Primary Industries Minister Clare Scriven attacked over drought call by Federal Member for Barker Tony Pasin

As drought-stricken farmers make tough calls about their future, the SA’s Primary Industries Minister is under fire for an “offensive” warning about their stock numbers.

Primary Industries Minister Clare Scriven has been accused of suggesting farmers de-stock their land to alleviate the impacts of drought.

Federal Member for Barker Tony Pasin has labelled Ms Scriven’s warning that farmers not be encouraged to maintain unsustainable stock levels as “offensive” and “insulting”.

In a letter to Mr Pasin, Ms Scriven wrote that feedback from the agricultural industry emphasised that any drought support “must not encourage farmers to maintain stocking rates that are not sustainable in the present conditions”.

Mr Pasin, a Mt Gambier-based Liberal MP, said the suggestion farmers should de-stock had left him speechless.

“The Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development should have a better understanding and considerably more compassion for what livestock farmers are facing at the moment,” Mr Pasin said.

Primary Industries Minister Clare Scriven. Picture: Mark Brake

“Without question livestock farmers are making decisions regarding stocking rates in response to conditions. To suggest that they aren’t is simply insulting.

“To suggest that farmers de-stock to the point of not requiring any assistance whatsoever to feed stock is completely unrealistic.

“To let go of decades of work breeding desirable genetics combined with uncertainty regarding the capital required to restock in a few months time is a completely ill-advised and offensive suggestion.”

Ms Scriven said her letter was referring to feedback from industry and no-one was suggesting breeding stock should be destroyed.

“It’s well understood that farmers need to maintain their breeding stock for future growth and planning,” she said.

Latest Bureau of Meteorology statistics show many parts of South Australia have suffered through their driest 12 months on record. The state’s overall area averaged just 27.9mm for December-February - 53 per cent below average in the driest summer in six years.

Many farmers, especially in the state’s Mid-North are entering their third consecutive year of drought conditions and have been selling off sheep and cattle they can no longer afford to feed or water.

Mr Pasin’s attack comes a day after Victorian-based charity Aussie Hay Runners urged the state government to pay for the diesel needed for volunteer truck drivers to deliver 210 truck loads of donated hay to farmers across South Australia.

Charity founder Linda Widdup has asked Ms Scriven to chip in $3m to fund the fuel needed to deliver this hay, valued at $700,000, and probable future hay runs.

Ms Scriven said the government’s $18m drought support package included donated fodder transport subsidies and targeted hay runs and that her office was considering funding for additional hay runs.

But Mr Pasin said a $2m state government commitment for donated fodder transport fell short of farmers’ needs.

The state opposition has also called on the government to give farmers needing water for livestock access to a bulk water collection scheme designed for househounds whose tanks had gone dry.

Originally published as Primary Industries Minister Clare Scriven attacked over drought call by Federal Member for Barker Tony Pasin