Need for Feed arrive by farmers still face 'devastating blow'

Need for Feed, a national project run by the Lions Club, responded to requests from residents with donated hay bales arriving at Willawarrin on Thursday, October 19.

Project chairman Graham Cockerell said locals told him they were grateful but they were going to need a lot more.

"We've had approximately 50 requests for help already," he said.

"And that involved about 6,500 head of stock that need feeding."

Member for Oxley Michael Kemp also noted the need for livestock feed.

The local MP had been assisting as a firefighter on Sunday, October 15 and returned from Parliament on Tuesday, October 17 to continue to help RFS crews.

"To be honest, there's utter devastation for some farmers," he said

"And that's probably a term that's used too much but you're facing blackened fodder patches that you've been cultivating for a long time."

Mr Kemp said that there was a sense of déjà vu among locals who witnessed the 2019/2020 Black Summer bushfires.

"[Black Summer] really hit stock and fodder resources," he said.

"Then farmers faced floods...now some of them are facing their second time of devastation."

The Kempsey Regional Saleyards, which is operated by Kempsey Stock and Land, were open for livestock refuge earlier this week but mostly horses arrived as farmers fought to protect their livestock.

Kempsey Stock and Land director Ian Argue said that farmers are trying to look after their cattle as best they can.

"All the feed's gone [and] infrastructure," Mr Argue said.

"We were facing drought conditions so the on-farm feed was short anyway.

"And to lose everything else is an absolutely devastating blow."

The Willi Willi fire has burned through over 26,000 hectares with seven houses confirmed to be lost to the blaze.

There have been reports of livestock loss but no confirmed numbers.

"It's all very fresh and raw," Mr Argue said.

"There hasn't been anyone yet trying to sell their cattle.

"At the moment, we're seeing the lowest prices we've seen for cattle in probably 50 years."

But more help is hopefully on its way.

Mr Kemp said he had spoken to NSW Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib and was going to get in touch with NSW Minister for Agriculture and Regional NSW Tara Moriarty to try to release fodder resources to Local Land Services to get urgent cattle feed.

"I'm hoping some good things will come from that," he said.

"In a time of drought, that's really difficult."

Need for Feed also has plans on returning to the Kempsey Shire next week with another five trucks, with a hay run of hopefully 15 to 20 trucks planned to arrive between November 4-5.

Livestock owners hoping to receive hay will need to register through the website to receive allocated hay.

The charity is also currently accepting fodder donations which can also be organised through their website.

IN OTHER NEWS: