Hay eases hard times in Hughenden

Providing hay to about 20 drought stricken farmers in the Flinders Shire, 10 trucks made the extended journey from Muttaburra to Hughenden.

Collaborating with organiser Brendan Farrell to make the trip to Hughenden was councillor and producer Clancy Middleton.

“Before the hay runners visited, producers were doing it really tough and watching the horizon for the slight hope of rain,” Cr Middleton said.

“After five years of drought and fires before that, it is real tough especially as hot and dry conditions continue.

“This hay will help prolong the burden on farmers and allow them to feed remaining cattle on their property.

“Unfortunately it is getting so tough out here that some producers have had to sell all their cattle, and more will have to sell soon if we don’t get some rain.

“Almost 90 percent of Queensland is now drought stricken, so I hate the thought of what is going to happen next.”

Beef producers Peter and Marie Atkinson received 10 bales to their property Barragundah, 65 kilometres south of Hughenden.

With a combined herd of 1100 Angus, Santa Gertrudis and Charbray, Mr Atkinson has started feeding the donated hay to his weaners.

“The hay run provided some relief. It is great to know there are people thinking about us,” he said.

“Our numbers are right back now compared to where we were five years ago. We have three times less cattle than what we had before the drought.

“We have been slowly cutting back and selling every year. It is frustrating, we just wish it would rain.”

Mr Atkinson said he had enough water in his dams to get him through until the end of the year but he only had enough feed to get him through a few more months.

“Our dams have water in them from rain that fell last winter, but we haven’t had a lot of rain since before the New Year,” he said.

“If it doesn’t rain in the next three months we will be forced to agist cattle elsewhere.

“Nearly everyone in this region is in the same situation and everyone is tired and sick of the drought and we just want it to rain so we can get back to some sort of normality.”