Farmers have called on Tony Blair to deliver on promises to put a crisis-rocked agriculture industry on the road to recovery.

The demand came during a farming summit in Downing Street.

The meeting came in the wake of the Policy Commission on the Future of Farming and Food's report earlier this year, which urged farmers to become the "guardians of the countryside".

Report author Sir Donald Curry attended the meeting, along with the prime minister, rural affairs secretary Margaret Beckett and representatives of the National Farmers' Union.

Speaking after the meeting, Margaret Beckett said progress had been made. She said there had been common ground and the government would put together a strategy for the autumn.

"We have to find a better way, a better path for the farming industry as a whole," she said.

NFU leader Ben Gill said it was time for the government to deliver on their promises.

Speaking outside Number 10, he said: "Without profitability there's no ability to go forward on any of the environmental, welfare issues, the rural economy or any of the other issues."

"We can't have reform that just drops farmers and farming communities in it," he said. "My members have had for far too long a period of good words. We need delivery."

Reform plans

The government-backed Curry report called for the redirection of subsidies to protect the countryside, an increase in organic farming and urged supermarkets to sell more food from local farms.

The call for more sustainable farming came in the wake of a series of catastrophes which hit the British farming industry, from the Salmonella in eggs scare to BSE and foot and mouth.

But while the recommendations were backed by the government and environmental groups, the National Farmers' Union has been critical of plans to shift subsidies away from production.

At the Downing Street summit, the government urged farmers to work with the government on its new agenda for rural development and recovery.

But the NFU has been reluctant to back measures that would cut support to farmers at a time when they are struggling to cope with the effects of the foot and mouth outbreak.

While the meeting served the government's wider purpose of showing its concern for the state of rural Britain, the Opposition has said the government is offering farmers nothing but "talk".

Shadow agriculture spokesman Peter Ainsworth said farmers were facing the worst crisis in their industry in living memory "and all the government is able to offer is talk".

"Mrs Beckett even told the Today programme that she and Mr Blair would not be talking about what should be done over the next few months, or even the next two or three years, she said they would be talking about 'what we can do in the next 50 years'.

"This sets a new record. We have had five-year, 10-year, even 20-year plans for health and transport but now farmers look set to be offered a 50-year plan. Given the average age of farmers, this means that most of them can look forward to seeing some action from the government when they reach 110," he said.

Liberal Democrat rural affairs spokesman Malcolm Bruce also put the emphasis on actions not words.

"The government's commitment to a future for farming will be judged on its actions, not words or intentions. In 2000, Downing Street held a farming summit to look at ways of tackling the problems facing the farming community. Two years on, we're back where we started with yet another summit," he said.

He called for action on providing the necessary financial support to implement the Curry report recommendations, including better marketing, training, business advice and entrance and exit packages.

"If the government fails to get a grip on those issues, the Curry report runs the risk of being a dead letter."