Farmers in Scotland have finally begun to shear sheep after persistent bad weather delayed shearing in the country.  The washout summer caused severe delays, as sheep were frequently not dry enough for wool to be sheared or packed, meaning farmers have had to make the most of any prolonged dry period to catch up.

Wet and muddy conditions devalue wool, though farmers and wool sellers are confident that the backlog can be cleared with most wool remaining in good quality; last month, wool dealers in Southern Scotland and the borders reported a 50,000 kilogram deficit of wool compared to the average for the time of year.

As well as issues with shearing, which is running several weeks late, the inclement summer weather has caused concerns over the quality of silage crops. With feed trading at record prices, farmers have expressed fears that feed quality in silage will be dramatically reduced as sward has been affected by the bad weather.

Prices of imported feed are also set to rise due to the effects of drought in the United States and South America, which will affect grain yields and have already sparked rallies in the grain markets.

Although the year so far has undoubtedly been a challenging one, with erratic weather wreaking havoc with farmers’ schedules throughout Europe, wool prices remain high and buyers have commended farmers on the quality of wool being delivered, despite the conditions.

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