Flooded fields in County Wexford could have a disastrous effect on the strawberry season.
June 1993 is the wettest on record for 35 years. Fierce flooding has swept the country and farming along the east coast is feeling the brunt of the weather.
In Wexford, the great June washout sees widespread waterlogging in fields. The bad weather is being blamed for lambs not prospering, delayed silage harvesting and a reduction in milk yields because of poor grass quality.
The most immediate problem is with soft fruits, strawberries, raspberries and blackcurrants.
Gerry Maguire from the Wexford branch of the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) is anxious that rain has prevented spraying,
The big fear is that we could in actual fact lose up to two thirds of the strawberries because of mould disease and also because of the late ripening.
Strawberries are three weeks behind schedule and the knock-on effect for consumers is they may have to settle for imports.
Farmers had been expecting a substantial increase in their income over the coming year but,
If the bad weather continues, farmers in the southeast at least will not be reaping any bonanza.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 11 June 1993. The reporter is Joe O'Brien.
