There is an increasing level of optimism among farmers in the UK, according to a survey by the European farm organisation Copa Cogeca.

The political environment surrounding the Brexit referendum led to a huge drop in farmer confidence in the first quarter of 2016.

However, this has steadily improved in the third quarter of 2016 and the first quarter of this year.

Nearly 70% of respondents to the survey among UK farmers reported either no change in investment plans or “did not know” in relation to the next 12 months.

However, 21% of respondents said they were twice as likely to decrease investment as a result of the referendum than to increase investment (11%) in the next 12 months.