Ravaged farmers: drought needs Anthony Albanese’s attention, too

There may be floods in NSW but increasing swaths of southeastern Australia are so drought-stricken that stock is being slaughtered and crops are in doubt.

Ararat farmer Charlie de Fegely says southeast Australia’s drought is ‘worse than 1967’. Picture: Ian Wilson

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Farmers are demanding a dramatic scale-up of government responses to the worsening drought across southeastern Australia, including emergency measures to import and distribute fodder, amid stock slaughter and crop abandonment.

Some parts of western Victoria, South Australia, northern Tasmania and northern Western Australia are in “severe drought”, some for a second or even third consecutive year.

Slaughterhouses are booming as stricken farms de-stock lamb and cattle, the latter seeing a 20 per cent jump in slaughter rates.

Some crops are not being planted or else dry-seeded, with high risk of failure if significant rain does not eventuate in coming weeks.

Farm groups say repeated pleas for a greater federal focus on the big dry have fallen on deaf ears, while some state drought packages have been “incredibly underwhelming”.

The National Farmers’ Federation is calling on the Prime Minister to match his compassion for NSW flood victims by also touring drought-stricken regions.

And there is rising anger that Victorian drought-affected farmers are being slugged a higher state emergency services levy.

“Severe drought is putting extreme pressure on livestock – in terms of both feed and water – as well as really shattering the confidence of the cropping farmers, who have very little money to finance their operations for this season,” NFF president David Jochinke said.

“The most urgent thing that needs to happen is to have the PM and the Minister for Agriculture (Julie Collins) come and tour the drought regions, to let farmers know that they’ve been seen and heard.

“With floods and fires, ministers are very quick to jump on a plane and tour the scene, but not in drought areas, because the drought is so slow and insidious.”

Mr de Fegely, his son Richard and grandson Archer. Their farm’s fodder bill has increased fourfold to $480,000, due to the worst drought seen there since at least 1967. Picture: Ian Wilson

It’s understood Ms Collins will visit drought-stricken SA next week. “Labor understands that some farmers are doing it tough with the ongoing dry conditions,” she said.

“The federal government will continue working with the state governments to support farmers who are being impacted.”

With straw and hay shortages across southeast Australia, Mr Jochinke said the federal government needed to remove blockages to imports of palm kernel from Asia.

The Regional Investment Corporation needed adequate funding to ensure farmers could refinance via low-interest loans and secure sufficient cashflow to survive the season.

More rural financial counsellors were needed, while the household allowance required urgent change. “Not everyone who needs help is getting it,” Mr Jochinke said.

Farmers wanted state and local authorities to relax restrictions on road-trains and B-doubles, to ensure fodder flowed more quickly and cheaply to those in need.

Longer term, green and red tape frustrating construction of new and larger dams needed to be addressed.

Severe drought is hitting southeast Australia. Farmers want fast aid, feed imports, and visits from leaders.

Farm groups say some state drought packages are poorly structured and slow to deliver, while a new Victorian emergency services levy was adding to stress on stricken farmers. “It absolutely breaks people’s spirits,” Mr Jochinke said.

Charlie de Fegely, a prime lamb producer east of Ararat, in Victoria’s Central Highlands, last had “decent” rain in January 2024.

A dry he judges as worse than the region’s 1967 drought has forced his family farm to reduce stock and increased his fodder bill fourfold.

“We have been on full feed for four months,” Mr de Fegely said. “Our feed bills have gone up massively. Last year it was about $120,000; this year about $480,000.

“We’re trying to hang in there because we feel we’ll be rewarded once it rains and the seasons come back to normal.

“We’ve shrunk our breeding flock by about 15 per cent due to a lack of feed and we’ve only retained 1000 young first lambers instead of 2500. We’re trying to have a stock level that’s manageable.”

Mr de Fegely: ‘We’re trying to hang in there.’ Picture: Ian Wilson

Victorian Farmers Federation president Brett Hosking said the drought package in this week’s state budget was “incredibly underwhelming”.

“The drought in Victoria is very, very rapidly increasing in intensity and expanding to new areas,” he said.

Mr Hosking said grants may be needed to help farmers cart water, and for fodder and pasture replanting.

“That’s so that should the drought break, farmers can plant the best quality fodder and pasture and can fertilise it correctly – to get the fastest recovery,” he said. “Otherwise, their bank balance will dictate what their recovery looks like.”

Ms Collins said she would continue to discuss the situation but that a range of drought assistance was in place, including drawdowns on farm management deposit holdings, financial counselling and concessional loans via the RIC.

“I will continue to meet with farmers and industry stakeholders to discuss these serious issues,” she said. The PM and the Victorian government were invited to comment.