A POSTAL survey of 500 Dartmoor farmers will contribute to research into the state of farming on Dartmoor initiated by the Dartmoor National Park Authority.
A spokesman for the DNPA said one critical aspect of its Moor Futures project was to help address current difficulties in local agriculture, but it was hampered by the lack of detailed information relating to the hill farming industry on the moor.
'A better information base is essential to steer policy and substantiate funding bids, so the authority has engaged the Centre for Rural Research at the University of Exeter to carry out the necessary research,' he said.
Following the postal survey of farmers, there will be a telephone survey of a sub-sample to explore issues in greater depth.
Dartmoor hill farming bodies, agencies and other potential stakeholders will also be consulted, and recent studies and statistical records will be reviewed.
The university is being steered and advised by representatives from the NFU and the Dartmoor hill farming community itself, who will also provide an input to the conclusions and recommendations of the research.
The postal survey will be sent out in the next few weeks and it is hoped there will be a good response.
'The conclusions and recommendations stemming from the research will be critical to a viable future for many farmers who are struggling at this time,' said deputy chairman of the DNPA, Maurice Retallick.