Sir – Look after our farmers and you look after our countryside. The farming industry is in crisis. Dairy farmers are getting a raw deal for their milk, pig farmers struggle as feed prices increase.

Some farmers can no longer cover their overheads and with huge regret sell up and another farm is lost forever. Many farmers have gone to the wall in recent years because they haven’t had a fair deal. The giant supermarkets have a huge part to play in the price wars. Farmers put in long hours in all weathers, it’s about time the Government helped this vital industry. How many more farms must fall before safeguards are put in place, all they ask for is a good price for good quality produce (plus animal welfare is higher in this country). Our farming industry is something to be proud of. The countryside is mainly made up of farmland, not woodland, what would become of this beautiful patchwork landscape in the future if we don’t look after our British farmers. Farming is in our blood, our heritage, most of us will have had farm labourers in our family at some point in the past. With a huge population in this country it’s even more important to support our hard-working farmers. Christine D. Friend (Mrs), East Hagbourne