Australia’s most trusted rural charity, Rural Aid is encouraging farmers to reach out for assistance as the Bureau of Meteorology officially declares an El Nino event. The El Nino weather pattern means hot, dry seasons that trend towards drought.
Rural Aid CEO John Warlters said the Bureau’s announcement confirmed many producers’ fears.
“Today’s announcement of the El Nino weather pattern will bring a lot of unwelcome memories to the surface for our farmers, who’ve been anxiously watching land and waterways dry up,” Mr Warlters said.
“The past drought was regarded as the worst in living memory for the majority of the country, and it’s understandable that many farmers are scared of going through that again. We’re encouraging farmers to reach out and register with Rural Aid now.”
Rural Aid offers primary producers a range of assistance measures including financial, hay, drinking water, counselling and volunteer assistance.
“We’ve already seen a huge increase in requests for emergency hay and household drinking water from farmers right across the country,” Mr Warlters said.
Primary producers are urged to register online at www.ruralaid.org.au or by calling 1300 327 624.
Rural Aid’s counsellors can be reached at 1300 175 594.