‘Not gonna be OK’: Cruel drought crisis grips Australian state

There is heartbreak among Aussie farmers after a “worst case scenario” event leaves them facing the unthinkable.

Farmers in Victoria are suffering through a drought-driven fodder shortage that is leaving them with no choice but to sell cattle after years of low rainfall.

Hay is scarce in the state where “worst case scenario” rainfall figures dating back to 2023 look set to continue, which have already doubled fodder prices and left land cracked and dry.

Victorian Farmers Federation president Brett Hosking said the fodder crisis had reached a level “that I don’t think Australia has ever experienced before”.

One farmer told news.com.au last week that hay bales they sourced from NSW were being sold for $250 a round when it used to cost $60.

Victorian farmer James Knight. Picture: A Current Affair

He was worried for the future. Picture: A Current Affair

James Knight, who runs a cattle farm at The Sisters about three hours west of Melbourne, said his fodder stocks ran out six weeks ago.

“We’re definitely not going to be okay,” he told A Current Affair.

“It could very easily get worse over the next three months.”

Mr Knight said hay in bale form was “virtually non-existent” in Victoria, as he tries to feed 1350 pregnant females and 1250 young stock.

He became emotional speaking about the impact the crisis had on his young family.

“I can only start to think that seeing husbands or wives that aren’t sleeping or stressed would be challenging for them,” he said.

“We’re very fortunate to have water at the moment … there are a heap of people who are worse off than us.”

Victoria’s Western District is suffering through drought. Picture: Supplied

As has the town of Ararat, in the Central Highlands. Picture: Ian Wilson/The Australian

Dairy farmer Bernie Free has had to source 12 loads of water to his property since February alone, a period when he would normally bring in only two or three per year.

Mr Free told A Current Affair, however, what he needed most was hay.

“We buy it off a fella that delivers it as well, and at the moment he can’t source any for us,” he said.

“We need hay, and it’s not available. We need the government talking to us about what the other solutions are.

“I think we’re going to offload another 50 (cattle) in the next two or three weeks.”

Premier Jacinta Allan announced more drought relief funding. Picture: NewsWire / Diego Fedele

Premier Jacinta Allan recently announced her government would commit another $37.7 million to its drought support fund as the crisis deepened.

It came after Agriculture Victoria revealed rainfall in May realised the worst-case scenario, with most of the state receiving just 20 per cent or less of the average typical rainfall expected in May over the past two weeks.

“The increasingly devastating effects of drought aren’t confined by postcode or region – its impacting farmers across Victoria. It’s why we’re expanding support statewide,” Ms Allan said.

“The new Taskforce will bring together Victorians from different communities, different backgrounds and different political parties. Most importantly, it’ll be focused on delivering real relief for farming communities.”

Hay bales have become few and far between. Picture: Zoe Phillips

Mr Hosking has been appointed a member of Victoria’s drought response task force.

Biosecurity concerns have made sourcing hay from other states complicated, with concerns over the green snail found in Western Australia making its way to Victoria in fodder.

“We’re looking at opportunities to bring some from Western Australia, which has a whole lot of challenges amongst it, or from Queensland or looking at ‘can we get it offshore?’,” he said.

“There’s some real critical conversations happening at the moment that have never happened before.”

He said overcoming the fodder shortage would be just one step in a long road ahead for the state’s farmers.

“How do they recover their pastures? How can they rebuild their farms? How can they restock stock they’d have to sell as well?

“So they’re our next challenges.”

Originally published as ‘Not gonna be OK’: Cruel drought crisis grips Australian state