Eastern Victoria Region
Tom McINTOSH (Eastern Victoria) (12:53): (1733) My question is to the Minister for Agriculture in the other place. Minister, what support can drought-affected farmers in Eastern Victoria access as part of the government’s drought support package to assist them through this exceptionally dry period? Last week I visited the Benambra region with East Gippsland shire and Agriculture Victoria. We visited a number of farms. We met in sheds and around kitchen tables and discussed the issues affecting those farmers on their farms. We also went to the rec reserve. We met with over 30 farmers. We sat down and talked about the issues affecting those farmers, whether it is productivity on the farms, the input costs – a variety of things that are impacting them – and what as a government we can do to assist them. We heard how farmers have had failed crops, they have had to destock and they have got high costs on feed and their concerns about what rains will come in future seasons.