The prospects of establishing thousands of acres of next year's spring crops across Wales are looking increasingly slim as the window of opportunity for drilling shrinks after weeks of relentless rain.

The prospects of establishing thousands of acres of next year's spring crops across Wales are looking increasingly slim as the window of opportunity for drilling shrinks after weeks of relentless rain.

As well as leaving growers with potentially major gaps in their income, there are likely to be knock-on effects on food prices in the shops. 

It has been one of the most challenging periods many Welsh growers have ever experienced, including arable grower Perkin Evans. He has 450 acres of cereals to get in the ground and is worried that the waterlogged fields will prevent that.

Ordinarily arable farmers would be starting to plant barley, maize and winter fodder crops now.

“It is getting to the stage where it will be too late to get the seed in,’’ said Mr Evans, of Crug Las, Solva. “We have never been in this position before.’’

Even if he does get it drilled this month, yields and quality are likely to take a considerable hit because of the very late planting.

“We won’t get those three tonne crops of spring barley, the seed would have needed to be in the ground in January, February, March for that.’’

Spring crops planted late always pushes back harvest too, and this has an impact on a grower’s ability to establish next year’s crops in the ground on time.

Mr Evans, an NFU Cymru Welsh Council delegate, would like to see the Welsh Government step in with opportunities such as payments for establishing wild flower meadows on unplanted land – this is offered in England under the Environmental Land Management scheme (ELMs).

“At least this would allow us to get something in, and satisfy the government’s environmental targets too,’’ he says.

The situation is a difficult one across all sectors, with lambs not fattening and late turnout putting pressure on forage stocks in dairy and livestock systems.

Jonathan Wilkinson, who produces milk in Powys, says many dairy farmers who feed maize in their total mixed ration (TMR) are running short with turnout delayed and this will impact on performance.

With farmers unable to get onto land to spread fertiliser, there will be an impact on first cut silage too and consequences for next year’s forage stocks, suggests Mr Wilkinson, of Dyffryn Farm, Meifod.

There will be an impact on potato yields too, as rain has hindered planting.

In Pembrokeshire, renowned for its early potatoes, growers failed to drill any substantial volume of earlies and the prospects are now getting difficult for growers of maincrop too.

Huw Thomas, of Haverfordwest-based Puffin Produce, said some individual growers had 500 acres or more of maincrop still to plant.

While he is confident that the majority of supply grown for the business will be established he expects yields to be down.

“Even with the weather on their side it is going to be well into May before growers finish planting and that would mean a yield reduction.’’

The availability of seed potato has also impinged of acreage grown – because of last year’s poor growing season seed is in short supply across the UK.

Mr Thomas said the legacy of 2023, with late planting and then a wet autumn preventing some potatoes being harvested at all, the industry was already in a “once in a lifetime situation’’ before this year’s late spring.

He said retailers are responding well to the situation, working with suppliers to ensure fair prices are paid without this result in excessive increases to the retail price.

“No-one in the supply chain wants the retail price of potatoes to turn people off from our produce and onto other carbohydrates as we have built up a good market for potatoes.

“The retailers really understand the situation and everyone is working closely together to make sure that the impact of growers can be mitigated without potatoes getting too expensive for the consumer.’’

At a government level, the Welsh Government said it was monitoring the impact of the wet weather on farmers in Wales, including through the UK wide Agriculture Market Monitoring Group.

“Significant changes to our climate and weather will continue to develop over the next few decades, and it is essential that we take steps now to build resilience to the potential impacts of climate change,’’ said a spokesperson.

“In 2023 Wales experienced one of the wettest years on record and, in July alone, we received close to 200% of the long-term average rainfall.’’