WATCHING the harvest being brought in is one of the finest rural sights. It has been a common one this week as farmers across North Yorkshire have been busy gathering their crops while the sun shines.

You may have thought that this would be a cause for celebration, but that is to reckon without the farmer's occasional propensity for gloom. Farmers' leader Sir Ben Gill is worried about global warming. His own crops have been harvested two to three weeks early, while showing poor yields.

So despite the sunshine and the early crops, the outlook is not good. Just imagine what they would be saying if it hadn't stopped raining for weeks.

Updated: 11:09 Friday, August 08, 2003