Dry summer puts pressure on dairy farmers

Farmers are hoping for "rain at night, dry in the day" to encourage autumn grass growth said Michael Bray

Guernsey's dairy sector is facing mounting pressure after an unusually dry summer left farmers struggling to feed their herds, according to an industry head.

Michael Bray, president of the Guernsey Farmers Association, said the lack of rainfall had stunted grass growth, forcing farmers to dip into winter feed reserves months early.

"We've already used a big chunk of our winter stocks just to get through summer," he said. "That puts us in a real predicament for the colder months."

Mr Bray, who took over Les Jaonnets Farm in St Saviour's in 2012, said farmers were hoping for "rain at night, dry in the day" to encourage autumn grass growth and ease the strain.

Despite the challenges, Mr Bray welcomed recent increases in government support payments, which he said had lifted morale across the sector.

"There was a lot of elation," he said. "It's taken a huge amount of work to explain the issues to decision-makers, and the funding has brought a renewed vigour to the industry."

He added farmers were reinvesting the funds into their businesses after years of stalled development.

"We hadn't done any investment for five or six years. Now, we're seeing the industry move forward again," he said.