Rural Aid delivers more than $8m to farmers

Rural Aid has released its latest quarterly Snapshot figures outlining the charity’s assistance to farmers and their rural communities for January to March 2020.

Rural Aid chief executive, John Warlters said between January and March 2020, Rural Aid delivered 15,974 large bales of hay worth $3.23 million into 190 locations to 1143 drought and fire affected farmers.

“That’s almost 100 farmers per week receiving 1331 large bales of hay transported on the back of 37 trucks,” John said.

“We also delivered over $335,000 of domestic drinking water to 640 farmers.”

“Each water truck delivered, on average, 19,000 litres, so that means around 12.16 million litres of 12.16 mega litres of water was delivered to our farmers between January and March.

“That’s almost five Olympic size swimming pools full of domestic drinking water.”

Over this same period, over $2.34 million in financial assistance was distributed to 1564 farmers and over $1.84 million in gift cards was distributed to farmers, with many spending in their communities, supporting local economies.

However, COVID-19 restrictions have changed the way Rural Aid has had to deliver some of the programs and initiatives.

“Our wonderful and generous Farm Army volunteers and our Farm and Community Rescue Team can no longer travel, so for now, the 10 Towns Makeover and the Farm and Community Rescues are on hold,” John said. “But planning is still going ahead with the 10 Towns and our Community Builders Series webinars, launching on May 5,2020.”