Some South Australian farmers are calling for more help from the State Government as drought conditions continue to impact the Adelaide Hills and other parts of the state. The Opposition says the current support package needs to be expanded to better support primary producers.
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00:00Watching the weather is part of life for dairy farmers like Ben Wilhelm.
00:07But with no rain since October, it's taking a toll.
00:10When you see the cows not performing and not looking good
00:14because you can't give them what they need and enough feed at times,
00:18that's when you're letting them down a bit.
00:23It's a problem 5th generation farmer Rodney Herman says
00:27it is becoming more common at his Mount Torrens property.
00:30But here we are every five years, we're struggling.
00:34Amid the ongoing dry conditions,
00:36the state government has announced three emergency water collection points
00:40to help households not connected to mains water.
00:43But the opposition says more help is needed for farmers.
00:46They need water, they need feed and they need support and they need it now.
00:50They want the water collection scheme to include agriculture
00:54and they're calling for water carding subsidies, hay delivery funding
00:58and low interest loans for essentials.
01:00The state government says its drought support package includes community grants,
01:05rebates for on-farm infrastructure,
01:07donated fodder transport subsidies and mental health support.
01:11Rodney's farm normally receives about 650 millimetres of rainfall annually.
01:16But in 2024, it received only about 390 millimetres
01:21with the majority falling between June and August
01:24and very little rainfall since.
01:26Farmers like Rodney and Ben say they need support now
01:30from both the sky and the government.
01:32I've always wanted to milk cows and I'm milking cows
01:35but whether it's just, how long will that last?
01:38The state government says it is continuing to monitor the situation
01:42and will consider further support where appropriate.