A record response to an NFU Scotland intentions survey has revealed uncertainty over future agricultural policy to be the greatest threat to farming businesses.
Almost two-thirds of all respondents identified future agricultural policy as the most significant threat.
Volatile market prices and the unprecedented spike in input costs of fertiliser, fuel, animal feed and utilities also scored highly when respondents were asked identify what will impact on their business in the coming year.
Availability of labour remains a key concern for some sectors, including dairy, and wider land use policy, consumer attitudes, biosecurity and livestock disease risk also scored highly in terms of risk.
NFUS president Martin Kennedy said the results were stark but unsurprising.
He said: Scotland has repeatedly called for Scottish Government to put potential enhanced support options in the public domain in the wake of its consultation on an Agriculture Bill.
He added if it had listened to industry, some measures could have been introduced last year, but politics and bureaucracy were holding the industry back.
