FARM DIARY by GWYN JONES

A year ago I wrote 'unless it rains this week the grass will burn up'; the temperature was so hot that the cows were staying indoors, and the predictions were that ten years on, the summer of 1976 was about to be repeated in 2006.
By The Newsroom
Published 2nd Jul 2007, 16:59 BST
Updated 8th Jun 2018, 03:32 BST

It did not happen, nor did the predictions of severe drought in April and early May this year turn out to be right. On serious (?) programmes such as 'Question Time' on the BBC, a politician or guest speaker will always have a round of applause for mentioning 'climate change' earnestly. Where's the evidence?

June has turned into a complete disaster in many areas of the country, with torrential rain and floods devastating people's homes and farmer's crops. 25 percent of the pea crops have been ruined, potatoes have been washed out of the ground, or sprayed off due to infestation of potato blight, the arable crops have also been affected, second cut silage is overdue for cutting, and milk production is down due to adverse grazing conditions and the wet and cold which affect the cow's ability to produce. The British strawberry has survived, but only because of the poly-tunnel, which is so hated up and down the country by planners and NIMBY's.

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All our cows are inside, warm and comfy, full of food, watching the rain falling from the sky at my expense! We are on top of the grazing, and if they have to stay in for a few days it doesn't really matter; in fact it is far better than ruining gateways, cow-tracks and the quad bike.

We have had to delay bringing in the in-calf heifers until the cows go out again, but will not make much difference, as they will still have a minimum of a month on the transition ration before they calve. The cows have seen it all before '“ nothing new.

For full feature see Wedst Sussex Gazette July 4

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