SCOTTISH farmers are being advised to take steps and plan fodder usage now, with experts predicting a late spring.
Using data from grass variety trials, specialists from SAC Consulting, part of Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), predict that T-Sum 200 – which indicates when soils have warmed suficiently for grass growth to begin – will be two-to-three weeks later than normal.
This could lead to a variety of problems, including straw shortages, which could in turn heighten the risk of disease among newborn animals.