Wet lambing season 'toughest for years'

Will Rawling says some farms have fared better than others, but there is potential for food shortages

This has been one of the toughest lambing seasons "for many years" for sheep farmers across the north of England, according to the National Farmers Union (NFU).

It says months of extreme rainfall mean more ewes and lambs than usual have been lost to hypothermia, with farm businesses under "immense pressure".

Anna Simpson, from the NFU, said the weather has had a "brutal effect" with a "bleak attrition rate" for lambs.

But while there are fears of "potential food shortages", others reported better news.

James Drummond said lambing outdoors has meant dealing with very wet conditions this year

James Drummond, 40, has 1,500 breeding ewes on his farm at Edlingham in Northumberland, which produce about 2,500 lambs.

He said this is certainly the "wettest lambing" he has ever experienced.

"Sheep can cope with rain, they can cope with wind, it's just they can't cope with it constantly and it's been so wet some of the ewes were just lying down in big pools of water," he explained.

"During the day we can keep an eye on things, but because we lamb outdoors, those lambs born at night have really struggled."

The National Farmers Union says very wet conditions in February and March mean farmers have lost more lambs than usual

Chairman of the Herdwick Sheep Breeders Association Will Rawling, from Ennerdale, Cumbria, said it had been a mixed picture, with those farmers who lamb early hit hardest.

"We're lucky because we've only just started lambing, but farmers down the hills are telling me they've lost a lot of lambs to hypothermia," he said.

"There's no doubt it's a challenging time for farmers, both livestock and arable, and I think there could be potential food shortages ahead."

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