Farmer Focus: Year-end reflections on boom or bust rainfall

As I draft my last article for the year, I thought I would digest the past few years. The main influence in that time has been the weather.

Our five-year average rainfall has jumped to just over 1,000mm and our two-year is just under 1,200mm. As I write this, I would guess that this year will be about 800mm.

Our rainfall is boom or bust, and it does not give the full picture. Like many, we suffered with the drought this year and yields were awful.

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About the author

Robin Aird

Arable Farmer Focus writer Robin Aird manages 1,500ha on the north Wiltshire and Gloucestershire border, with a further 160ha on a contract farming agreement. Soils vary from gravel to clay with the majority silty clay loams. The diverse estate has Residential, commercial and events enterprises. He is Basis qualified and advises on other farming businesses.

Contact:

Email: robin.aird@charltonpark.estate

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When I look back, we did have the odd shower of 2-3mm but with the wind and sun these did nothing to relieve the crops stress.

In the six months during the growing season there were only four days where we registered 10-14mm of rain, and two of those were in harvest – so not particularly useful.

The solar radiation was fantastic this year and for the people that did have the rain, yields were extremely healthy. That is why the UK crop is not as bad as people first thought.

Disease pressure was also reduced and there was potential for large savings on inputs.

This autumn was fantastic, and it is hard to find a bad-looking crop in the ground. This gives us potential which we have not had here for at least four years.

The knock-on effect is that with these warm, wet conditions disease pressure coming out of the winter is likely to be higher, so spring strategies will need to be well thought out.

Crop prices are not favourable at present, but we know how quickly the markets can swing.

My other big concern is that in 12 months’ time most of our environmental schemes will have ended. Will we have anything to go into?

However, the remarkable thing about farming is every day is a school day and the bad years are the years I learn the most.

Having spent two days, at the Niab Wessex conference and then the Niab Cirencester conference, once again I came out refreshed and with more knowledge to tackle the challenges ahead.

Finally, all I have to say is have a wonderful Christmas and a happy New year.