Landholders Urged To Prepare For Drought This Summer

With sections of the Riverina experiencing extremely dry conditions, local farms are being encouraged to take advantage of a range of free resources designed to boost drought preparedness.

The latest NSW Seasonal Update for the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) shows part of the Riverina east of Wagga is now in drought, while half of the region and that of the Murray, as well as a small section of the South East, are drought affected.

Director of the Southern NSW Innovation Hub Cindy Cassidy said summer conditions had arrived early in the region.

“Dry conditions are impacting green feed availability in large parts of the Southern region as pastures dry off,” Ms Cassidy said.

“Warmer weather than median temperatures are expected over November and January next year, so we are urging farmers to be as ready as they can be.

“The Hub’s collaboration with partner organisations, such as NSW Local Land Services (LLS) is critical to helping farmers deal with dry times and better prepare for and recover from drought.

“I urge any farmers interested in on-farm, practical help with drought planning and preparedness to reach out to their local Drought Adoption Officer through LLS, it’s a fantastic service and popular with landholders.”

The Drought Adoption Officer program across NSW is funded by the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund through the Southern NSW Innovation Hub and Southern Queensland Northern NSW Hub.

Program Manager with NSW Local Land Services, Nyssa Belton-Liddy said the Drought Adoption Officer program was a hands-on initiative designed to give farmers the practical tools and guidance they need to build drought resilience on their properties.

“Whether it’s developing a tailored drought management plan, working through feed budgeting, or preparing infrastructure for prolonged dry conditions, our officers are here to offer on-the-ground support,” Ms Belton-Liddy said.

Ms Belton-Liddy said many farmers were already seeing the benefits.

“The local insights and one-on-one support from our Adoption Officers have been incredibly well-received by farmers, helping them implement effective, sustainable practices that can mitigate the impacts of drought,” she said.

“The Hub’s website has a range of drought resilience resources to help with decision-making during increasingly dry conditions. https://www.csu.edu.au/research/southern-nsw-drought-resilience-hub/drought-resources)

“Farmers can access everything from a guide to confinement feeding sheep and cattle, to financial counselling information, to a drought and supplementary feed calculator for sheep and cattle producers to develop drought feed rations when needed.”

The current NSW Seasonal Update states current dry conditions were likely to hold in the Western Riverina, Murray LLS and South East regions, with expansion of the affected area into the southern Monaro and far south coast expected over the coming three months.

• Topics:

• Agriculture & Farming
• Drought