Shropshire Farming Talk: Outlook on crops
For all of the region it has been unseasonally wet for the summer period and the year for that matter.
This, of course, is making it challenging for farming with what has been a tough season to date already.
As for crops – in Shropshire, the winter crops that survived the rainfall have surprisingly come through well.
We will hopefully produce at least an average yield – although we could have done with some more sunshine as the grains were ripening.
Where crops haven’t come through due to wet patches and drainage issues, we will have to focus on work in these areas to prevent the likelihood of this happening again.
Spring crops, however, have done tremendously thanks to the continual rainfall allowing them to produce a lot of growth in a short period of time.
As you drive through the countryside you will no doubt see more spring barley, wheat and oats where winter wheat was not planted.
Although not as profitable as a crop of winter wheat at least we have good crops to manage this spring.
Let’s hope that summer finally arrives, and we have an unproblematic harvest.
Will Spurdens, Farm Consultant and Agronomist at Ceres Rural
