FARMERS should be demanding "a greater share of the cake", according to Don Curry, chairman of the Meat and Livestock Commission.

But Mr Curry told a joint NFU and Barclays bank discussion evening at the Castle Green Hotel in Kendal that the reality was that: "The cake is getting larger but the farmers' share is getting smaller, we are under sever pressure," and farmers could not afford to sit back and watch as the link between primary producers and consumers vanished altogether.

He stressed that farmers would have to change their ways and pull together if they wanted to see their industry flourish again.

"It seems that the British Farmer is not listening or is unwilling to work with his neighbour," he said.

"It is still a very fragmented industry, and has very few successful brands.

We are under severe pressure in the market place and consumers have greater choice today than they have ever had."

British consumers, he said, were also being targeted by industries from abroad and British farmers would have to start fighting back: "MLC has a responsibility to stimulate demand for British meat and products.

We have to exploit opportunities and export.

But we can only become more competitive if we reduce our costs of production and improve the quality of the product.

We need to differentiate our product and gain a premium."

On a brighter not, Mr Curry said he did not believe that "a serious long term trend" towards more frozen and chilled meals would leave no place for fresh meat in the marketplace in 15 years time.

Instead he pointed to figures for 1998 which showed that Britons ate just 70 kilograms of meat per head each year, compared with Spaniards' 115 kg, and said the figures showed there was scope to increase meat consumption in Britain.

Richard Lole, agricultural policy manager for Barclays Bank, stressed that co-operation would be the key to changing the fortunes of the industry and urged farmers to co-operate and consider sharing machinery and labour to reduce costs, and form buying groups to save time.

"It is these uncomfortable changes that will make a real difference," he said, adding that Kendal and the Lake District already boasted a unique and strong brand, which should be taken advantage of.

Also speaking at the Castle Green meeting, NFU director general Richard Macdonald said that competing against one another in the market place is one of the biggest threats facing the industry.

He said too many farm business were "small and fragmented" and the way forward was to avoid competition between farms by working together, either in small groups or larger initiatives.

"Collaboration is not about getting rid of identity," he said, "it is your means of retaining it."

He added that "inescapable trends," such as food safety issues, traceability and globalisation, should be addressed and viewed as opportunities rather than threats.

Acknowledging the difficult times, he said: "We all experience that pain together but there are significant grounds for optimism.

There is lots we can do to help ourselves turn the qualities and key ingredients we have into something that is really going to put us on the map and keep us there."