It's one of the toughest seasons in living memory for Tasmanian farmers and animal welfare concerns are rising. Minimal rainfall, a lack of feed, and booked out slaughterhouses mean some farmers are resorting to drastic measures to manage their animals.
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00:00Tasmania has been dry for months and beef farmer Alan Kelly doesn't have enough food
00:07to get his cows through the winter.
00:10This is where one of my cattle's buried, died about two or three weeks ago.
00:15There's another one down in the paddock there.
00:18Yeah, it's not fun shooting your cattle.
00:24They're beautiful creatures.
00:30Without enough rain, Mr Kelly has been unable to grow pasture to feed his cows
00:35and he can't afford to buy in more feed.
00:38He's been feeding out half rations and along the way he's lost multiple calves
00:43and shot several cows.
00:45So what do you do, leave them there to starve for 24 hours before they die of exposure?
00:50It's an extreme case of the pressure many are feeling,
00:53worsened by soaring hay costs, low cattle prices and booked out abattoirs.
00:58And while assistance is available, it's limited for small producers.
01:03There are people out there that are really having to make some really,
01:06really tough, awful decisions on their properties.
01:09A lot of the grants that are out there, unfortunately,
01:11a lot of our farmers are not eligible for them.
01:15Mr Kelly secured a small donation earlier this year,
01:19but he doesn't qualify for any further financial assistance.
01:22The Federal Government says it has a range of national measures available
01:26to help people manage through drought,
01:29while Tasmanian Primary Industries Minister Jane Howlett
01:32recently announced $4.8 million in additional drought funding.
01:37It's like watching a slow motion train wreck.
01:39I mean, where am I going to get the money to pay for my hay?
01:42So, you know, help, just a little bit of help, just enough to get by.
01:48As hard conditions continue with little sign of relief,
01:51Rural Alive and Well is urging farmers to watch their mental health.
01:55Just reach out and we'll come to where you are
01:59and happy to have those conversations.