FOR nearly four centuries, the Mackley family have farmed the uplands of the North York Moors. But plummeting prices for the products of the farm may finally sever that historic link.

As Robin Mackley assesses the harsh realities of farming today, he fears that his two-year-old son Jack may not be able to carry on the family tradition.

Mr Mackley farms 2,000 acres, 90pc of which is moorland in the Levisham moors, Newton Dale and Saintoft areas, with 880 sheep and 70 highland cattle from his 500-year-old farmstead at Saintoft.

"Thirty years ago, if you had 12 acres of wheat you could buy a tractor. Today you need to have 200 acres," says Robin. "Then 200 sheep would provide you with a reasonable living - now you would have to have a flock of 500."

The crisis in sheep farming is aggravated because it costs between 80p and £1 to have a sheep sheared, yet the fleeces only provide 9p a kilo for top grade and sometimes the price can be a mere 3p. The Wool Marketing Board charges 7p a kilo to transport it from the farm.

"If you only get 9p, then your payment is a pittance and you could even end up losing out all together," says Robin.

The prospects for his Highland cattle, too, are not encouraging due to the Government rule that bars cattle over 30 months from the food chain, a result of BSE.

"It has ruined the market because a (Highland) beast is slow to mature and not ready for slaughter until it is four years old.

"My animals are virtually organic but I cannot sell them as such because I treat them medicinally because it would be cruel not to do otherwise for such things as worms and to dip them."

He and many farmers like him survive on subsidies. "Without them, cattle and sheep would just not be viable," he says.

Farming has been further hit because sheep farming headage payments have been dropped in favour of the acreage of a farm. "You need so many more animals today to make a living."

Lambs at the recent Goathland sheep sales were selling at £5 while two years ago they would have gone under the auctioneer's hammer at £30.

He does see a possible future through the Countryside Stewardship Scheme under which farmers are paid to re-build stonewalls, restore hedges and carry out environment work to enhance the appearance of the countryside. And he adds: "There are people worse off than me, especially those with mortgages and loans."

But Mr Mackley is critical of government policies which allow 200,000 kilos of New Zealand lamb to be imported a year, while UK exports 170,000kilos. "We could be self-sufficient - British farmers have the capabilities to be so."

And farmers' lives are bedevilled with growing mountains of paperwork, says Robin Mackley, whose 75-year-old father Ron still plays an active part in helping to run the farm after a lifetime working on the windswept moors in all weathers.

"A lot of people are in farming today because it is a way of life to them," said Robin. But he looks forelornly at two-year-old Jack and adds: "He's tractor mad and loves the farm but I can't see a future in it for him. I'm sure he will have to find a career out of agriculture."

Updated: 09:13 Wednesday, October 09, 2002