Support for fire-affected Vic farmers

Operations are in place to assist Victoria's fire-ravaged farming community after the destruction of feed and livestock.

Farmers have lost livestock in the Victorian bushfires and some are struggling to feed their remaining animals after large areas of pasture burned.

Victoria's worst bushfires in five years have ravaged farms around Kilmore north of Melbourne, near Shepparton and in Gippsland, with countless numbers of cattle, sheep, horses and goats lost.

The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) and the state government have launched an emergency fodder drive while Department of Environment and Primary Industries (DEPI) staff assess the losses.

VFF president Peter Tuohey said depots are being set up in all the fire zones to collect fodder and provide it to farmers in need.

"The Kilmore-Wallan ones are fairly bad," Mr Tuohey said.

"There has been some livestock destroyed. We haven't got a firm number on that.

"Certainly DEPI is working with people in those areas to put those livestock down and put them in pits and bury them."

Agriculture Minister Peter Walsh said a number of landholders have lost a large amount of pasture and it is essential they receive emergency supplies.

Mr Tuohey said the farming community was pulling together.

"It can be fairly depressing when you've lost a pretty large acreage in the fire with livestock losses," he said.

"It is heartbreaking for farmers when they get back in, to access their properties and see the damage done."


2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


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