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Although Richard Solari's potato yields in Shropshire are about 15% down on normal expectations after the sodden summer he isn't complaining.
"It's not been an easy season, but many people have been hit much harder, and some lost whole crops to the flooding," he said.
About 60% of this year's crop at Heath House Farm, Beckbury is Maris Piper for the open chipping market, and the current price for deliveries in 25kg bags is helping offset the lower output.
"Trade's good this week. There's quite a bit of extra work involved, but we're getting £135/t in the bag, and we should finish lifting this week.
"We're also getting on well with drilling - at least for us. I expect others down south are already finished."
This year Oakley has ousted Robigus as his main wheat. Einstein remains for later sowings and one field of second wheat in the revised rotation which no longer includes either oilseed rape or sugar beet.
"We haven't had any second wheats for some time."
Pearl, maybe for malting, continues as his barley choice.
So far he has had only a ‘trickle' of responses to his advertisement for a working farm manager in last week's Farmers Weekly.
"I've had a go at doing it on my own," he said. "But I didn't really enjoy being so closely involved in the day-to-day side of it.
"I should know in a week's time whether I've found someone suitable."
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