Appeal for upland farmers

And if farmers in the North York Moors National Park are forced out of business through lack of support, tourist hotspots will revert to wilderness, says NFU spokesman Rob Simpson.

The NFU's rallying cry has been reinforced by the national park's chief executive, Andy Wilson, who has said that winning support for hard-pressed communities through grant schemes will be a priority for the coming year.

"Hill farmers work under extremely difficult circumstances and are often the first to suffer when there is a crisis," said Mr Simpson.

"The conditions up there are very harsh and yet they do not get the support they need.

"The areas they maintain by having livestock up there are enjoyed by many people and are popular with tourists; if we lose our hill farmers these areas of beauty will grow wild and become inaccessible."

In his annual report, Mr Wilson writes: "More than ever, the national park needs to facilitate and co-ordinate partnership funding of projects. In the year ahead, the authority needs to adapt to a new set of grant regimes.

"If the authority does not continue to make a positive difference to the environment of the park and to increase public understanding of its special qualities it will not be serving the purpose for which it exists."

Mr Wilson added that it was vital to make a strong case for the livelihoods of those who manage the park's landscape.

"Tourism provides the most jobs in the park and farming covers by far the largest area," he said. "The authority continues to work closely with people in both industries and is especially conscious of the of the crisis in farm incomes."

Upland farmers are vital to their community and often support a local economy, adds Mr Simpson.

"They often employ many people within their communities and these people in turn use local facilities," he explained.

"There has to be a major change soon to the way upland farmers are supported by the Government and the EU."