn around the crisis in farming, says National Farmers' Union president Ben Gill.
A progress report on the NFU's 'Contract with Society', launched at the Downing Street farming summit in March, states that farm incomes are still at rock bottom, agricultural earnings are down £4 billion and job losses may exceed last year's figure of one in 12 farmers and workers leaving the industry.
"Farmers have yet to see many of the benefits promised at the Downing Street summit and with every day that passes, their problems multiply," said Mr Gill.
The 'Contract with Society' was produced in response to the pledge given by the Government to work with farmers to get British agriculture back into profit and highlights how the Government can help. The prime minister signed up to the partnership agreement and called on other members of the food chain to play their part.
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