Farmers hit by ongoing fodder crisis: By virtue of usually enjoying early grass growth livestock farmers in west Wales gear up to having their milking cows at grass by day during March with sufficient growth to turn out fully in early April.

Grass growth can also be expected to keep ahead of the ewe flock as the newborn lambs become more demanding.

April 2018 will be remembered for failing to follow the usual pattern.

As I write I’m receiving reports that the same situation prevails right across the British Isles. Many farmers are paying two and a half times the normal rate for hay, silage, haylage and straw –that is if there are any supplies available –anywhere.

As a farming community, importantly, everyone is seen to be standing together: the weather was shocking in places for days on end with teeming rain leaving fields completely sodden yet again. Spring corn remains unplanted and potatoes

are somewhere that they shouldn’t be at this time.

Thousands of tons of desperately needed fodder has been imported into Ireland which will be subsidised in a simplified and nationwide fodder scheme which Minister Michael Creed has pledged will remain open until June if necessary.

Over there stockmen say it feels like recognition of the scale of the crisis has in itself helped farmers struggling to cope - being recognised as in need of support beats feeling invisible, that’s for sure.

Family support

Guilt, thinking how this crisis has been allowed to happen, piled on top of stress and worry has stretched farmers to the limits of their resilience, and it’s only the support of family and fellow farmers that has kept people on some sort of even keel.

Much of the problem stems from the uncertain summer of last year. Many herds were having to be given supplementary feeding in July and August and it’s been obvious since Hallowe’en that 2017 would leave farmers struggling to cope with the winter months.

On the strength of better milk prices finance from the banks was in short supply on farms as much as feed, and those farmers with dry stock short of fodder due to a wretched summer, just hadn’t the reserves to buy more than they felt they needed to get through.

Many tried to cope month-by-month, hoping for an early turnout, but it never happened - the hope now is that the spring is finally on the way.

This winter has imposed hardship on farms, that has been endured, but the extra costs must still be borne and paid back over time. The banks need to show understanding and work with their farmer clients to allow them get back on their feet gradually but it would be optimistic to think that grass crops alone can achieve this.

Land saturated

Organic dairy farmer and FUW spokesman, Dai Miles, of Haverfordwest tells me: “Persistent wet weather has left many of our fields completely saturated for months, and grass growth remains extremely poor across the country.

“Many of my neighbours are also unable to turn cattle out onto the land and this means an increasing reliance on diminishing fodder supplies as cattle remain housed.

“We alerted the Welsh Government to concerns about the impact of fodder shortages many weeks ago, and reports of acute problems in some regions are increasing”.

Dai said that the removal of fodder from the UK market through the Irish schemes would add to existing pressures on the UK market. “We fully sympathise with Irish farmers regarding the pressures they are under, but with prices already extremely high in the UK and pressures mounting in parts of Wales, the impact of the Irish schemes for our members is naturally a huge concern.

“Above all else, farmers in Wales need to see a dramatic improvement in the weather. Otherwise, we will have to urgently consider schemes similar to those operating in the Republic of Ireland.” he added.

Meanwhile, everybody hang on, and hang together.

The Landy remembered

Land Rover enthusiasts are in for a treat next month, on May 19 and 20, at this year’s Royal Welsh Spring Festival.

Being held as usual at the showground in Builth Wells, the festival is excitedly working with the South Wales Land Rover Club to host the very first Welsh Festival of Land Rovers, to mark the 70th anniversary of the launch of the Landy.

A huge part of many people’s lives since 1948, the Land Rover has been used by HM The Queen, Churchill, Bond, the Armed Forces, farmers and many more.

The Welsh Festival of Land Rovers will celebrate heritage of the marque and feature a broad selection of vehicles covering the Land Rover’s long and varied history, ranging from vintage models -such a part of history for the Welsh hill farmer - up to the highly modified new vehicles available today.

Varied history

The Welsh Festival of Land Rovers at the Spring Festival will feature a broad selection of vehicles covering the Land Rover’s long and varied history.

As well as a static display of lots of interesting vehicles and the opportunity to chat with South Wales Land Rover Club members, Land Rover owners and fellow fanatics, you will also be able to enjoy a parade of the vehicles in the ring on Saturday afternoon at 5.15 pm, complete with interactive and entertaining commentary.

The Royal Welsh Spring Festival is a fantastic weekend-long celebration of smallholding and rural life, packed full of interesting things to see, delicious food and drink, live music, country sports, livestock, shopping, demonstrations and fun, have-a-go activities, the festival promises to be the perfect day out for all.

Do’s and don’t’s

Be brave. Even if you’re not, pretend to be. No one can tell the difference. Don’t allow the phone to interrupt important moments. It’s there for your convenience, not the callers.

Don’t be afraid to go out on a limb. That’s where the fruit is. Don’t burn bridges. You’ll be surprised how many times you have to cross the same river. Don’t forget, a person’s greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated. Don’t major in minor things.

Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Helen Keller, Leonardo Da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.

Don’t spread yourself too thin. Learn to say no politely and quickly. Don’t use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved. Don’t waste time grieving over past mistakes -learn from them and move on.

Every person needs to have their moment in the sun, when they raise their arms in victory, knowing that on this day, at his hour, they were at their very best. Get your priorities straight.

Opportunities

No one ever said on his death bed, ‘Gee, if I’d only spent more time at the office’. Give people a second chance, but not a third. Judge your success by the degree that you’re enjoying peace, health and love.

Learn to listen. Opportunity sometimes knocks very softly. Leave everything a little better than you found it. Live your life as an exclamation, not an explanation. Loosen up. Relax. Except for rare life and death matters, nothing is as important as it first seems.

Never cut what can be untied. Never overestimate your power to change others. Never underestimate your power to change yourself. Remember that overnight success usually takes about fifteen years. Remember that winners do what losers don’t want to do. Seek opportunity, not security.

A boat in harbour is safe, but in time its bottom will rot out. Spend less time worrying who’s right, more time deciding what’s right. Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for every area of your life. Success is getting what you want. Happiness is liking what you get. The importance of winning is not what we get from it, but what we become because of it. When facing a difficult task, act as though it’s impossible to fail. (contributed)

Odd Farmer

An old farmer was walking down the path to the pond when he spotted a bullfrog.

He reached down and grabbed the frog and started to put him in his pocket when the bullfrog said, “Kiss me on the lips and I will turn into a beautiful farmer’s wife.”

Again the old farmer started to put the frog in his pocket. The frog asked, “Didn’t you hear what I said?”

The farmer looked at the frog and said, “At my age I’d rather have a talking frog.”