CHANGES in Europe threaten the future of many Dales farms, national park bosses have warned.

A Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority report said the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reforms will mean farmers will be forced to find new sources of income to survive.

Gary Smith, head of conservation and policy at the national park, said that although some farmers will benefit from the changes, many will not.

"There is no doubt that within the Dales, a number of farms, particularly those which are more intensively stocked with cattle, will receive far lower payments than in the past," Mr Smith said.

"On the face of it, the proposals could jeopardise the viability of many farm businesses within the national park, if they continue to farm as they do now.

"The viability of farms will depend crucially on how they adapt to the new framework."

The changes mean farmers will receive a single flat-rate subsidy payment, which is no-longer dependent on how much they produce.

Farmers will also receive more money if they comply with environmental, food safety and animal welfare standards.

The national park report said farmers will need to reduce running costs, diversify into non-agricultural activities and produce higher value crops in order to survive the changes.

William Lambert, who farms near Hawes, in Wensleydale, was the first farmer in the Dales to be hit by foot-and- mouth.

He has since rebuilt his dairy herd and is now preparing for the introduction of the reforms next year.

He said: "I suspect a lot of farmers will give up or downsize."

The national park report warned that farmers giving up or keeping less stock could have a damaging effect on the Dales countryside. The reforms, to be discussed at a national park meeting next week, were brought in after concern over food surpluses and environment damage.