Thousands of Yorkshire farmers will be asked to take part in a study to show the extent of the current crisis affecting the industry.

Ben Gill, president of the NationalFarmers' Union: times have been extremely hard for farmers over the past few years, he says

The National Farmers' Union today launched an Audit for Action in a bid to pressurise the Government into helping embattled farmers.

Union chiefs aim to provide graphic evidence of the levels of misery and despair being experienced by farmers who are struggling to survive in the face of plummeting incomes.

The launch of the audit comes after a weekend of increasing political ferment over agriculture, during which it emerged that the Labour-dominated administrations in Scotland and Wales plan to seek extra Government handouts for hard-pressed sheep farmers.

Survey forms will be sent to more than 83,000 farmers nationwide.

The audit will explore the human and social consequences of the farming crisis, which has been described as the worst since the 1930s.

The NFU aims to measure farmers' expectations of how long they can continue in business and whether or not their children intend to take over their farms after them.

Factors such as working hours and the use of social security payments to survive will be assessed in order to examine the impact of the crisis on rural family life.

Farmers' union president Ben Gill, who farms at Hawkhills, near Easingwold, said: "Times have been extremely hard for farmers over the past few years, but an increasing number of farmers are now facing desperation.

"The statistics are shocking - farm incomes have plummeted 75 per cent in the last two years - but even they do not show the real story.

"With this far-reaching audit, we intend to expose the human cost and the depth of misery being caused to farmers and their families."

Robert Hicks, of the NFU's Malton office, said the survey would provide valuable evidence of just how bad things are across the industry.

"There will always be people who say farmers are moaning. It's difficult when comments are being made all the time about the state of farming, so this audit should show the extent of the problems."

Mr Hicks added: "The majority of hill farmers will be earning way under £7,000 a year. There will be a lot of farmers out there who are losing money, there's no two ways about it."

Last week, Welsh sheep farmers dumped 355 ewes at an RSPCA centre in Colwyn Bay, saying they could no longer afford to keep them.

Agriculture Minister Nick Brown has so far ruled out cash aid for struggling sheep farmers.

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