Field work came to a standstill this week as heavy rain moved in after the Easter weekend.

The heavy rainfall of Tuesday and Wednesday morning has set back trafficability on most farms where farmers had enjoyed some fine days to spread slurry and sow fertiliser.

One contractor, Nathan Thompson, mowed and baled some early silage on Easter weekend for Alan Burleigh from Lisnaskea.

This year has proved to be a late spring once again. The decent weather in February, as older farmers would tell you, heralds sometimes difficult weather conditions ahead and this year proved right. March was a very wet month and while there were brief periods of good drying conditions in early April, this week’s heavy rain with lower temperatures and some strong winds has resulted in difficult conditions for newborn lambs as well as spring calving suckler herds wanting to turn out cows and calves to grass.

Many farmers were able to get fertiliser spread on silage ground because if the weather is good in May, many farmers will be engaged in silage cutting from the middle of May onwards, provided there is no nitrogen in the grass.

However there are some prospects for warmer, drier conditions from this weekend which should improve conditions especially with longer hours of daylight now.

Farmers could take this opportunity to have cattle vaccinated in readiness for turnout.

Also it is timely to have water troughs checked and electric fences ready to install in paddocks where stock will be going in the next month.