Farmers at Newcastle Emlyn mart vent their anger on abattoir owner Oriel Jones at the low prices being offered for their lambs -- but one of the militants David Sadler says their real target should be the government.

We are a unique industry, where we sell wholesale, buy retail and have a perishable product.

David Sadler : "Other EU states recognise the vulnerability of the agricultural industry."

"All other EU states recognise the vulnerability of the agricultural industry and therefore they do support in rather unique ways the agricultural industries of their nations."

A generation ago, the miners had the same complaint when the Conservative government refused to underwrite the coal industry.

The miners striked and since then more than 13,000 have lost their jobs.

"During the strike we never had the support of the farmers or I feel we should have had so they can't expect 100% from what's left of the mining community in this country " says former miner, Hywel Jones.

The former government refused to underwrite the coal industry

Like the miners, the farmers depend on each other for support -- but farmer Laurence Harris says their industry is a lonely business.

"The miners all go down a mine together, they are in one big pit together going through hell.

"Whereas we have to suffer individually, we have all got to go out in all sorts of weather - fair and foul and make our own decisions on our own and being depressed on your own is the worst case scenario."

Not all doom

Pit villages like Seven Sisters in the Dulais valley were devastated by the demise of the coal industry -- all that is left now is the local rugby club.

There have been new openings for many former miners -- but in very different jobs.The miners were fighting for their survival -- whereas the farming crisis is unlikely to be terminal.

Professor Terry Marsden from Cardiff University says the answer is not greater subsidies -- but a new approach;

Professor Terry Marsden: welsh farming needs not greater subsidies -- but a new approach

"There will always be an agriculture in Wales, the question is what sort of agriculture.

"The important difference compared with the mining industry is that there are alternatives for Welsh agriculture. We could be looking through policies and farms co-operation to new forms of agriculture which could bring back people to the land."

Whatever the future shape of Welsh agriculture though, Professor Marsden feels it's inevitable that some farmers will go out of business -- the question is how many.