Farmers in Dorset face a decade of ‘damaging uncertainty’ if the government waits until Brexit to deliver its promises, ministers have been warned. 

National Trust director Helen Ghosh is urging leaders to act quickly to establish a support programme for farmers before it is ‘too late’. 

At a BBC Countryfile Live talk, Dame Helen said: “Our countryside has its greatest opportunity in a generation to thrive if the government delivers on its promises to reward nature-friendly farming. 

“Farmers, in response to uncertainty about the future and income, have ploughed up pasture which was created with support from EU environmental money.

“We are within touching distance of a vision for the future of farming that sees thriving businesses successfully meeting the needs of the nation into the 21st century and beyond. 

“The longer we wait, the more we risk losing all the gains we have made over the last decade.”

The director-general, who last year called on ministers to seize the opportunity posed by Brexit, said farmers can feel optimistic about their prospects again if Government promises become policy before the UK parts company with the EU.

CLA, representing landowners, farmers and rural businesses, has also spoken out after it was revealed that 84 per cent of people think the government should spend money on preserving and managing the countryside, and 21 per cent of people think the amount of public money being spent on the countryside is not enough. 

It comes after a recent survey commissioned by the organisation titled ‘The Countryside Matters’, carried out as part of the debate over how the government should support and fund the countryside post-Brexit. 

More than 1,500 were polled as part of the survey and the results were unveiled at Countryfile Live.

CLA President Ross Murray said that Brexit provided a unique opportunity for the sector.

“Our survey has shown just how important investing in the countryside is so that we can continue to eat nutritious and wholesome food, breathe clean air and enjoy a rich diversity of wildlife.

“ And it is reassuring to see that so many people have given a clear endorsement that the countryside matters to them.

“We have a unique opportunity post-Brexit to ensure farmers and landowners are better recognised for undertaking this vital work. Now is the time to take action.”