Comment – Mood Swings and Weather

As I write this, the Beeb tells us that dozens of flood warnings remain after weeks on non stop rain , so I have finally been inspired to check the wheelbarrow for the 2025 total.

Wait for it.. 1837mm for 2025, avid readers will well remember 2024’s record breaking 2049mm and ’23’s 1918mm, with ’22 at an all time low of 1790mm. Where am I going with this? Well with just over 10% variation between the ’24 high and the ’22 low, I am scientifically going to declare that its too early to say with any confidence whether the climate in the hills is changing or not, other than to say that on a national basis we have more rain than most!

I managed to splash out of the parish this week and spend some time on farm in the Cotswolds, with crops looking well. Talk inevitably turned to confidence in farming, and surprisingly everyone I spoke to this week was quite perky, despite the weather. Winter crops are in good fettle, and whilst prices could do with heading north, from LAMMA onwards, the farmers I have spent time with are feeling reasonably confident. Perhaps the IHT partial backtrack, and adjustment to the new SFI driven regime is settling everyone’s minds?

My moles (not those ones, and lord knows there are plenty in the fields this year) also tell me that the mood music for the coming years farm machinery business is reasonably upbeat too. Although construction equipment prospects are somewhat cooler, with national infrastructure projects are dragging their heels.

For some more reasoned thought on this have a look at some international news here.

Have a great week.

Andy