A WORRYING report into the current state of farming in Herefordshire has revealed the dire straits in which many farmers now find themselves.

The study, carried out by the Centre for Rural Research at University College Worcester and highlighted in Herefordshire Council's quarterly economic report, was conducted before the foot and mouth crisis.

Farmers were contacted face to face and by questionnaire and many revealed they had their backs to the wall, with more than 50 per cent citing cash flow as their biggest difficulty. More than a quarter said they were at their 'wits' end' as to how to cope with future challenges.

Elwin Maddy, county chairman of the Herefordshire branch of the NFU, said the prospects were now even bleaker. "The writing will be on the wall for many farmers at the end of the year," he warned. "The farmers that have been affected by the disease will at least get some compensation but the virtual collapse of the market system will increase the financial burden on the others."

Many have been forced to turn to other activities to try and wring more profit from their land. Farm-based recreation was most common, with more than 25 per cent looking to find alternative ways of generating income such as horse-riding, shooting and fishing.

Mr Maddy said: "Farmers used to just be concerned with producing food, but now we've almost got to go out there and promote ourselves and what we do.

"In days gone by, everyone had links with the farming community. Now, people just don't realise what goes into producing food and how important farmers are."

The way intensification, specialisation and concentration of farming methods are changing Herefordshire's scenic character are also highlighted in the report. Distinctive landscape features such as hedgerows have been replaced by blocks of replanted woodland which fit more conveniently around modern farming methods. Increased demand for residential housing and larger farm buildings have also taken their toll.

But over 60 per cent of those questioned said they had been active in conservation work and the county is said to still have a dense network of hedgerows remaining, which provide habitats for a massive variety of wildlife.