A tailored package
Last Wednesdays drought announcement package has been described as “comprehensive”, and will allow farmers across NSW to tailor the financial support to their business.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Deputy Premier John Barilaro and Minister for Primary Industries Niall Blair announced additional funding for the Farm Innovation Fund, a new weather station, mental health and a new kangaroo management plan at a property just outside of Dubbo last week.
Minister for Primary Industries Niall Blair said travelling across the state over recent months they have heard different messages from farmers.
“But the one thing that is certain is that every farming business is different and to come up with a package that is going to allow those farmers to tailor the support and the infrastructure that they want for their farm is a corner stone of what we are doing here today,” he said at the announcement.
Mr Blair said the drought package, especially the additional $250 million to the Farm Innovation Fund, was about making sure they are “responsive as a government and were standing by the farmers and food and fibre producers of NSW.”
“Every farming business is different and this will allow our farmers to tailor the support that they need for their business,” he said.
Deputy Premier Barilaro described the funding as a “comprehensive package”.
“Its dire.. the drought is biting and for some communities they havent seen rain for in-excess of 18 months which has meant that theres a real issue around feed,” he said.
“There are going to be people today who will talk about freight subsidies (not being announced) but freight subsidies in itself… distorts the market, it pushes freight prices and feed stock prices up, at the same time a lot of people have de-stocked and this is now about the next stage,” he said.
But Deputy Premier Barilaro said if the drought continues the government will continue to help and evolve their financial assistance to support farmers
“The truth of all this is in six months, 12 months, if the drought is still on the government will continue to evolve around our package and our support because this is something were going to be in partnership,” he said.
“Hopefully it rains, hopefully we see some winter rain and spring rain and we can start seeing the turn around but today the package is comprehensive.”
The Farm Innovation Fund received an additional $250 million to provide farmers with low-interest loans of up to $250,000 to improve farm infrastructure and help farmers prepare for a deal with drought.
“Topping the Fund up… means farmers will have access to put in infrastructure on farm that helps them and protects them for future droughts but at the same time deals with some of the issues today,” Deputy Premier Barilaro said.
He said the $50,000 loans were a flexible way to support farmers who want to cover freight costs.
“And we say no interest for seven years but the repayments dont start until two years after the drought. So when youre making money again you start making those repayments,” he said.
“This has been the message on the ground by many of the landholders and farmers to actually support.. Its a hand up not a hand out. Its about actually supporting our farmers at a time that is going to be very, very difficult.”
Premier Berejiklian said the Farm Innovation Fund – which will introduce new loans of up to $50,000 that will be interest-free for seven years – will help farmers through difficult times.
“A lot of the feedback weve been getting is how expensive it is to get feed for stock so were making a no interest free loan up to $50,000 for farmers to actually obtain the feed they need to keep their stock going and thats really important…,” she said.
“We want to make sure that those who dont have cash on hand are able to apply for one of these loans up to $50,000, they dont have to pay us back for some years and its interest free for seven years, so that will help them through these difficult times.”
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Nyngan Observer
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