Continuing uncertainty in the agricultural sector could see many farmers "farming at a loss", councillors have been told.
Coun John Riddle issued the stark warning at Tuesday's meeting of Northumberland County Council's cabinet, where members were discussing the council's response to the future of farming inquiry it launched last year.
That followed concern by Wooler councillor and farmer Coun Mark Mather, who faced losing a large amount of the land he rented and farmed due to the owner's desire to plant trees in response to DEFRA initiatives about rewilding farmland.
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Coun Riddle, who is also a farmer and represents the rural Bellingham ward, said he welcomed the report but warned there were still issues going forward.
He said: "There is still a lot of uncertainty. Just last night I've had a telephone call from a tenant farmer ringing me for advice. I told him the schemes were still a bit woolly and advised him to use a farming consultant.
"The reality is he's probably going to lose about £30,000 in payments, or subsidies, whatever you want to call it, even following the best advice. That will mean he's likely to be farming at a loss, and that's not sustainable.
"When farmers have got money in their pockets, they spend money in the rural economy."
Council leader Glen Sanderson -another farmer - had previously spoken of a "slight gap" in the guidance from DEFRA as well as from Government and "others."
He added: "It's the question of maintaining the balance of maintaining food security and the patchwork of farms across the county, versus the environmental campaigns that have been led by a number of organisations to encourage farmers to rewild.
"They are all very worthy things, but there's a balance. Just look at the inflation caused by the war in Ukraine and the problems we run into if we think we can rely on others for food."
Coun Sanderson also revealed an invitation had been extended to secretary of state Thérèse Coffey to discuss the findings of the inquiry.
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