FARMERS have told of their desperation as torrential rain has left their unharvested crops in danger of rotting in the fields.

By this time last year, most of the region's farmers had brought in their crops, but freak weather conditions have left machinery lying dormant and farmers increasingly worried.

The torrential rain that has plagued Britain this summer is now threatening to ruin entire crops.

National Farmers Union (NFU) chairman, Philip Abbatt, who farms at Potterne Park Farm, near Devizes, said: "It's beginning to get quite serious. Only 50 per cent of our crops are harvested. The wet weather is starting to do some serious damage, especially to wheat."

Mr Abbatt explained that milling wheat quickly loses its quality, and if it gets very wet, coupled with warm conditions, it can start growing in the ears.

"This hasn't happened yet," he said. "But it could, then it wouldn't even be fit for cattle feed. Generally there can't be many cheerful farmers," Mr Abbatt said. "Weather is probably the biggest factor and it's out of our control."

Last year's dry weather provided a bumper harvest.

"Last year we had a very easy harvest. It didn't rain, and when you've had a couple of years like that you tend to forget just how difficult it can be," Mr Abbatt said.

"I don't know how much I've lost so far but it's thousands."

North Wiltshire district councillor and farmer Nancy Bryant, who farms in Mile Elm, near Calne, revealed that the wet weather was also bad news for arable and dairy farmers like her.

"The rain affects every farmer, morally and financially. The price of corn will go up because there won't be as much around," she explained.

"And it doesn't just affect arable farming. Cows don't like damp conditions, they milk better with the sun on their backs.

"It then means we've got to consider winter housing, which is more work because you've got to feed the animals and clean them out.

"We've kept up exceptionally well without straw despite the rain. It goes mouldy otherwise," she said.

"I've been farming since 1982 and we often get a dry September after a wet August, then we've got to catch up," Mr Abbatt said. "But farmers always think tomorrow will be a better day."