Environment Secretary Owen Paterson will host a landmark summit to help farmers after a “particularly tough” year.

Major banks, charities and farming representatives will be at the meeting at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Participants are expected to discuss ways of improving farmers’ access to financial support after a year of bad weather has left many feeling the pinch.

Mr Paterson said: “We should be proud of the fantastic job our farmers do. But this last year has been particularly tough. Farming contributes a huge amount to our environment and our economy.

“We want to ensure that farmers are able to deal with challenges like bad weather, to grow their businesses, create new jobs and help the country compete in the global race.”