FARMERS could find themselves earning less than their workers if the government pushes ahead with plans for a minimum wage.

And the new pay structure might lead to a black market in casual labour, an MP has warned.

The Ribble Valley's Nigel Evans has said farmers relying on casual labour could find themselves short-changed if the proposed £4 an hour was implemented across the board.

And farmers' chiefs are urging the government to proceed with caution when bringing in the new rate.

Farmers' incomes have fallen by up to 50 per cent because of the BSE crisis and the strength of the pound, and a minimum wage could see workers earning more than their employers, the MP has claimed.

"The farming industry is going through a hard enough time as it is without the extra burden of a minimum wage.

"Thousands of casual workers could find themselves jobless because of the much higher costs.

"Alternatively, they might find themselves employed on the black market, where they would not be covered by health and safety regulations, and would pay no tax," he said.

"We have to make sure that the farming industry is given a chance to recover from the battering it has received and a minimum wage is not the way to do this," he added.

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