Lambs sold at market for less than the price of a packet of crisps; sheep dumped anonymously on the RSPCA because their owner can't afford to feed them.

Many farmers in Wales are having a tough time. We may have heard it before but this time they say it's for real and the industry is in crisis.

"There won't be enough business to carry forward for the next generation" says Pembrokeshire farmer Dyfan James.

Supermarkets don't want little lambs farmed on the slopes of Mount Snowdon

It's caused by a combination of factors.

The strong pound has almost put a stop to the export of small Welsh hill lambs to Europe, flooding the market here.

Sheep fleeces which were sold for around £8 each to the Russians for sheepskin coats became virtually worthless overnight when the rouble collapsed. And precautions against BSE have added extra costs.

With little land in here which is suitable for arable farming, farmers are largely dependent on the dairy and livestock sectors, which have seen prices - and incomes - plummet to the extent that animals are being sold at a loss.

The more militant of the 50,000 farmers in Wales have taken to direct action to draw public attention to their plight.

Last month the Second Severn Crossing was closed for the first time by protesting farmers who blockaded it on a Sunday afternoon with a convoy of vehicles, causing traffic chaos for several hours.

The farmers said they wanted to get the public on their side, but many motorists caught in the queues on that sweltering hot day were not impressed.

No profits - no shoppers

The economic downturn for farmers has a direct effect in rural communities and market towns.

Farmers must rely on livestock farming

JDR Thomas, the owner of an electrical shop in Newcastle Emlyn in Carmarthenshire, says he has first hand experience:

"Obviously there's less money to spend on items they don't have to buy like tv's, videos and hi-fi's. They're only buying necessities in the crisis they're in at the moment"

'Supermarkets to blame'

Much of the farmers' anger is directed at supermarkets. While sheep are fetching typically 76p per kilo at livestock markets in Wales, consumers are still paying up to £12 a kilo for lamb.

"The government have a moral duty to change the law" says David Sadler, leader of Farmers in Crisis "so supermarkets don't hold a monopoly over the farmer".

The supermarkets say costs have increased dramatically, but the farmers aren't convinced.

Their reply is to protest outside stores and blockade distribution depots where on one occasion they were faced with police in full riot gear.

And with no end to the crisis in sight, Welsh farmers are pessimistic about the future and haven't ruled out further direct action.