Alistair Mackintosh is negotiating after a rent review

This is the busiest time of the year – we have started lambing and cows are calving too. We’ve had one or two problems at the start of lambing with the odd ewe lambing before the lambs are viable.

However, now we’re in the swing, lambs are good. Calving is progressing well.

Grass growth has been slow. Although we’ve had a few warm days, ground conditions still need to dry before we can travel on the fields and apply fertiliser to the lambing fields. Fertiliser won’t make anything grow when it is still in the bag and at the price it is, it’s hugely important we get most benefit from it.

My Landlords have served me with a section 12 notice, which means a rent review. My rent hasn’t increased for some time and it didn’t come as a complete surprise that they should ask for an increase. However, the size of the increase demanded, made me feel obliged to object. Fortunately, I have a good agent to represent me and I hope a sensible agreement can be reached in time.

Watching events unfold in Japan recently certainly put into perspective the issues we have here with the weather. With Japanese lives, homes and possessions totally wiped out, it makes me feel privileged to live and work in the safer environment we have here. When we see vast areas of land destroyed, it hits home as to how important it is for us to be able to produce food to the maximum of our ability because in some areas, as we have seen, food production can be precarious. I for one count myself lucky.