Farmers on knees in drought

ASH Johnston has seen what having to euthanise cattle herds can do to a farmer’s soul and she’s worried she will soon see more of it.

The Drought Angels co-founder said the organisation was almost at its limits as the drought worsened out west, with many in large centres like Toowoomba completely unaware of how bad things were outside the city limits.

In a simple case of supply-and-demand economics, hay prices skyrocketed as water supplies dried up and the organisation was struggling to do more for farmers than help with the basics.

Drought conditions demand hand-feeding of cattle.

The rain may have been falling in the Toowoomba area just enough over the past few years to keep things green, but Mrs Johnston said she was hearing heartbreaking stories from farmers who hadn’t had true grass-growing rain in years.

“It’s dry out here; everything is dead or dying,” she said.

“It’s really depressing and it’s getting people down, especially people in their fifth or sixth year of it.

“People are just about ready to walk away.

“They just don’t know how much more they can take.”

She said most of those struggling were reluctant to ask for help, but she had recently received a growing number of calls from people wondering how they would pay their bills and keep their farms going as government support dried up.

Many farmers have been continuously drought declared since 2013 and the Federal Government’s Farm Household Allowance only allowed for three years of assistance.

That meant scores of farmers were set to lose the money standing between them and abject poverty in the very near future.

It wasn’t even much simply the equivalent of the Newstart Allowance - but it bought the groceries and paid the phone bill.

She said distressed farmers ringing Centrelink had recounted stories to her of asking what to do next, and the only suggestion was to apply for Newstart, which meant they were obligated to apply for available jobs within a six-hour radius.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out it would be impossible to maintain a farm and drive for hours every day to a job.

Farms were all-but impossible to sell in drought conditions and a mass sell-up would simply result in food and fibre shortages.

“People are on their knees and they can’t get help,” Mrs Johnston said.

“There must be a better system in place for our farmers.

“Who else is going to put food on our tables and clothes on our back?

“A lot of these families have got succession plans in place and they’re doing what

they can to continue, but you can’t win against Mother Nature.”

Mrs Johnston said she wasn’t aware of anyone out west who wasn’t already hand feeding stock, which both cost a lot and tied farmers to their properties on a daily basis.

That, in turn, caused a shortage of hay and resultant high prices.

“We don’t even have any hay and donations are getting very slow,” Mrs Johnston said.

Out on Tricia Agar’s Wyandra property, the family was clinging to the idea that every day brought them a little closer to the day they got rain.

“Our place, like most others in south-west Queensland, has been drought declared since 2013,” she said.

“The summer rains fell in the first part of 2012 and then haven’t really fallen since.

“We had excellent winter rain in 2016, and the herbages and salines that grew in this time sustained our stock really well up until March 2017.

“We don’t have a lot of grass left, and what is left the kangaroos have devastated as they have been in plague proportions but are now dying in droves as the effect of drought takes it toll.

“The last grass growing rain was in 2012, so we are living on a wing and a prayer right now, pouring the lick supplements into our livestock as well has feeding copious amounts of hay and cottonseed, awaiting for deliverance from drought and dry times.”

The Drought Angels is running a Christmas Appeal and people can help by contacting the organisation to donate non-perishable food items, toiletries and other essentials, or cash to buy much-needed items.

To find out more call 0409 548 414 or find Drought Angels on Facebook.

To donate directly use BSB 064409 and account number 1018 4522.

Other charities helping drought-stricken farmers include Burrumbuttock Hay Runners, Aussie Helpers and Care Outreach.

Read The Chronicle story - “Farmers on knees in drought.”