SAINT Swithin’s Day is upon us on July 15, and it is said, that whatever the weather does on that day will carry on for 40 days, writes Huw Besent.

Last year it was wet on St Swithin’s and July turned out to be the wettest month of the year with over 10 inches of rain at Penmaen isa, followed by another 10 inches in August.

We certainly do not want a repeat of that this year

We are waiting patiently to complete our second cut of grass for silage, and so hope for a few dry days soon.

By the calendar, all the fertiliser applied to our silage fields has been used up, so the longer the grass is left uncut the lower the digestibility of the silage when the cows have it.

Of late, it is good to see that lamb prices are buoyant with many of our neighbours producing some good-looking lambs this year.

Let’s hope this carries on.

No doubt, as more lambs come to the market, prices may come under pressure, and the export trade needs to be run smoothly to keep returns up.

Better stock prices are pleasing, but costs have risen considerably since last year and so margins are still tight.

All sectors of agriculture have seen better prices this year, but costs have risen by more than income.

I am told by people who claim to know, that the UK Government’s HS2 project is to blame for high steel prices, as well as stone and anything to do with heavy civil engineering.

It is certainly difficult to get reinforcing mesh and this puts up the cost to the farmers trying to meet the new Welsh water quality regulations by constructing new slurry stores.

I would call on the Welsh Government to keep this in mind and not punish farmers who are not able to fully comply immediately with all elements the new regulations owing to the scarcity of some materials.

School holidays will soon be upon us and many more people will be about the countryside so we will all need to be extra careful.

Families with children often come to stay on farms in diversified farm accommodation posing potential hazards for busy farmyards, as well as the many more walkers about.

We all need to be vigilant.

All we need is fine weather for us all to enjoy the countryside around us.