• 3 months ago
From afar, Brian Munro's farm in SA's Southeast looks green and lush. But on the ground, producers are coming out of one of their driest ever winters. It's left the normally fodder rich Limestone Coast short of the feed needed for livestock. “I've haven't been able to find fodder, quality fodder, within 500km radius of Mount Gambier, is generally what I've found, and I've actually bought in hay, we've had a massive shortfall.” At nearby Mil Lel, Nathan and Amelia Collins are also finding it tough. (hayrun_1_59) They run a dairy farm with more than 300 cows, but the feed shortage and low milk prices are hurting. “On the end of the good milk prices we thought we'd get ahead and then it's gone all to feed and now we're lucky we're well stocked and we're selling stock to pay for bills.” “The situation is so bad... a charity that donates feed is delivering to the region for the first time ever.” “We bought 22 or 23 truckloads in, and that's pretty much a thousand bales, and that's been split up amongst about 70 families I think.” “The generosity has meant a lot to the region's farming families.” “I'd just like to thank them all, Graham and his crew and all the people who donated this feed, and keep it coming in. Hopefully one day we can send some back.” “Dry conditions and economic pressures impacting farmers across the state has led to more requests for help from Need for Feed this year than usual. But that's meant that some farmers have missed out, forcing them to consider their back up plans.” “Been to Laura, Orroroo, and Peterborough, places like that earlier this year, and it looks like if doesn't rain or keep raining we'll probably have to go back there and that might be the focus of our next delivery.” But farmers say they're staying positive and looking at other ways to future proof their businesses like sowing summer pastures earlier. “It's good to actually get together with other people and kick around a few ideas and do something that you've never come across before.”

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00:00From afar, Brian Munro's farm in Essay's South East looks green and lush.
00:08But on the ground, producers are coming out of one of their driest ever winters.
00:12It's left the normally fodder-rich limestone coast short of the feed needed for livestock.
00:17I haven't been able to find quality fodder within 500km radius of Mount Gambier is generally
00:23what I've found and I've actually bought in hay.
00:26We've had a massive shortfall.
00:27But nearby Millel, Nathan and Amelia Collins are also finding it tough.
00:32They run a dairy farm with more than 300 cows.
00:36On the end of the good milk prices, we thought we'd get ahead and then it's gone all to feed
00:43and now we're lucky we're sort of well stocked and we're selling stock to then pay for bills.
00:49The situation is so bad, a charity that donates feed is delivering to the region for the first
00:54time ever.
00:55We bought 22 or 23 truckloads in and that's pretty much 1,000 bales and that's been split
01:03up amongst about nearly 70 families I think.
01:07Dry conditions and economic pressures impacting farmers across the state has led to more requests
01:12for help from Need for Feed this year than usual.
01:15But that's meant that some farmers have missed out, forcing them to consider their backup
01:20plans.
01:21We've been to Laura and Ururu and I don't know, Peterborough, places like that earlier
01:27in the year and it looks like if it doesn't rain, it doesn't rain or keep raining, we'll
01:32probably have to go back there and that might be the focus of our next delivery.
01:35But farmers say they're staying positive and looking at other ways to future-proof their
01:40businesses like sowing summer pastures earlier.
01:44It's good to actually get together with other people and kick around a few ideas and do
01:48something that you've never come across before.

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