FARM DIARY BY REG HAYDON

SO far we have been relatively lucky in West Sussex and the major storms have missed the South East but despite June being the wettest month since 1913, July so far has been worse.

Some combining has been done in the brief periods of fine weather, mainly on oilseed rape and winter barley, but the livestock farmers are in trouble.

Thousands of acres of grass which should have been cut in June for silage and hay is still lying flattened in the fields and, in many cases, under water.