Well the grass is growing here in essex, and if ground condtions were better the cattle could be out grazing, i read somewhere that if this pattern of weather becomes more common that many parts of the UK will become uneconomical to farm, what with the press saying the bottom third of farming left to fend for its self? Atleast down here in the south east farming housing seems the most profitable thing?
impossible to farm?
- Thread starter bluebell
- Start date
- Location
- Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
Wet mild winters and droughty late Spring conditions with low annual rainfall make it hard in our part of the World too. A couple of times when we have a 9-13 week Spring droiught means you never actually catch up
- Location
- Glen Clova, Angus, DD8 4RD
It's never "impossible" in the UK context, it just means changing your approach. That change may be quite major.
We all have to learn to adapt our farming to new financial and climate realities.
We all have to learn to adapt our farming to new financial and climate realities.
Ramrod
Member
- Location
- Skendleby Psalter, Lincolnshire
icanshootwell
Member
- Location
- Ross-on-wye
Got cows and calves up to there eye balls in sh#t stuck in sheds, luckily got silage and straw left over too, looking at weather should be end of next week before it drys up enough to turn out.
You lot moan dont you never happy.this year is normal spring in the right place, yes its a tad wetter than normal,its the fact in recent times we have been spoilt for decent ish weather early on ,last year you lot were moaning how dry it is ,yed i know its wet ,but a couple of dry weeks which are forecast ,come august you lot will be crying for rain ,
I think this late spring has hit the lowlands harder than the uplands due to the fact that most upland farms are geared up for poor weather.
Also it has been proportionally poorer and wetter country wide.
It's never "impossible" in the UK context, it just means changing your approach. That change may be quite major.
We all have to learn to adapt our farming to new financial and climate realities.
Great post
I think we all need to learn more about managing risk
Tarw Coch
Member
- Location
- Bottom of Wats Dyke
On the subject of wet weather and managing risk, I did chuckle when I read some expert in the farming press advising farmers to carry an extra ton of silage per cow as contingency for poor weather. Easy to recommend now, bet he wasn't saying that last year, I wouldn't be surprised if he was advising farmers to push stock numbers last year.
YorkshireAndrew
Member
- Location
- West / North Yorks border
When you farm heavy land which has been waterlogged for several months in a spring with such high rainfall I’m not sure how you can manage risk . Looks like this pattern of weather is set to continue for years to come .
michael N123
Member
My grounds drying up fast
Tarw Coch
Member
- Location
- Bottom of Wats Dyke
If this was a pub we'd all take you outside and give you a good kicking now
michael N123
Member
It’s only drying up because the wind won’t stopIf this was a pub we'd all take you outside and give you a good kicking now
Everyone can manage risk
Do you “risk” £70/ha on new OSR seed or£3/ha on FSS in the autumn ?
Do you grow 2 or 3 crops or 5 or 6 crops ?
Are you livestock or arable or both ?
Do you sell forward ? Spot ? Use options ? Or hedge a bit of both ?
Are you a farmer ? Contractor ? Both ?
Is your only income from farming ? Do you have diversification’s ? Jobs or income off Farm ?
Every business can manage risk and to be successful every business needs to understand risk
One thing I'm considering is ordering seed and fert just in the nick of time.
Thought I was being a smug professional farmer ordering way back last December.
If it wasn't sitting forlornly in the shed right now, I'd seriously consider a fallow this year.
Might try and maul a field in tommorow/ Sat, before the rain on Sunday.......
Thought I was being a smug professional farmer ordering way back last December.
If it wasn't sitting forlornly in the shed right now, I'd seriously consider a fallow this year.
Might try and maul a field in tommorow/ Sat, before the rain on Sunday.......
d williams
Member
I wouldn't will go in next weekend and take off that's so posed to the last rain the month on Sunday?
spin cycle
Member
- Location
- north norfolk
if you have 'diversifications' or 'off farm income' why risk it on potentially loss making farm enterprises?
reading the cla mag today and it's suggested that there is huge scope for uk farm productivity uplift
BUT....if subsidies are to be shifted from 'direct payments' to 'public goods' it seems to me that a considerable amount of land is going to be taken out of production or farmed less intensively........the remaining land will have to make up the shortfall never mind any increase
looking at 'whats on the table' at the moment,whilst i conceed may not be anything near the finished article... but you have to start somewhere, i'm inclined to double the stewardship and half my production
back to the cla....i challenged the chairman at a meeting in swaffam couple of years back about this 'uk must improve productivity' but they're still 'banging' on about it.....all i can say to any cla 'bigwigs' is look out of the effing window
reading the cla mag today and it's suggested that there is huge scope for uk farm productivity uplift
BUT....if subsidies are to be shifted from 'direct payments' to 'public goods' it seems to me that a considerable amount of land is going to be taken out of production or farmed less intensively
........the remaining land will have to make up the shortfall never mind any increaselooking at 'whats on the table' at the moment,whilst i conceed may not be anything near the finished article... but you have to start somewhere, i'm inclined to double the stewardship and half my production
back to the cla
....i challenged the chairman at a meeting in swaffam couple of years back about this 'uk must improve productivity' but they're still 'banging' on about it.....all i can say to any cla 'bigwigs' is look out of the effing window
d williams
Member
What's a day or two going to do I'd leave it and watch it overtake the stuff forced in