The farmers blame fewer Government subsidies and tough competition from abroad.

"The Government is not giving us help and our exports are worth half what they were four years ago," said farmer Anthony Clarkson.

"We have no other choice but to do other work."

Mr Clarkson grows barley, wheat and beans at his Parkgate Lane farm but at night works as a doorman at the K Bar on Princess Street.

He also runs a gas agency and does contract work for other farmers.

Sheep farmer Trevor Done has cut his flock by more than half over the past two years.

"If you break even from just the farming then you're one of the lucky ones," he said.

"I'm only going to be farming 300 sheep this year because there's not enough money in it to have any more."

Mr Done earns extra income from turkey farming and contract work on other farms.

"We have around 2000 turkeys and it's doing well at the moment," he said.

"But as soon as other farmers catch on and start doing it we'll probably start to lose out again."

Clr Walter Wright, who farmed at Mere, said that farmers were taking on other work so they did not have to abandon their farms.

"It is a way of life for many of us and it would be too hard to just give it up," he said.

A spokesman for the National Farmers' Union said they were aware that farmers were doing other jobs to make ends meet.

"To begin with it was the farmers' wives who went out to work," said the spokesman.

"But now even that is not enough to keep them afloat and so farmers are taking on other jobs too."

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