Pembrokeshire's silage and arable crops are taking a battering as unseasonal heavy rain and high winds continue to hit the county.

Acres of silage crops across Pembrokeshire remain standing, two weeks after their ideal harvesting date.

Contractor Peter Rees said yields had doubled, but the quality would soon deteriorate.

"Crops were initially very light because of the late spring but there has been tremendous growth in the last two weeks," said Mr Rees, of Park Walls Farm, St Florence.

"Farmers are frustrated that ground conditions have been getting wetter and they haven't been able to get onto the fields to harvest the crop.'' Although the quality is still reasonable, that will almost certainly change this week, he said.

This will have a knock-on effect on next year's milk production, said Ian Griffiths, a Pembrokeshire-based agent for Bibby Agriculture Ltd. "The energy of the ensiled grass will be lower and for every megajoule of energy lost there is a potential drop in milk production of two to three litres,'' he said.

He urged farmers to use a well-proven silage inoculant to maintain dry matter levels.

"If the quality of the silage can be improved intakes will increase and this will have a knock-on effect in terms of improved milk production," he said.