Farmers hit by prolonged wet weather

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Damaged ground in Caithness farmImage source, NFU Scotland
Image caption,

The wet weather has damaged ground on many farms, delaying silage work

Prolonged wet weather has hit farmers hard in Scotland, according to industry leaders.

NFU Scotland said poor weather conditions had eased slightly after parts of the country saw almost double their normal July rainfall.

But it warned many farmers were facing delays in carrying out hay and silage work.

The North East and the Highlands have been among areas particularly affected by heavy rainfall.

An NFU Scotland spokesman said of the north-east: "Farmers are mentally very tired, caused by not only by the ongoing adverse weather, but also prices and general unknowns in our industry.

"Silage is being cut wet, decent yields, but poorer quality. Hay is a real challenge for those who have not managed to get it."

In the central belt, some farmers are only now starting to harvest winter barley.

'Damage done'

Many farms have seen ground badly damaged by the wet conditions, with NFU Scotland warning that it could take more than a year for some areas to return to normal.

NFU Scotland President Allan Bowie said: "In Caithness, they have done some of their silage work but the damage to the ground has been done."

The industry body said last week that some farmers had been forced to sell their store cattle earlier than normal to relieve pressure on their farms.

It also reported that some calves and lambs about to go to market would either be lighter weights or it would cost more to get them there.

'Real concern'

Mr Bowie, who visited farms in Caithness last week, said: "There is real concern about how many will manage during the coming months, with poor silage quality for some who have cut.

"We know the poor weather is affecting livestock but also crops too, and to those farmers this is of equal concern.

"I have asked NFU Scotland's regional chairmen and regional managers to gain a real understanding of how bad the situation is in all of our regions and feed this into our board of directors."

NFU Scotland representatives are due to raise their concerns at a meeting with Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead on Thursday.

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