Farming leaders in Cornwall are calling for the county’s family farms to be given the backing they need to succeed in austere and uncertain times.

Ahead of the Royal Cornwall Show, which begins on Thursday, the NFU’s county chairman Chris Cardell said the crucial contribution family farmers make to the county’s economy and the fact they many other businesses depend on them for their survival was often not acknowledged.

“In Cornwall, the overwhelming majority of NFU members are family-run farms. It is difficult to over-emphasise how important they are, not just in economic terms but for everything else they give to Cornwall,” he said.

“We depend a great deal on tourists, and the spectacular landscape so many people come to see would look very different without the contribution farmers make towards maintaining it.”

Mr Cardell, who runs a dairy farm near Truro, says the issues currently facing the agricultural industry are making life particularly difficult.

“Prices are low across the board and we are continuing to struggle with the effects of bovine TB; there is uncertainty about whether Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments will be made on time and about the status of our whole relationship with Europe as negotiations take place ahead of the EU referendum.

“We need to make sure that everyone understands what family farms contribute and gives them their backing, whether that’s suppliers, retailers, MPs or local councillors. During the election campaign I was quite surprised to find out how little some councillors seemed to know about the industry, even in our part of the world – we look forward to working with them in future to make sure they are better informed.”

Farming Minister George Eustice is due to visit the Show on Friday and Mr Cardell will be seeking assurances from him that farmers will receive their CAP payments – a crucial element of the cash-flow for many farms – on time, despite the well-publicised problems with the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) system.

“We know that people are concerned to know where their food comes from and that it has been locally-sourced. If that is to continue farmers must get the political and financial support they need,” he said.

The importance of food security and short supply chains will be highlighted on Friday with an event run in conjunction with food company Ginsters, which uses many local suppliers for the ingredients in its pasties and pastries.

St Austell Brewery, which uses locally-grown malting barley, is hosting a drinks reception at the NFU marquee on Thursday, the first day of the Show, which will be attended by NFU Deputy President Minette Batters.

The South West NFU has also launched a survey to find out more about the impact low commodity prices are having on businesses allied to farming.

Full details and a downloadable version are available at: http://bit.ly/1AnIoTT.