Farmers in Fermanagh are anxiously casting their eyes heavenwards for two reasons, scanning for sunshine and praying to the man above for his intervention in stopping the continuous rainfall which has forced many of them to bring their animals in off the fields to prevent 'poaching'.
This is the agriculture term to describe livestock ploughing through rain-soaked grassland to get to a dry area.
According to a now retired DARD official, farmers are suffering big time: "No doubt about it. The weather conditions are absolutely atrocious for livestock farmers. And, people who are looking to make fodder are already starting to feed their animals, if you like, fodder which was supposedly for the Winter feeding."
He referred back to earlier in the year when, due to the wet grassland, farmers were unable to let out animals that had been housed in the Autumn time last year.
"The problem is there's nothing left over from last year. Everything that was in the country in big bales behind hedges was used in April and May. Fodder is going to be at a premium this Winter and people could be selling stock quicker than they would normally sell.
"They will be looking at the harvest in barley and wheat down South and the weather is very poor for this at the moment. Barley and wheat straw could be expensive and hard to get, so it's not looking good.
"What we badly need is an Indian Summer for the months of September and October."
The knock-on effect of rainfall isn't only confined to low-lying land.
Even in the hillier parts of West Fermanagh, farmers are already bringing their stock inside. One man reported that a neighbour was just after taking his 15-strong herd inside: "His isn't low-lying land. Others are talking about doing the same, and they're trying to hold on for another wee while to see if the weather improves.
Even in the hillier parts of West Fermanagh, farmers are bringing their stock inside. One man reported that a neighbour had taking his 15-strong herd inside
"There is grass in the fields, but the animals are just ploughing it up and there are people who haven't got in their second cut of silage, so it's leaving it very late. There are lots of people who haven't got their second cut. That seems to be the big problem."
Meanwhile, beef producers are being advised by DARD to build up grass cover to provide Autumn grazing and, so, delay the start of winter feeding in a year when there is a shortage of fodder on many farms.
A spokesman described this as, 'the last opportunity' and said the chances of getting out some nitrogen should not be missed.
"Growth has not been particularly strong over the past few weeks due to the wet conditions, hence the need for a final boost."
