Rural Aid is calling on farmers to reach out for assistance following the official declaration of an El Niño event by the Bureau of Meteorology.
The El Niño weather pattern typically brings hot, dry seasons that often lead to drought conditions.
CEO of Rural Aid, John Warlters, acknowledged the fears and concerns of farmers in response to the Bureau’s announcement.
“Today’s announcement of the El Niño weather pattern will bring a lot of unwelcome memories to the surface for our farmers, who’ve been anxiously watching land and waterways dry up,
“Thousands of farmers are already managing their land with a view to drought, but today’s announcement makes that approach all the more important,“ said Warlters.
The previous drought was considered the worst in living memory for most of the country, and the prospect of facing similar conditions again is understandably daunting for many farmers. Rural Aid is encouraging farmers to reach out and register with their organisation to access the various assistance measures available.
Rural Aid provides primary producers with a range of support, including financial assistance, hay, drinking water, counselling services, and volunteer assistance.
The charity has already witnessed a significant increase in requests for emergency hay and household drinking water from farmers across the country.
“In the past four months, requests to Rural Aid for emergency drinking water have increased by 240 per cent, and our free water tank offer was exhausted in just four hours with more than 95 applications,“ said Warlters.
“We’re aiming to deliver another 50 water tanks by the end of this year to meet the demand.“
Warlters acknowledged that the declaration of El Niño is a particularly distressing moment for farmers, as it signifies worsening conditions ahead. In light of this, he encouraged overwhelmed farmers to reach out to the rurally-based counselling team at Rural Aid for a free chat to ensure they are in the best possible position to navigate the upcoming seasons.
Primary producers are urged to register with Rural Aid online at ruralaid.org.au or by calling 1300 327 624. For counselling services, farmers can contact Rural Aid’s counsellors at 1300 175 594.
