FARM DIARY

Let's hope it continues as there is a backlog of work to catch up with.

Everywhere there is immense activity- wheat barley and oats are all being combined and, despite many problems, yields seem to be above average.

A large proportion of the straw is now being baled in big square bales, as these stack better and are easier to transport long distances, and with the likely shortage of good hay and straw this winter, animal feeds will make higher prices in the livestock areas.

All over the country, haymaking is in full swing, but six weeks late.

With an increasing population of horses in the south-east and with many farms having a livery yard as a diversification, hay has become a valuable commodity.

The big problem will be the lateness of the cut.

With fine weather, hay can be made in August in good conditions, but its quality will be low and a fair proportion of it will not be good enough for competition horses and racehorses '“ so this section of the equine industry will have great difficulty in finding supplies this winter.

However, just when I thought that some of our problems were over, the news broke at the end of the week of the suspected outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Surrey. It was confirmed on Saturday with the 1km restriction and 3km protection areas established around the infected farm, together with a total national ban on all animal movements in the United Kingdom.

For full story see West Sussex Gazette August 8