RAA fuels donated fodder trucks

31 Jan 2019

A convoy of 50 road-trains carrying 3,500 large bales of emergency hay rolled into Cobar on Australia Day to help drought affected farmers in the region, thanks to a $375,000 NSW Government Donated Fodder Transport subsidy.

NSW Rural Assistance Authority (RAA) Chief Executive Officer, Kate Lorimer-Ward said there is a broad range of support available to assist farmers and their families.

“We can’t make it rain but we are doing what we can to support our farmers and regional communities who are struggling with ongoing drought,” Ms Lorimer-Ward said.

“This includes the Donated Fodder Transport subsidy, which covers the cost of transporting donated fodder when transport providers work with community groups to distribute fodder to drought-affected properties.

“The fact that this convoy arrived at Cobar on Australia Day is very fitting – what  could be more Australian than farmers from Western Australia, who have had a good season, helping drought-stricken farmers 3,000 kilometres away in NSW.”

To date, the NSW Government has provided almost $10 million in Donated Fodder Transport subsidies.

Lions Club Need for Feed founder, Graham Cockerell, who is co-ordinating the hay run, said this is their largest hay delivery to date.

“Many farms throughout western NSW resemble a dust bowl – the farmers are doing it tough, stock have no feed, and transport and fodder is costly,” Mr Cockerell said.

“A group of Western Australian farmers called Farmers Across Borders, have donated the hay and drove it themselves more than 3,000 kilometres across the country before it was distributed to 350 farmers in north west of NSW.

“We also have trucks coming from Victoria and South Australia into Cobar, so it’s a national effort.

“I would like to sincerely thank the NSW Government for their support – without the subsidy the fodder run could not go ahead.”

For more information on the NSW Government’s more than $1.1 billion drought response package, visit www.droughthub.nsw.gov.au.

Media contact: Jamie Jones (02) 6391 3686