AFTER a calamitous harvest earlier in the year caused by the severe drought, the window of good weather in recent weeks has come as a lifeline for hundreds of farmers and their animals, allowing desperately needed additional crops of silage to be taken ahead of the autumn and winter.

By this time last year, rainfall frequency was well above the 30-year average and had already left the ground sodden in many areas.

Even as early as September 2017, 83 per cent of Wales had soil moisture levels which were higher than the long-term average.

By December 2017, the whole of Wales had soil moisture levels higher than the long-term average - a situation which continued into the spring, meaning cattle which had already been housed weeks earlier than normal could not be turned out at the usual time in the spring.

Farmers are now desperately praying for a dry autumn, which will allow them to keep cattle out for longer.

Welsh farmers are not alone in facing such adversity.

In mid July, the Irish Government estimated that there was an eight million tonne fodder shortage in the Republic, triggering the launch of a €2.75 million tillage scheme paying €155 per hectare to grow additional fodder reserves.

Weeks later, Irish Agriculture Minister Michael Creed launched a €4.25 million fodder import fund, soon after which fodder started arriving.

A survey of 900 farms conducted by the Irish Government’s interagency fodder committee has conclude that the Republic’s fodder deficit has now been reduced to 3 million tonnes.

While the Welsh Government has not conducted a survey to gauge Wales’ forage deficit, it has responded to the problem by committing £500,000 to farming charities, and agreed to pay loans to the five to 10 per cent whose basic payments may not be paid in December.

With farmers’ attention divided between the need to ensure animals can be fed over the winter; a potential collapse in exports when we leave the EU in little more than five months’ time; and a Welsh Government consultation proposing the abolition of the direct payments on which 80 per cent of farm businesses rely, stresses are running high across the industry.

We therefore urge anyone who is feeling the strain to speak about how they feel and seek help.

There are plethora of organisations, like the RABI, the Farming Community Network, DPJ Foundation and many more there to help. So don’t bottle it all up - but speak up.

GLYN ROBERTS

FUW president