Farming crisis worsens: ‘90% of NSW effectively in drought’
Macquarie Media, Fairfax Media and Buy A Bale have joined forces to launch The Big Dry Drought Appeal.
Some coastal areas have received plenty of rain lately but inland Australia has been crippled by drought, leaving many farming families on their knees, both financially and emotionally.
Steve Price speaks with Charles Alder, the founder of Rural Aid, which runs Buy A Bale, for an update on the situation.
Charles tells Steve this drought has taken everybody by surprise.
“We’re now looking at up to 90% of New South Wales effectively being in drought, if not already declared, and that’s a fairly monumental number.
“We’ve touched that number in Queensland before but the speed and the ferocity that the drought has hit across NSW has just been unrelenting this year.”
Farmers are now having to buy feed to keep their remaining stock alive, a process that can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Charles says they’re doing everything possible to help out.
“We’ve moved over 5,000 bales into the drought-affected areas of NSW, just this year.
“We have a farmer in southern NSW that we have a long-term contract with to supply, so he was very good. We’re now buying hay from the Lockyer Valley and even up as far as the central coast of Queensland.
“Last week we spent $150,000 buying 2,500 bales.”
Click PLAY below for the full interview
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Every cent donated goes towards the purchase of feed and water for animals and for groceries to keep farming families going.
We need to do something to help our farmers. And we need to do it now.