Farmer Focus Livestock: William Slinger tackles mole problem

There has been a rise in the cases of fluke in sheep in this area lately and it is one thing we are taking care to prevent. Lamb weights have been up and prices at auction have remained strong since Christmas.

The milder weather recently has been a welcome relief after the wintry weather of the past few months. That, together with the lighter evenings, has given us a hint of spring ahead and has also allowed for more field work. We are not working alone in the fields either the moles are doing their best too, with plenty of activity.

This problem may just be a seasonal hazard, but it is also symptomatic of the general decrease in people working in the countryside. We trap moles at a rate of a couple of hundred a year. Other farmers are also trying to keep on top of the mole problem. But I could see this getting out of hand, especially since some of the more effective methods of killing moles have been banned.

Moles can cause hundreds of pounds of damage in a field. Also, soil contamination of silage can lead to all sorts of problems through listeriosis, besides causing more general spoilage of the silage itself.

If only the world could learn the lessons of failing to supervise the money markets and apply them to the agricultural commodity markets, before the food crunch strikes, then some good might come of it. As things stand, we are making all the same errors, but with far more catastrophic consequences to come.

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