The Lismore App has received several calls for help from farmers who say they cannot source hay for their remaining animals and fear that they will starve in the cooler months if feed is unable to be sourced en masse and fast.

Farmers in the post-flood recovery are destocking and agisting due to the shortage of feed in flood affected paddocks and from local feed suppliers, as well as health concerns from bacteria, and foot disease. Then there are access issues for their animals with roads, paddocks and tracks washed out and beyond boggy after so much consistent rainfall. Some farmers are struggling to reach their animals to drop larger round bales to them.

We spoke to a Richmond Hill Cattle Family (who wish to remain anonymous) who can't get their cows out as the paddocks are just too wet to get a truck into, and they have tried everywhere to get squares or round bales (silage) to support the cows, which will need to be individually delivered as far as the ute will get them, but have had very little luck sourcing feed for the past 4 weeks, needing at least 50-100 silage bales to get them through the colder months.

His son, has been delivering feed to farmers by boat, and delivered bales today by boat to a farmer who was unable to access any feed, with the men doing the delivery remarking in the video "they were so hungry they came running and just started gorging". Here are the Cattle pictured below:

This Steer remarkably was returned the day before, after being found many km's away in Woodburn, alive. The farmer couldn't believe it!

Another farmer, in Ellangowan, who was previously supported by the Local Land Services when they were cut off for weeks during the first flood, has had to agist his cows and horses elsewhere and says he heard there was Rye Grass Seed available somewhere but was unsure how to access it. He asked us to "please do what you can" to help. The desperation is growing and the farmer wants to "just throw out a few bags, so that in a month we will have plenty of feed coming up.. if we don't flood again that is."

Luka Tremback, a volunteer who has been supporting animals and their people since the first flood is also attempting to find feed for farmers and sanctuary owners who are contacting her desperate for a solution. She says "I have to spread the funds equally, and try to help as many people as possible."

Thankfully according to grdc.com.au: Victoria and South Australia are where the most hay is grown in Australia, so whilst much of Queensland flooded and the Northern Rivers has been affected, there is hope for farmers who may wish to band together to get a large truckload delivered from further away, to cut costs this winter.

Farmers NSW website suggests farmers contact the following organisations for support with fodder and flood relief, outside the Government Grants for Flood Relief available. Farmers NSW has their own Flood Relief Charity set-up and can also be contacted:

Primary Producer focused charities

BlazeAid  – a volunteer-based organisation that works with families and individuals in rural Australia after natural disasters such as fires and floods, working alongside the rural families to rebuild fences and other structures that have been damaged or destroyed. blazeaid.com.au/

Country Women’s Association (CWA) - Disaster Relief Fund - is used to assist Australians who have been adversely affected by a disaster. This fund is tax deductible. cwaofnsw.org.au 

Rural Aid - Rural Aid supports primary producers through free fodder and water deliveries, financial assistance and mental wellbeing counselling. Rural Aid is committed to supporting Australian farmers through its Disaster Assistance initiatives and its Stronger Futures programs. Donations can be made at www.ruralaid.org.au/donate/ 

Aussie Helpers - Co-founded by Brian and Nerida Egan Aussie Helpers aim is to stay in touch with 100’s of farming families to ensure their well-being and survival through good and bad times. aussiehelpers.org.au/

Community and faith-based charitable organisations

Salvation Army - salvos.org.au/

Mission Australia - www.missionaustralia.com.au/

Anglicare Australia - www.anglicare.asn.au/

Lions Clubs -  www.needforfeed.org

Lismore and surrounding farmers were supported during the first catastrophic flood by the local land services with some airdrops of fodder, more loaded into boats so crews could distribute to farmers and their stranded animals.

The Lismore App contacted LLS to provide an update on the feed shortage situation, however, they were unavailable for comment, but assured us they would update us next week.