'It has been heart-wrenching': Australian farmers on living with drought
By Vivien Thomson, John Hamparsum, Anika Molesworth, and Mike Hayes
Drought has gripped large parts of the country for years. Four farmers talk about the emotional and financial toll it is taking.
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This drought set in around 2017, and it hit hard. It has been heart-wrenching to see our animals go from grazing on fresh grass to rationed drought feeding routines, native plants dying slowly, and wildlife struggling to cope with the lack of water and food. [Vivien Thomson, farmer based in Southern NSW]
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The hardship of the drought is often focused on the livestock industry and I understand that – we have been hand-feeding our horses for two-and-a-half years. However, there is less focus on cropping farmers – we haven’t grown a wheat crop in three years and west of me they have only had one crop in seven years. We borrow money to pay our staff in the hope that one day it will rain. [John Mamparsum, cropping farmer north-west NSW]
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It hasn’t rained for some time here. Recently just over an inch fell, and this has simply polished the outside without fixing the internal damage. It’s been nearly two years now since the creeks have run dry, and that forced us into changing our farming practices. In winter vine plots were reduced to a one bud spur instead of the traditional two bud spur, fertiliser was broadcasted by the tractor right across the vineyard to be dissolved into the soil once rain returns, and all grass removed under the vines along with between the rows. [Mike Hayes, director of viticulture and chief winemaker at Sirromet Wines in Queensland]
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