Kent farmer warns of milk shortage
Paul Vickery runs Chiddingstone Diary in Edenbridge and says a shortage of grass crops due to the hot weather means they're struggling to feed the cows
Dairy farmers across Kent are warning there could be a shortage of milk over the coming months.
The hot weather, and lack of rain, means their grass crops used to feed cattle haven't grown as well as they should.
Paul Vickery runs Chiddingstone Diary in Edenbridge and says that will impact on the amount of milk his cows can produce.
He said: "We are going to be feeding are winter stocks during the summer to maintain the health and milk quality of the cows.
"You're just eating in front of yourself, running out food which means you have to buy forridging which puts pressures on your margins as the cost is through the roof.
"Our yields are down by 40% and I know a lot of farmers who are feeding their cows hand to mouth, what they grow they feed their cows and they don't have the fall back of a reserve feed so it's going to get very tough for us.
"This dry weather means cows will produce less milk, causing a shortage nationally and therefore increasing the price for the consumer."