A recent yougov poll, which revealed that urban children spend, on average, two days a year in the countryside and 17 days a year watching TV, has shown that only 6 per cent of city children expressed an interest in becoming farmers.

The poll’s results showed that rural living holds little appeal for the youth of today. The poll of 1,000 city parents revealed that children in the South were more likely to visit the countryside, whereas one in ten children in the Midlands never left their city.

The study, which was commissioned by Weetabix, was conducted as part of work the company is doing with children's community charities. It wants to give more city children a day out in the countryside and more of an insight into the agricultural world.

The company supports initiatives in inner city areas which give children the opportunity to experience rural life. Speaking about a trip yesterday, where youngsters saw how wheat was harvested, Weetabix Marketing Director Sally Abbott said, "For many children growing up in cities they have such a limited understanding of the countryside, so to take such an active part on a farm has been wonderful."

The yougov survey was carried out among 1,000 adults with children between five and 14 living in UK cities. Fieldwork was undertaken from 29 July to 2 August