Whoever gains power after the general election, which latest polls suggest will not produce a decisive winner, "will have the pressing issue of cutting the UK's huge national budget deficit to deal with", the land consultancy said.

"Rural issues will probably take a back seat in the aftermath of the election."

The comments chime with a warning on Wednesday from Olli Rehn, the European Union's economic and monetary affairs commissioner, that sorting out the public finances represented the new government's "foremost challenge".

"The first thing a new government has got to do is to agree a convincing and detailed programme of debt consolidation," he said.

The commission foresees Britain having the highest deficit of any EU country this year, at 12% of economic output, ahead of Greece, at 9.3%.

'Crucial' election 

However, the demotion of agriculture to the back burner would represent a blow to farmers who have said that, with food production and environmental issues receiving greater public prominence, the election was "crucial" for the sector,

"Parties and their candidates need to understand how to help farming meet its potential if we are to play our part in global food security," Peter Kendall, the president of the NFU farmers' union said.

"For our industry to thrive we need to see farming and growing at the heart of policy-making."

The NFU is demanding the next government sets itself against "excessive or burdensome" farming regulation, improves oversight of retail giants, and an independent organisation to monitor animal welfare.

Curbs on culling badgers, which some research has linked to the spread of bovine tuberculosis, are strongly opposed by many farmers.

Election promises 

The Conservative party, which is expected to win about 35% of votes putting ahead in the polls, has pledged to cut back on "unnecessary" regulation in farming, a promise Knight Frank said would be "difficult to achieve" given the EC's powers over agriculture.

"A more pragmatic interpretation of EU rules would be a useful first step," the consultancy added.

Knight Frank praised a Labour party proposal to provide high-speed broadband nationwide, but said plans to extend rights to walk across all countryside as "bound to cause issues on our crowded island".

A Liberal Democrat promise to double woodland could be "good for the environment, but is a potential conflict with the need to improve food security and production".