After the state governments’ announcement of a $500 million emergency drought relief package, farmers and stock agents across the MIA weigh in on what this means for them.
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With less than one per cent of the Riverina remaining officially “non-drought,” according to Department of Primary Industries’ combined drought indicator, farmers are facing one of the driest winters on record.
The package doubles the previous support, making available subsidies of up to 50 per cent for the transport of fodder and water for livestock; or to get livestock to pasture, slaughter or sale. Subsidies will be capped at $20,000 per farm business and back-dated to January 1.
Another key measure is the waiving of Local Land Services annual rates, water licence fixed charges, registration costs for class one agricultural vehicles, and interest on existing Farm Innovation Fund loans.
Farmers weigh in
For livestock and mixed cropping farmers from Rankins Springs Jock Munro and and Mark Dwyer, the extra support is appreciated and will help them deal with the drought as it sets in further.
“I think it’s a good thing what they’ve done, especially for what people are spending on freight for hay – it has to travel a long way,” Mr Dwyer said.
Mr Munro is lucky enough to still have grain in supply for his stock, but says the drought package will be good for when times get even tougher – which is being expected, and said he will be one of the farmers taking advantage.
“As for rain, we’ve only been getting one or two mils, it’s just shocking,” Mr Munro said.
“It’s not so much where we are now, but what we will be like that is the issue.
“It just doesn’t look good. It’s about getting ourselves set up for when we get there.”
Mr Dwyer would also like to see Road and Maritime services cutting some slack for trucks freighting the much needed food supplies, after truck drivers report hay carriers are being targeted for minor infringements on the Newell Highway as they try to bring relief to drought-hit farms.
“If they could just leave them alone and stop harassing truck drivers that would be great,” Mr Dwyer said.
Coleambally farmer John Ward said while he welcomed the assistance, many farmers and growers had already made decisions about their livestock, with many people’s decisions already made based around the high cost of hay and transport.
Mr Ward said assistance also needs to be made more accessible to farmers as he feels the current process gives farmers “a lot of hoops” to jump through.
“The important thing is that there is food on the table and socks on the kids. You’ve got to make the Centrelink household support available. From a mental health perspective, we’ve got to be able to get money on the table.”
Mr Ward said help is always out there: “If things are tough, contact the support groups or your rural financial counsellor … There are so many people out there who care.”
Weethalle livestock farmer Keith Cowen has seen long-term affects of drought. He advocates for these types of packages to be legislated.
“I’m not sure why we have to reinvent the wheel every time there’s a drought. At least, they’ve come out and given some assistance. It’s needed,” he said.
“It’s still better than nothing and a lot of it is retrospective. It’ll put a bit of money into people’s pockets and keep things ticking over.”
Stock agent seeing drought effects
Griffith stock agent Callum Stewart from Spencer & Bennett - Yenda Prods said the effects of drought in the region were clear to see as stock flows through the yards.
He said the quality of lambs and sheep coming into the yards was “very poor,” as a result of the drought and farmers being unable to afford feed.
“The quality is very ordinary and is clearly evident,” Mr Stewart said.
“People who are fortunate enough to have feed and grain are being very much awarded, and we are lucky enough that the sheep and lambs we have been seeing are in the start of a drought-based program.
“In times to come, however I believe the quality in the yards will be reduced while numbers may not - numbers will probably increase because farmer can’t afford to feed them, but quality at the moment is still OK but I think that will change.”
Current drought conditions
Less than one per cent of the Riverina remains officially “non-drought,” according to Department of Primary Industries’ combined drought indicator.
The indicator shows 70.6 per cent of the region is “drought affected” and a further 28.6 per cent has been declared as officially in drought.
Drought affected is one the category below that of “drought” and reflects a worsening of conditions for farmers, with low rainfall and only modest ground cover growth.
A tiny 0.1 per cent of the Riverina is shown to be in the “recovering” category, the opposite end of the spectrum to “severe drought”.
Currently there is no area in the Riverina to have been classified as being in “severe drought”.
Package at a glance
The three major elements of the package are:
- Approximately $190 million for Drought Transport Subsidies
- Approximately $100 million for cutting the cost of farming fees and charges – by waiving Local Land Services rates, waiving fixed water charges in rural and regional areas, and waiving class one agricultural vehicle registration costs, among other initiatives, and
- $150 million to bolster the Farm Innovation Fund (FIF) infrastructure program.
The package also includes funding for:
- Counselling and mental health
- Critical services in regional communities including transporting water and drought related road upgrades and repairs;
- Animal welfare and stock disposal.
For more information on the NSW Government’s emergency drought relief package visit www.droughthub.nsw.gov.au.
