First hay harvest two weeks earlier than usual
It's likely Icelandic farmers will harvest three times over the summer. This only happens when the weather is particularly favourable. Photo: Iceland Monitor/Helgi Bjarnason
Many farmers have started harvesting hay for the first time this summer. This is happening up to two weeks earlier than usual. The spring has been mild and no severe setback in temperature that would affect the crops.
“I expect most farmers will start this weekend,” says farmer Arnar Árnason of Hranastaðir, North Iceland and foreman of The Icelandic Cattle Association. “My wife and I started last night, the grass has grown enough to be harvested on all our fields. If the weather will stay good I believe we will finish before 17 June [Iceland’s National Day] and that’s usually the time we start harvesting!”
Bjarni Valur, farmer at Skipholt, says much has to happen for the summer not to be good for hay harvest and believes many farmers will have to harvest three times over the summer. This only happens when the weather is particularly favourable.
