Support trusts keeping busy

But in Northland the desperate feed situation is prompting most calls to the support trust, which has set up its own feed line.

Mike Eagles, chairman of Northland Rural Support Trust, says beef farmers are getting rid of stock but he also knows of some dairy farmers getting rid of capital stock. “That becomes a serious issue long term,” he says.

“Previously with a drought you could bring feed in from other areas, but this time everyone is getting hammered at the same time,” says Eagles. “So people are getting a bit wary of releasing their excess feed in case they find they are in the cart themselves.

“We’ve had a huge number of calls in comparison with the past. People are pretty resilient but there’s a lot of stress going on. Our facilitators are trying to help people and get them good advice and get rural assistance payments to them.” The payments are only “to put food on the table” for those with no income.

“We are a relatively new trust, we’ve only been going five years so people are more aware of us; they know they can get help. We can’t do cash handouts or anything, it’s down to the government as to who they assist in the end but it definitely seems to be hitting harder than in the past.”

This is Northland’s third drought in four years and Eagles says they have only just pulled back from helping people from the 2010-2011 drought. “Now we’re straight back into it before anyone has had the chance to build themselves up again.” 

The trust is running its own feed line. “The prices of palm kernel have gone through the roof,” Eagles says.

Waikato Hauraki Coromandel Rural Support Trust chairman Neil Bateup says mainly young farmers and sharemilkers are checking if they eligible for rural assistance payments and applying if they are. 

“The financial situation is the major issue, with a lot of people dried off or drying off, so income will be quite poor for the next few months,” he says. In contrast to Northland, feed is not prompting a lot of calls to the trust.

Bateup’s advice to farmers is to “keep talking to their advisers, their bank manager and any other rural professionals”. “Keep talking to one another, go to some social events, join with your neighbours and friends in barbecues… and it will rain one day.”

Derek Spratt, Bay of Plenty Rural Support Trust chairman, says they have had 13 calls so far and their facilitator will visit all bar two of those to discuss rural assistance payments. The other two were hanging in to see what happens.

“Feed and where to get it is a big concern, but that will be all through the North Island,” he says. People are moving any stock they don’t need off farms to “take pressure off what bit of straw is left in the paddock”. Some Bay of Plenty areas are desperate and in others “there’s feed around but not a lot”. Feed queries are being directed to the Federated Farmers website.