Weather

There is no doubt 2020 will be remembered as a year of extremes. And not least because of the weather; flooded one minute, drought the next. 

Flood-hit farmers are set to benefit from a £6 million funding pot, to help with recovery efforts.

A physiotherapy career is not a natural precursor to farming, but Hannah Darby has brought insights from outside agriculture back to the family farm. Chloe Dunne reports.

Over the past few weeks, we have seen how Covid-19 has impacted lives across the UK, affecting every aspect of how we live, work and socially interact, says Chris Lewis, a farming specialist at Marsh Commercial. 

They say be careful what you wish for. We had been hoping for a break in the weather to get stuck in to some jobs and, crikey, we have been busy with fertiliser spreading, spraying, tanking, ploughing, subsoiling, power harrowing, drilling maize and spring barley, staff training, fencing and a few cows to milk. Even the dog is shattered.

It’s May 1 already. How this strange and troubled year is flying by, which is amazing given all the events and shows we had planned to visit are now just a passing thought as the dates get closer on the calendar. Very disappointing.

We have now almost completed the spring work, with spring barley coming through the ground fairly evenly and its top dressing of fertiliser being applied at the end of last week.

With changing support structures for farmers and concerns over food standards in post-Brexit trade deals presenting unprecedented challenges for Number 10, has the Government delivered on its promises for UK farming?

Farm groups have welcomed a series of emergency measures issued by Government to support Welsh farmers during the coronavirus outbreak.

As I write, several local towns are again cut off by road due to flooding, many for the fourth time in as many weeks. As soon as we enjoy a dry day, there is a two-day deluge and the water rises again to dangerous levels, leaving homes and businesses flooded and roads impassable.