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Farmers

Blaze Aid's "Dunkirk for Drought" Subsidy Aims to Help Victoria's Drought-Hit Cattle Farmers

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

In the face of a fodder shortage in Victoria, Blaze Aid's "Dunkirk for Drought" program is offering to cover the full freight costs for cattle farmers to transport feed from Queensland and New South Wales. This initiative is part of Blaze Aid's "Give A Farmer A Break" drought support program, which aims to help farmers get the resources they need to keep their cattle fed. Charity group Blaze Aid has partnered with Bendigo hay supplier Farm Direct Hay to make the subsidy possible, allowing farmers to pay for the fodder upfront and arrange transport before loading begins.

Key Takeaways:

  • The "Dunkirk for Drought" program is specifically designed to help Victorian cattle farmers who are struggling to find feed for their cattle due to the ongoing drought.
  • Blaze Aid is covering the full freight costs for farmers to transport fodder from Queensland and New South Wales, with farmers paying for the fodder costs through a supplier like Farm Direct Hay.
  • According to Kevin Butler, the founder of Blaze Aid, farmers can save up to two-thirds of their total fodder costs with the subsidy.
  • The program is part of Blaze Aid's "Give A Farmer A Break" drought support program, which aims to help farmers keep their breeding herd intact.
  • Blaze Aid is encouraging farmers to work together to share the burden of the drought and support each other in getting multiple waves of hay to those in need.
  • The "Dunkirk for Drought" program has been likened to the famous World War II rescue of 300,000 French and British soldiers from the port of Dunkirk.

Statistics:

  • Farmers can save up to two-thirds of their total fodder costs with the subsidy (Source: Kevin Butler, founder of Blaze Aid).
  • The cost of transporting a bale of hay from Queensland to Toowoomba can be up to $200, as compared to $70 in Queensland (Source: Kevin Butler, founder of Blaze Aid).
  • Farmers who sell their breeding herd could be 10 years behind in the industry, according to Kevin Butler (Source: Kevin Butler, founder of Blaze Aid).
  • Blaze Aid is operating with the help of Bendigo hay supplier Farm Direct Hay, which allows recipients of the subsidy to pay for the fodder upfront and arrange transport before loading begins (Source: Blaze Aid).

Sources:

  • Blaze Aid's website
  • Source: Kevin Butler, founder of Blaze Aid, as quoted in the article.
  • Source: Farm Direct Hay, as referenced in the article.

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