Farmers struggling as cold weather bites for holiday weekend

THE Easter weekend is shaping up to be a washout, according to the UK’s Met Office.

Forecasters have issued a yellow warning for rain, running from Easter Monday through to Tuesday morning.

And tomorrow — Easter Sunday — will see temperatures across Northern Ireland hovering just a few degrees above freezing point.

Brave hearts venturing out and about over the holiday period should wrap up well, as the bitter east wind will make it feel many degrees colder.

Today, there are expected to be a few bright or sunny intervals in what’s forecast to be a generally cloudy day.

Scattered showers will develop from late morning into the afternoon and the mercury will begin to drop toward nightfall.

While conditions will be mainly dry and cold on Sunday, forecasters warn that sleet and hill snow will move north on Monday and Tuesday, with some heavy falls being expected on

Impact: UFU president Barclay Bell

high ground. And as the unsettled conditions continue, the Ulster Farmers’ Union warned that the cold weather was putting pressure on the agricultural community as their members struggled to ensure that they have enough fodder to feed their livestock.

UFU president Barclay Bell said: “We have experienced one of the wettest winters following persistent rainfall which has made conditions for farmers very difficult.

“Soil has been at saturation point and as a result there were real difficulties in doing field work. This prolonged period of wet weather across the province has put major feeding pressure on farmers.

“Many have had cattle housed since August and struggled to get silage cut in the autumn of 2017,” the farmers’ leader said yesterday.

He explained that many farmers now faced having to buy extra meal to supplement their silage stocks in order to feed their animals.

Rathfriland farmer Mr Bell said: “It has been a difficult spring.

“Cows are calving and sheep are lambing and farmers are unable to put their animals out to grass, because there is no grass.”

He said the cold weather has also impacted on the growth of winter crops.

“This, in turn, has meant a delay in the planting of spring crops.

“With a cold spell forecast over the Easter break, and snow and sleet showers forecast in some places, we are keeping a close eye on things and are in regular contact with both DAERA and CAFRE,” added Mr Bell.