Farmers impacted by waste crime are being urged to make their opinions heard on the Environment Agency's effectiveness in combatting the issue.
Farmers can now take part in the bi-annual survey, which is seeking views on the agency's approach to curbing the growing problem.
Results of it are set to reveal the scale of illegal fly-tipping, as well as to help measure the effectiveness of the Environment Agency.
Two years ago, the survey showed that 86% of famers were impacted by fly-tipping and that small-scale waste dumping impacted the most respondents.
The crime costs the economy in England an estimated £1 billion per year and, in 2023, the survey estimated that 18% of waste may be handled illegally at some point in the waste supply chain.
Urging farmers to take part, the NFU noted that waste crime costs thousands thousands every year, calling it a 'blight on the UK's landscape'.
The union's vice president, Rachel Hallos said: “Fly-tipping continues to be a huge problem and one that plagues the lives of so many of us living and working in the countryside.
“The scale of waste crime is staggering, with nearly a fifth of all waste – an estimated 34 million tons – being handled illegally every year."
More than one million incidents were dealt with by local authorities last year, as shown by the latest government fly-tipping statistics.
However, these statistics do not reflect the scale of the problem on private land, estimated to impact over two thirds of farmers.
Ms Hallos said: “For farmers, it’s a constant battle against illegal dumping, the damage it causes to our land and the financial burden of clearing it up."
By completing the survey, farmers will help understand the scale and impact of waste crime, design better interventions, and understand the effectiveness of action.
The Environment Agency's online survey closes for responses on 23 February.
