Bad weather adds to farmers’ fears they may face a salvage operation

HEAVY weekend rain has added to the difficulties of grain farmers trying to save their crops in what is proving to be one of the most difficult harvests in years.

Saturated land has prevented heavy machinery accessing the crops in many parts of the country where the harvest work is well behind schedule. The downpours have heightened the fears of some grain farmers that they will be facing a salvage operation unless the weather improves.

Many farmers would normally expect to have 90% of the work done by September 1, but only half the crop in the south of the country has been harvested so far, with one-third in the north-east.