PRINCE Charles has vowed to help British farmers weather the crisis in milk prices.

He joined a summit of key figures in the rural sector as the patron of the Prince's Countryside Fund, including Lord Curry of Kirkharle, a trustee of the charity, and Defra minister George Eustice.

The charity warns that many UK farms are vulnerable and on the brink of collapse following a summer of significant lows in farm gate prices, pressures of administrative burden, complexity of applications to vital funding streams and the fear of delayed payments.

To prevent farm businesses resorting to higher rate loans, a firm commitment was made by the Farming Help charities to offer workshops and training delivered to frontline and senior bank employees to help banks understand the advice and support available for farmers in need.

Director of The Prince’s Countryside Fund Claire Saunders said, “The role of The Prince’s Countryside Fund, now more than ever, is to help ensure the sustainability of British agriculture and our wider rural communities. This is why our Patron HRH The Prince of Wales will be announcing essential research commissioned by the Fund into the consequences of failing to support a diverse farming sector. The legacy of today’s summit will be to foster greater collaboration and communication between key players in the agriculture sector. By fostering a greater understanding of the challenges facing farming we will go some way to help to solve them.”