FARM DIARY BY GWYN JONES

We might now get our straw baled and carted off the downs this week, although it will need moving around once or twice to get it dry; and the third cut silage can also be made.

The maize will benefit from the warm sunny weather, and we all feel a lot better working in sunshine. The Foot and Mouth disease restrictions are relaxing by the day, and we will soon be back to normal again. I would like to thank everyone, but in particular our postman, for diligently disinfecting their vehicles at the bottom of our drive each day; even in the rain.

Lorayne and I attended a wedding on Saturday in Gloucestershire. Rachel, the daughter of some very old friends of ours was marrying a dairy farmer's son, and the rising milk prices meant that I was not quizzed in the usual way about my role as NFU Dairy Board Chairman!

Indeed, they seemed quite cheerful considering that many of them had lost almost all their maize silage in the floods, and that much of the corn is yet to be combined due to it being so wet. It was a most enjoyable wedding even though I was drinking water, as I had to drive home (arrived home at 2am).

I am on duty as Adrian is away on two weeks holiday, and we were late setting off in the morning due to a cow with milk fever; but we were at the church in time luckily (for me).

Many commentators (especially the Irish), are highlighting the danger of FMD being brought into the EU from Brazil. Allowing Brazilian beef to flood into the EU despite lack of bio-security and lack of traceability is irresponsible.

British imports were banned by the EU the minute the disease was discovered. Why then does the EU import huge quantities of Brazilian beef where FMD is endemic?

For full feature see West Sussex Gazette August 29