Farmers count cost of cold weather

NFU Mutual, Britain’s leading rural insurer, said hundreds of farmers had reported collapsed roofs, smashed vehicles, frozen livestock and uncollected produce.

The insurer is now bracing itself for a wave of burst pipe claims as the country begins to thaw.

The cost of damage will run into the millions although a spokesman at NFU Mutual said it was too early to tell exactly how big the final bill would be.

“We are still expecting claims to add to the hundreds already received. It is an unprecedented number,” said the spokesman.

Over 100 farmers in Scotland have reported collapsed buildings after a pile up of several foot of snow on their roofs.

The number of vehicle breakdowns was up four-fold for the first week of 2010 while accident claims increased 62 per cent compared to this time last year.

In Wales some dairy farms have failed to have milk collected for over a week, resulting in thousands of gallons being wasted. Feed deliveries have also been few and far between.

Frozen diesel has forced farmers to carry fodder supplies to stock on foot – increasing the risk of personal injury on frozen slopes.

Egg producers have also suffered from disrupted feed deliveries and frozen eggs and fears are now rising as to what effect the prolonged cold spell could have on lambing rates.

Meanwhile farmers have turned rescuers across the country helping to grit roads and clear snow for stranded local residents.

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