Farmers are currently facing pressure from the prolonged period of bad weather compounded by the 'ill-informed' media and their 'attacks' on the industry, a group warns.
The Tenant Farmers Association (TFA) reports that the two issues are recurring themes from its latest round of Regional Committee discussions.
It holds an autumn round of discussions to take the pulse of the membership and the day-to-day issues impacting those at the grassroots of the farming industry.
But the group says that this year, 'morale is low' within the tenanted agriculture sector.
George Dunn, TFA chief executive, said: “They are struggling massively with the extended period of exceptionally wet weather which has disrupted later harvest and subsequently delayed sowing and crop establishment.
“Many crops simply will not get into the ground this winter, leaving a substantial amount of planting to lower yielding crops in the spring.”
Another major concern is the number of regions who are reporting the failure of their oilseed rape crops.
While poor weather has contributed to poor ground conditions, these crops have been further weakened by attacks from flea beetle, which are running rampant following the ban on the use of neonicotinoids.
It has led numerous industry bodies to call for new measures to help farmers withstand the challenges of volatile markets and weather.
Mr Dunn added: “Of course, there’s nothing new about farmers having to deal with bad weather, it is part and parcel of operating in an outdoor environment.
“However, it underlines the fragility of returns to farmers and their exposure to volatility.”
Looking at the next issue, the TFA says that constant media reports which 'attack' UK agriculture on its environmental and welfare credentials is 'massively unfair'.
Mr Dunn said: “Farmers are being wrongly blamed for everything from ruining the climate, wiping out vulnerable wildlife and damaging our health.
“All of this is nonsense. Farmers are at the cutting edge of delivering great product produced to high environmental and welfare standards and deserve credit for the work that they do.
“With talk about the importance of mental health issues, farmers have enough to battle with in dealing with the everyday issues of farming without also having to defend themselves against cheap jibes from the media,” he said.
