Star comment: Farmers in need of help now
You might have got the impression that there is a bit of a recovery on the way.
With falling fuel prices, the prospect of falling energy prices, and with inflation at a historic modern low rate, the sun is finally peeking out from behind the clouds.
And all just in time for the general election.
Unless, that is, you are in certain parts of the agricultural sector. Here the clouds are darker than ever without any obvious sign that the economic weather is going to improve any time soon.
It is a classic haves and have-nots situation. The haves are those who have reasons for optimism, with the upturn having knock-on effects to the benefit of individuals and businesses. The have-nots are those without reasons for optimism, and the knock-on effects are generally malign.
In the current circumstances, the performance of Llansantffraid-based agricultural group Wynnstay is little short of heroic. Assaulted on all fronts, it has seen marginally increased turnover and pre-tax profits edge up. If it can perform like that against the current backdrop, just imagine how it could fly in better times.
But when we turn to the dairy farming sector, the atmosphere is one of crisis. The prices milk producers are being paid for their milk are so low that increasing numbers of farmers are concluding the time has come to sell their cows and find a more financially viable and stable way of making a living.
Things cannot continue as they are, but there may be some hope if they are given reason to believe that things will not continue as they are.
During Prime Minister's questions, in answer to a call from Montgomeryshire MP Glyn Davies to bring some stability to the sector, David Cameron made the right noises and sounded sympathetic. More than that, he sounded as if he had a handle on his brief and outlined some positive measures which could be taken to help the industry negotiate its current difficulties.
Still, there is talk that the price paid to the producers could fall even further than it is now. Even if the cavalry is on the way, many dairy farmers may be driven out of business before it arrives.
Nobody is pretending there are easy solutions but the dairy farmers of Shropshire and Mid Wales have served the nation and in their hour of need their plight needs to be given a high profile in political debate as the election approaches.
