[Scotsdumpy]

Market report: ‘Perfect storm’ hits store cattle prices. https://bit.ly/2mQZeal

heres an interesting report from aberdeen and northern marts. The effect of the unusual hot weather has affected fodder crops: my own personal harvest has seen only 20 bales of wrapped haylage this year in comparison to 42 last year. Our hay supplier used to charge 15 pounds for a round bale - now 30. Straw price still undecided but yeilds are low as the barley hasn't grown as tall. Bigger farmers are offloading their stock to reduce pressure on feeds resulting in depressed prices.
The hardest thing though is the amount of fodder crops going to anerobic digesters which pays the biggest farmers the most money in subsidies.

is there any hope for a smallholder these days?

[Rosemary]

I blame the Scottish Government (and the others are likely as bad).  In their obsession with renewable energy they've forgotten to factor in "sustainability". 

A result of the law of unintended cosequences and thinking in silos. Although, having said that, I bet a lot of farmers are raking it in from renewables and other subsidies - and they won't be the ones worst affected by the shortage of fodder.

[Buttermilk]

But biomass as fuel sounds good for the Guardian and Telegraph readers.

[DavidandCollette]

blame the Scottish Government (and the others are likely as bad).  In their obsession with renewable energy they've forgotten to factor in "sustainability".  

More about the big boys making a profit