Hay bales, North Yorkshire, England

'Make hay while the sun shines' may sound like an old proverb, but in farming it's a practical truth.

Hay baling plays a crucial role in agriculture worldwide.

It involves cutting, drying and packaging grasses to feed livestock during the colder months.

The process depends heavily on the weather: the grass must be dry before it's baled, or it risks moulding.

Farmers must act quickly once a dry spell arrives, making it a seasonal race.