A WEST Wales farming leader has called on his fellow farmers to help maintain the ‘lifeline’ of fodder deliveries to Somerset where the crisis caused by the recent floods is "far from over".

Farmers' Union of Wales Ceredigion county chairman Aled Rees, who has already overseen the delivery of 16 loads of hay and silage to the west country over the past two months, said many farmers in west Wales did not realise there was still a problem in Somerset.

"The grass is growing here in west Wales and it has been a fairly good spring, so they think it's the same all over the country. But last week I saw a lot more demand from the forage bank in Somerset.

"They rang me several times during the week to ask for forage as they were running low because they had experienced a lot of wet weather and stock had to be re-housed because the land that had only just dried out became saturated very quickly."

Mr Rees is in regular contact with Somerset Levels agricultural flood recovery co-ordinator Abigail Vickery, who says the fodder already received from west Wales farmers "has been a lifeline for them and has helped keep the fodder bank full".

"But we still need to keep donations flowing as we are now scraping the bottom of the barrel to get loads. We have enough pledges to do two more weeks and then there will not be a lot left," added Mr Rees, who farms at Penparc, near Cardigan.

Farmers able to donate fodder can contact Mr Rees on 01239 810379 or 07968 386039 or via email: aled.rees04@virgin.net.