READ THE FULL REPORT HERE.
- As farmers inch closer to the lambing and calving season, desperation is setting in to ensure they have enough forage to fill their appetites. Prices have jumped up again as the need for hay, of any quality, is required to support all livestock.
- Sources have stated there are lucerne stores in southern South Australia which may be released soon.
- Access to on-farm drought infrastructure grants of up to $5,000 has been extended from 11 council areas in Victoria’s south west, under the first round of support, to 13 more local government areas across the state.
- There is a lot more risk at present for those trading hay. Reports state that new traders have entered the market that entities have not dealt with in the past, and this could lead to market instability for those who have spent years cultivating strong relationships with customers.
- When livestock have an energy deficit diet, they lose condition which reduces their ability to lactate. In addition, when cows lose too much condition, it reduces their fertility and ability to get back in calf the following season. Given the extended drought conditions being faced in SA and VIC, it is crucial for feed testing to be done on available forage to understand what is lacking in nutritional value. The panic is setting in, so farmers are baling corn stubble, rice straw and other low nutritional forage to feed their livestock. Sadly, this is an indicator of how when demand increases, quality decreases. A useful app devised by the NSW Government is the Drought feed calculator app. To download the app, please visit the NSW Government website.