DARTMOOR hill farmers were waiting for a government announcement yesterday (Wednesday) which could affect the future of farming on the moor.

NFU chairman Ben Gill was due to meet Agriculture Minister Nick Brown yesterday in an effort to get him to rethink proposals which would slash hill farmers' incomes in this area.

Dartmoor farmer John Dawe said: 'They're supposed to be trying to thrash out something — we're hoping there should be an announcement today.'

Last week, hundreds packed a crisis meeting in Okehampton, to hear that a 'safety net' designed to fund losses under a new support payments scheme would only fund 75 per cent of losses instead of the promised 90 per cent.

But Mr Dawe said reports of a farmers' blockade of the moor to demonstrate their anger were premature.

'There's certainly nothing planned this week,' he said. 'We have the ability to do it — it wouldn't take many of us.

'We've been carrying out environmental maintenance on the moor on the back of reasonably profitable food production. Now all the money's going we're beginning to think "Hang on a minute",' he said.

Mr Dawe said if farmers simultaneously decided to work on hedges at Pork Hill near Tavistock and on the main Princetown to Yelverton road it would soon cause havoc.

Ian Johnson, NFU spokesman at Exeter, said the union is trying to get the government 'back to the drawing board' on a scheme whereby support payments will be switched from head of stock to acreage — leaving virtually all West Devon's hill farmers considerably worse off.

'It's fearfully complicated; we are trying to get the government to understand the implications of what they are proposing.

'Most people accept the nature of payments has to change because there is concern in Europe about over-grazing, but at the same time, they are throwing the baby out with the bath water,' he said.

Mr Johnson could understand farmers' frustration but warned militant action should be treated with caution.

'If you do things that inconvenience people not connected with the problem you run the risk of alienating the public — there's a fine line to tread.

'There's always room for militant action but it needs to be used judiciously,' he said.