A quick round-up of what is currently happening in farming.
Lambing & Shearing
Lambing across the country is coming to an end and farmers have been reporting that maggots appeared present earlier, this follows from a report that weather conditions were optimal last autumn for flystrike and even now, we are predicted a warmer and wetter than average summer.
Some farmers have reported seeing maggots while lambing, which can pose a huge risk to new-born lambs if not caught early.
Rain
March and April were mild months for England and Wales with very little rain.
England’s mean temperature in March was 7.5 degrees Celsius and 7 degrees Celsius in Wales. Both mean temperatures were above average, and we saw many reports of farmers more than ready for a little bit of rain.
The end of April has seen some showers which have been warmly welcomed and has meant the grass has begun to grow better. In some parts of the country farmers were seen irrigating their wheat!
Fertiliser
Prices for fertiliser have broken new records as our global supplies are being limited from Russia & Belarus.
While completing clients’ annual cross-compliance updates we have found many of our farmers do not yet have any fertiliser as none was purchased or left over from 2021. Views have been mixed, some farmers are accepting they will have lower yields and are only planning on using manures for extra nutrients while others have taken the bullet and bought small amounts of artificial fertiliser. Overall, we are unsure how yields and crops will develop but are consciously aware that the UK may be about to face a huge food shortage.
LAMMA 2022
As always CXCS attended LAMMA show. This year the event was pushed back from January to May. Upon returning it is noted by ourselves and the visitors that footfall was majorly down and that the decision to move the event to May had led to a serious hit in attendance and overall sales. Many big companies did not attend the event and some visitors that did attend said it was a last-minute decision for them.
Farmers at present are still planting maize and potatoes and are very busy on farms with shearing, planting etc. LAMMA will be moved back to January in the future, but many people noticed the knock that the time of year had on the show.
