Rural Aid drought bales bring hope as farmers in need multiply
A ruined crop has transformed farmer Michael Hancock into a saviour of drought-ravaged Australia.
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A failed crop was the start of Michael Hancock’s new life distributing hay bale relief in New South Wales and Queensland.
Last November, a frost settled over his property in Lock on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula, ruining the crop but changing the course of this farmer-turned-truck driver’s life.
“There were a few farmers that really needed to sell their grain,” Mr Hancock said.
“It’s not a very good thing to spend all that money on crop and then (have it all) die off.”
Mr Hancock pulled a number of farmers together and gathered a bulk quantity of hay. It was sold to Rural Aid and distributed to drought-devastated farmers in NSW and Queensland. Inspired to help, Mr Hancock’s been on the frontline of the charity’s drought effort ever since.
Now, after a year sourcing and distributing bales as a trucking contractor and volunteer, Mr Hancock said the reality remains confronting.
“Most of the adjectives will be expletives as far as when you look at the place. Because it’s just amazing: the definition of nothing,” he said.
Rural Aid’s latest drop is next Saturday, when a convoy of trucks, including Mr Hancock’s, will arrive in Dubbo and distribute bales to around 30 severely affected farmers. The 30 November delivery, supported by drought partner Woolworths, comes as Rural Aid released figures showing a significant increase in farmers requesting aid.
“Last month, close to 1,000 farmers registered, which is almost double the number from a few months ago. Rural Aid now has over 10,000 farmers registered for assistance,” a Rural Aid spokesperson confirmed.
Sourcing hay mainly via word of mouth, Mr Hancock and his drivers have moved around 40,000 tonnes of hay this year, approximately 10,000 tonnes more than last. This commitment to his fellow farmers has driven him into the eye of the big dry.
“I can’t believe as a farmer myself, not to take away from the drought that we had, because there was a lot of money lost and a lot of farmers affected, but I can’t believe the severity of the drought in New South Wales, Queensland and the South Australian areas,” he said.
“It’s the heartbreak in them, selling off their prized (livestock). To see the pain on their face when they have to get rid of basically their life’s work.”
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South Australian hay sourced by Mr Hancock went into Queensland’s Cloncurry and Winton areas following the floods. In New South Wales, the drivers have delivered extensively into regions including Walgett, Bourke, Narrabri and Tamworth.
“We’re now delivering into the Parkes area, (Yeoval), Narromine, Dubbo … and we’ve also delivered into (the) Coonabarabran, Gilgandra area,” he said.
Each time they do a drop, Mr Hancock and the other drivers see farmers in desperate need of food for livestock. He estimated a drought ration for a ewe, for example, is down to a kilo a day, or half their normal feed.
“Their animals are walking on dirt and there’s no feed in the paddock,” he said. “But then you go to Broken Hill and those areas … and you see bushes with drifted sand everywhere. Red sand everywhere.
“It really makes you fairly sick in the stomach to look at it. You do really feel sorry for the people who have to look at it out of their bedroom window every day that they get up.”
Mr Hancock said bale recipients deeply appreciate the hay and the donors.
“I’d like to be able to say ‘Thank you’ to the people in the city for donating, because (farmers) do realise.
“The city and the country (have) always been divided to a certain extent (and) this has actually brought (them) together,” Mr Hancock said.
Rural Aid provided over $30 million in assistance last financial year, including over 65,000 hay bales, financial assistance, water, counselling services and volunteers.
STAND WITH DROUGHT AFFECTED COMMUNITIES BY DONATING TO ONE OF THESE CHARITIES AT YOUR LOCAL WOOLWORTHS STORE: THE SALVATION ARMY, RURAL AID, FOODBANK OR LIFELINE.
Originally published as Rural Aid drought bales bring hope as farmers in need multiply