IN AUSTRALIA, and the world over, the images of fire and flood are those of natural crises and, as such, evoke a strong sense of humanity.
However, when it comes to drought, the immediate impact of it is not readily recognised, and so the same level of care and compassion is a lot harder to generate.
The images are still poignant and lasting, and the devastation still occurs to one’s home. Yet, when one’s home spreads across hundreds or even hundreds of thousands of acres, the image of drought and a sense of urgency appears to get lost in the sheer size of the affected area.
Therefore, we called upon Queensland graziers to paint us a picture of their current situation and why drought should be classified as a natural disaster.
Producers struggling to hang onto hope
Mark Fegan, Penola, Julia Creek
IN 2007, it rained for 43 days at Penola Downs, Julia Creek, and Mark Fegan measured 314mm. It was an average year, followed by a less than average year in 2008. Still, 241mm fell in 24 days that year and the following three years 2009-2011 were stellar performers with 602mm, 693mm and 510mm recorded respectively.
“We could not have asked for anything better; best rain in a three-year period we have had for a long time,” Mark said.
“I think we would have to go back to the seventies to match that.”
2012 was back on par with 2007, but there was still “so much grass” left over from the previous three seasons.
“In January, we received 168mm and the biggest fall was 112mm on the January 28. After that, the biggest was on December 16 – 25mm. There were 24 days it rained in between, but nothing that helped out.”
“We also sold [our other property] Lorna Downs, at Boulia in September and moved 1200 head back up to Penola, Eulolo, Arizona and Springfield.”
In 2013, it rained for eight days at Penola. Just 52mm was recorded. The lack of rain meant Mark had to start feeding cattle at the end of February.
“Dad, in all his time, has never fed this early. He is 82 next month.
“I tried to get agistment in February, but nothing was available; every producer around was looking.
“I kept one eye on all the weather forecasts and the other on the cattle and hoped that something would eventuate. How wrong was I?”
Mark said he placed too much faith in the computer and Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) sites and was caught out badly.
“I have been feeding cotton seed, lick blocks, molasses and hay now for 11 months, and am now running on a bank overdraft. It has cost in the order of $450,000-$500,000 just on supplements and fodder, not to mention rates, rent, wages, fuel, power, and breakdowns.
“I have shot more cattle in 2013 than any previous years. I really don’t want to go around and count all the ones that have died that we don’t see. An educated guess would be 400.”
Mark took out a loan to buy another block at Dulacca to increase cattle capacity further south. However, the season there is also failing.
He said if they do not receive rain soon, they will have no cattle left by May/June; the ones too skinny to be trucked will have to be shot, while “it will be debatable if the others are worth anything – the case of supply and demand.”
“All five staff members will have to go elsewhere to earn a living, including my son, and then I will try to sell the places at Dulacca to be debt free.”
Mark measured 62mm a week ago – the biggest fall worth measuring since January 2012.
Noel and Dallas Daley, Caiwarra, Julia Creek
Noel and Dallas Daley, Caiwarra, Julia Creek, are in a similar situation to Mark. They started feeding their cattle dry lick in June/July last year. As the season worsened, they decided to purchase two molasses tanks and have been feeding $15,000 worth of molasses every few weeks since November.
Dallas said they have received a mere 25mm this year at Caiwarra while at their other property outside Emerald, the water has turned brackish after two years of no “water rain”.
“It’s been unlucky this year with so much country being drought stricken that we can’t sell the cows or move them onto other grass,” Dallas said.
“We’re now paying agistment on cows that have run out of feed as well as feeding them hay and molasses twice a week,” she said.
“It surely is a natural disaster?”
Dallas said it would be good if the government would subsidise the molasses and fodder itself, and not just half the freight.
David and Judy Elliott, Belmont, Winton
David and Judy Elliott live 80km northwest of Winton, on Belmont Station. They run a family stock partnership between themselves and their two sons, Bob, 25, and Harry, 21.
The Elliotts were lucky enough to receive several inches of rain in February 2013, which, because of winter rain in June 2012, was enough to make enough feed for their stock to get through last winter.
However, David said, at present there is no market for producers to offload their stock “meaning that if rain is not forthcoming very soon, many stock will be left to die – not just because of the lack of finances to feed them, but because of the lack of supplementary feeds such as molasses, hay and cottonseed etc. available to purchase.”
“We are currently feeding 7,000 sheep and 600 cattle, which is far more than we intended to feed,” David said.
David has been continuously selling off stock since July 2013 so as not to get rid of everything too early nor hand onto everything too long. Over the course of the year, the Elliotts sold approximately two-thirds of their cattle with half of their remaining young cattle sold in the week following Christmas.
“We have had the other half on the market since, without so much as a single buyer interested in them,” he said.
“There is simply nowhere left for them to go.
“It is easy to look in hindsight at what we could have done. We could have sold much more than we did earlier. Unfortunately, it was not a sound commercial decision at the time, and knowing that it will be impossible to buy stock back once it has rained; most of us are trying to hold enough stock to enable us to get back on our feet.
“I do think there is a very strong lesson here that should be addressed to prevent this type of disaster from happening again – for the government to refrain from knee-jerk reactions to lobby groups like in the live export debacle.
“Another thing I think that should be considered is state or national stockfeed storage facilities that can accumulate surplus stockfeed, including molasses, during the god times so that they can be made available to drought declared graziers in times of drought.”
David said they are on the final dregs of molasses from their usual supplier at the Tully Mill and have two more loads of “low-quality molasses at a much higher price” from another mill.
Brendan and Theresa Curr, Glenample, Aramac
Brendan and Theresa Curr have properties at both Ravenswood and Aramac. Since August 2013, they have been feeding molasses-based fodder to their stock; since the end of October, this has amounted to 70 tonnes of M8U per week.
Theresa said she couldn’t understand why there was no notice or planning, and seemingly a lack of liaison between government bodies, big produce/fodder suppliers and mills, and producers to provide an extended supply of molasses.
“On Monday January 20, we received notice that Friday would be our last load,” Theresa said.
“We eventually got up to another half load (35t) the following week; however our supplier, who has been very good to deal with the throughout it all, cannot guarantee any more,” she said.
She said while she was aware suppliers were working on importing molasses from Thailand, and the export of 6,500t of molasses was halted approximately six weeks ago, it wasn’t enough.
“Between 12,000-15,000t is being fed each month in west and north western Queensland alone. This includes all suppliers. We all know what the end result will be when we can no longer feed M8U or molasses-based products and receive no rain – it will be catastrophic.
“The reason I am speaking out is, if for no other reason, than for this major problem to never be repeated and systems put in place to ensure in times of drought, particularly extreme drought, Australia does not simply ‘run out’ of molasses.
“I think it is more important to get out there if we want to effect real change for the future sustainability of the beef industry and a possibility to have a democratic say in our industry bodies that control our livelihoods.”