DEAR SIR: It’s mid summer already. A lot of silage and hay has been saved. It should be a time when farmers can relax a little. But this year, there is a cloud over many farms.

The cost of feeding the animals, fertiliser and diesel has rocketed during the past year. Soon the bills will come in. Yes, commodity prices are good and this is welcomed, but any profit has been sucked away with input costs. We hear and read of monies that are to come our way.

But as of now, farmers are struggling on – maybe it’s by digging into a little savings put aside for something else or credit from co-ops.

And what of next year? Yes we should live one day at a time, but on a farm we have to plan ahead.

If prices stay high, can farmers survive another year? Can co-ops carry on giving huge amounts of credit? We need every cent that has been promised to us very soon to keep the ships afloat.

As for profit, well I don’t think there will be a lot of that around for a while to come.

I have no doubt farmers will get through this storm. We have got through other bad times, but at the moment, the seas are choppy and we must hold on tight.