Weather means pressure is on
May is always a busy month for us and it will be an especially busy year.
The weather has picked up but a cold and wet April has put us behind and the pressure is on to catch up.
Wehave started planting the main crop celeriac which requiresthree weeks to complete. These plants are raised in a glasshouse for two months and then transplanted in a similar way to brassicas.
The planting period is quite tight because if we go too early we risk frosts causing the crop to bolt and if we run too late we seriously reduce the yield potential.
We will also drill the chicory at the same time and this needs perfect conditions if we are to get a good plant.
The seed is very small and has quite low vigour andit needs warm, moist conditions to germinate and push through the surface.
A cold and wet period after drilling will either sap the energy out of the seed or cause the surface to cap, resulting in a poor plant stand and compromised yield from the start.
Fennel transplanting also starts this month and we follow a planting programme until early August.
This Mediterranean crop just loves the heat and grows at an unbelievable pace when conditions are right.
The weather tends to dictate between financial success and failure.
The risks are fairly high and with ever increasing input costs the current margins are not big enough to justify taking the risk.
There desperately needs to be some farm gate price increases across the board.
Over the coming months, as we start to plan next year's acreages, I think we will be very cautious not to over produce the market requirement.
With low margins any dumping of surpluses could wipe out any profit for the year for that crop.
If others take the same view it could mean a more volatile supply chain for the future.
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Weather for Spalding
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 11 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 26 mph
Wind direction: East
