The extremely dry start to the year could have a severe knock-on effect for the dairy farmers of west Wales, local MP Simon Hart is warning.

Speaking in a House of Commons debate, Mr Hart said that the lack of rain is going to make feed prices high later in the year.

"The debate had been brought forward by an MP for a Suffolk constituency who was concerned by the effect the dry spell is having on cereal farmers in the south east, however I wanted to make the point that dairy farmers in the west will suffer too," he said.

"It's not yet officially a drought, but in the past three months, we have received just 61% of the rainfall we normally have and in April we received only 24%. Rivers are exceptionally low and the soil moisture at summer levels already. The rain we had at the weekend didn't raise river levels at all.

"Carmarthenshire farmers tell me that first cut silage has held up well but there are worries that the second cut will be poor and the dry weather means that feed prices are likely to be high later this year."