Twitter round-up: Farmers battle in monsoon conditions

The recent wet weather has caused disruption on many farms across the country, with crops flooded, maize and potato harvesting halted and alternative feeding strategies being implemented on livestock enterprises.
We take a look at the tweets from farmers and growers struggling with the soggy weather.
This picture of maize underwater was tweeted by Farmers Weekly livestock editor Rhian Price.
Her husband, dairy farmer Henry Wilson, lost 8ha of maize through flooding back in spring.
But the remaining 8ha is once again underwater after the river burst its bank last weekend.
2019 really is the year that keeps on giving. ?? pic.twitter.com/xJgXHBRUVe
— Rhian Price (@RhianepFW) October 1, 2019
Arable farmer and Nuffield Scholar Peter Trickett has experienced nearly 100mm of rain in Yorkshire last week with parts of his land looking like ponds rather than fields.
I don’t think we’ll be drilling this for a while. We’ve had 96mm rain in the last week, that’s nearly 4 inches, and a load more coming tonight and tomorrow. I expect some land will remain too wet to plant this autumn. pic.twitter.com/34tNlMD3ZM
— Peter Trickett (@jptrickett) September 30, 2019
Oilseed rape growers will be hoping that cabbage stem flea beetles will have drowned, although Herefordshire young farmer Ally Hunter Blair spotted this flea beetle surviving the floods at Wye farm.
Noah built an ark.@cabbagestemflea has a leaf. pic.twitter.com/VII82EUuQi
— Ally Hunter Blair (@Wyefarm) September 30, 2019
Arable manager Annabel Hamilton, who farms in Northumberland, is not surprised that the rain is back and is causing havoc with plans with her oat drilling.
‘Here comes the rain again’ ! 88mm now that has fallen in a week ☔️?! Pick up thinking it’s funny this morning ?! Iv cancelled the oat seed ? #combinationtime #struggling pic.twitter.com/Il1MRY1AcJ
— Annabel Hamilton (@annabelhami11) October 1, 2019
Lincolnshire farmer Andrew Welch’s oilseed rape crop seems to be hiding beneath a pool of water.
Why won’t it be dry? OSR under there somewhere pic.twitter.com/LhJEcADAut
— Andrew Welch (@andrewwelch46) September 30, 2019
Some farmers on lighter land are managing to carry on, like South Lincolnshire farmer David Hoyles, who is flat out potato harvesting in between the heavy rain showers.
Trying to lift a few more load of potatoes before the next heavy rain. @GrimmeUK twin multisep working overtime! ??? pic.twitter.com/mU6ns2nLbR
— David Hoyles (@dgwhoyles) September 30, 2019
Alan Leedham, who farms cereals, oilseeds, pollinator crops and sheep near Tamworth, Staffordshire, thinks this could be the wettest September since his records began in 1983.
We were due to host the Sheepy & District #ploughing match on Sunday, near #Tamworth but with more #rain today, >100mm so far this month + around 25mm forecast for the day itself, the event has been cancelled.
This could yet be our wettest Sept since our records began in ’83 ? pic.twitter.com/XzW222XeTG
— Alan Leedham (@LeedhamAlan) September 27, 2019
Davidsons Feeds based in Shotts, Scotland, share a picture of a customer creep feeding cattle in response to the wet weather.
Creep feeding now under way for many farmers due to recent wet weather??
Photo of charolais x calves from the McCarlie family, Wester Hassockrigg Farm, fed on Davidsons Creep Feed Range#excelbeef pic.twitter.com/avZd1p9S5U— Davidsons Feeds (@davidsonsfeeds) October 1, 2019
And finally, in Alberta, Canada, farmer Henk Kamper is ready for potato harvest, but there seems to be a slight issue… snow!
I guess this is the annual snowstorm in potato harvest pic.twitter.com/qxKAumv83b
— Henk Kamper (@HenkKamper1) September 29, 2019