SHEEP production now dominates farming practices on Exmoor, according to the findings of a new survey.

The moorland agriculture sector has moved away from the more traditional cattle and pony grazing since the last State of Farming on Exmoor report was drafted in 2004.

The new report found that over the last decade, Exmoor farmers have started to mirror "typical English uplands as a whole", with more income derived from sheep farming and from off-farm diversification.

Some 40 per cent of farms have "significant" off-farm income, such as holiday lets, contracting and renewable energy schemes.

The survey, which was carried out by a team led by Professor Janet Dwyer from the University of Gloucestershire, found that diversification was likely to increase in importance over the next five years as most farmers had few ideas for improving returns from their livestock.

The survey was commissioned by the Exmoor Hill Farming Network to investigate the current state of farming on the moor and to analyse how it may change in the future.

Feedback from the survey will be presented at a public meeting in Exford, which will take place next Tuesday (June 2) from 7pm to 9pm.

Around 400 farmers were asked to take part to try and discover how agriculture has changed over the last decade and to look at concerns for the future.

Some 117 farmers responded and confirmed that beef herd numbers on the moor had declined consistently since 2005, with permanent pasture now the main land use.

Their main concerns were low prices, occurrence of bTB, a lack of smaller farms to allow new business start ups and the problem of "incomers" outbidding locals for land and property.

The team concluded: "Exmoor farms show a good degree of resilience at present, despite major challenges in respect of low incomes from farming, bTB and price volatility.

"The age structure among farmers appears healthy and there is a cohort of younger farmers with larger holdings and a more innovative and market-focused outlook than the average for all the respondents.

"Nevertheless, farmers express concerns in respect of weak market position/returns and a lack of time and resources for investment in sustaining the landscape, improving the general condition of their holdings and stock and adding value.

"Diversification on and off-farm is now a key part of the household income mix for half of the farms and this proportion will grow in future."

The survey calls for Defra to analyse the local sheep and beef supply chains to try and find better returns for farmers and to review the level of support it gave to farms.

"Continued and intensified efforts to contact and then reduce bTB would make a significant [positive] difference to farming fortunes on Exmoor.

"Effort should also be devoted by Government and the national park authority to ensuring adequate agri-environment support to maintain the Exmoor landscape and to encouraging more facilitated, consistent [over time] and locally-sensitive delivery with a dedicated local team," the report authors said.

They also praised the work of the Exmoor Hill Farming Network and said new funding should be found to enable it to continue its work.

Anyone is welcome to attend next Tuesday's feedback meeting in Exford, but places must be booked in advance for catering purposes, as a free finger buffet will be provided.

Places can be booked through the hill farming network by telephoning 01643 841455.