With July only a week away, we have to take a view on grass supplies for the rest of the season and it is clear that with the last spell of good growth, covers are too high in the paddocks we are turning cattle into.

The strong grass leads to lower intake and reduced mid-summer performance. To get back on top of things we have no option but to take some of the strongest paddocks out for hay and now is the time to do it once we see a few days of settled weather ahead.

The first cut silage was taken a few days later than last year but it is clear that we have a bigger tonnage from this year’s first cut. I will get it analysed in a few weeks to see if the extra quantity has been at the cost of reduced quality.

With the end of the shed cattle, we have begun to slowly buy in again but the price of concentrates makes performance at grass even more critical.

I was glad to see that official clearance has been given for selective weedkillers to remove docks without killing off the clover - a long overdue development.

On the tillage front we are now really only waiting for the harvest. I have never sold forward such a high proportion of my expected harvest.

Whether or not it was the correct decision won’t be clear for a few months yet but so far, it seems to have been sensible to lock in at some of the recent higher prices given the much higher costs of producing grain this season.

I have received confirmation from the Department that my oats and oilseed rape are both in the straw incorporation scheme and I let the June 9th change of mind date pass by without doing anything.

We have now finished all the normal protective spraying though we will keep all crops under observation.