Emergency funding of £300,000 to help farmers who are struggling following this year’s adverse weather will come as an early Christmas present, the NFU said today.

The news was announced at a meeting last night called by His Royal Highness Prince Charles with the leaders of the UK rural charities including The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI), Farm Crisis Network and the Addington Fund in England and Wales.

The Prince’s Countryside Fund will donate £150,000 while the Duke of Westminster confirmed that he will personally match the funding and donate an additional £150,000. The money will be distributed among the various charities and used to help farmers who have been hit financially as a result of the recent poor weather.

NFU Deputy President Meurig Raymond said: “The Prince’s Countryside Fund demonstrates the importance that His Royal Highness attaches to rural communities and especially farming.

“The NFU would like to thank the Prince for his continued support of farmers and growers, particularly when the industry has been hit over the past 12 months with the problems of extreme weather – drought in the first part of the year followed by flooding in many parts of the country – which has led to rocketing costs for feed and forage.

“This emergency donation and the generosity of the Duke of Westminster will mean that many farmers and growers will receive help at a difficult time for their businesses and those hard-pressed farmers really welcome support when times are tough.”