Agriculture
22 September, 2024
Winter dry prompts hay help calls
LOW winter rainfall in the Loddon and northern Victoria has seen the first calls for fodder help to Rural Aid. The national assistance organisation last week made a delivery of 44 square bales into the Loddon where some farmers been augmenting...
LOW winter rainfall in the Loddon and northern Victoria has seen the first calls for fodder help to Rural Aid.
The national assistance organisation last week made a delivery of 44 square bales into the Loddon where some farmers been augmenting paddock feed with stockpiled hay for three months.
Farmers say the winter dry has forced them to put out fodder well ahead of normal feed planning as they work to keep stock fattened.
Rural Aid’s disaster assistance manager Sharon Novak said the delivery into storage at Salisbury West would assist Loddon farmers navigate dry conditions.
“These are among our first deliveries into northern Victoria,” she said.
“Until now, the requests for help have been coming from South Australia and south-west Victoria.” Western parts of Victoria are in the midst of a prolonged green drought.
“We made two deliveries into northern Victoria last week. There’s now an uptake in applications to us from farmers in these areas.”
Ms Novak said farmers should register for help from Rural Aid “before they need it”.