Forage and water fears grow as Welsh dry spell bites

Farmers in parts of Wales are facing worsening water shortages, failing forage crops and grazing pressures as prolonged hot, dry weather intensifies.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) confirmed on Thursday (16 July) that north and south-east Wales have moved from “normal” to “prolonged dry weather” status, the first step in its drought plan.

Wales has received just 5% of its expected July rainfall so far, while river flows, groundwater and soil moisture are declining fast.

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The Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) said grass growth had slowed significantly, with “burn-off” reported in some areas.

FUW president Ian Rickman said: “Second-cut silage crops are failing to grow in some areas and farmers are already feeding winter forage stocks, which raises concerns about winter feed availability.”

Private water supplies, including wells and boreholes, are also beginning to run dry.

North Wales beef and sheep farmer Glyn Roberts, who farms at Dylasau Uchaf, near Betws y Coed, with his daughter, Beca Glyn, said the conditions had forced changes to their grazing system.

“We usually have a rotational grazing system, but we had to abandon that now because the well is dry and we had to let animals out to get water from the stream,” he said.

© Farmers Union of Wales

SFS compliance

The dry weather is also creating challenges for farmers complying with Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) requirements, according to the FUW.

Mr Rickman said some whole crops were ready to harvest before the permitted 1 August cutting date, requiring farmers to seek derogations to protect crop quality.

The union called on the Welsh government to consider temporary blanket derogations during exceptional weather and speed up individual applications.

It also wants access to SFS “optional” actions that support water storage and management infrastructure.

“The scheme rules and deadlines should better reflect increasingly variable weather patterns,” added Mr Rickman.

Responding to the call, a Welsh government spokesperson said: “The dates included in the SFS requirements are there to ensure options deliver environmental benefits in line with scheme objectives.

“However, we recognise there may be occasions where these dates require flexibility, and that is why we have an established derogation process to consider requests where exceptional weather or other unforeseen circumstances affect a farmer’s ability to comply with scheme requirements.”

Farmers who wish to apply for a derogation are encouraged to submit a message via their RPW on-line account, including a photograph showing the condition of the crop.