Flood affected? Don’t go it alone

Flood-affected red meat producers - share the pain and don’t suffer in silence.

That’s the message from advisor Macquarie Franklin’s senior consultant Jason Lynch who is urging producers to reach out to stock agents, feed companies, business consultants and industry groups to share their concerns, get advice and get help.

“Producers are proud but they need to make people aware of their circumstances, don’t try and cope in isolation,” he said.

Jason is working with Tasmanian producers to help them with their on-farm emergency response and has 10 tips to help those affected get on the starting blocks to recovery:

1. Are people and their families safe? Make sure the floods haven’t impacted on your staff. Their families and possessions should come first. Take stock of your environment and infrastructure, making sure everything is safe. Be aware of the potential hazards on your property after inundation.
2. Still water is just as dangerous as running water, what is underneath is unknown. Don’t venture in no matter how good the tractor or vehicle is.
3. Work in pairs, tell someone where you are going and when you will return. And remember mobile phones don’t like water!
4. Notify the necessary people that you have been affected, for example, your stock agent/buyer (they will be the best contacts for agistment), bank manager, state department of agriculture/primary industries, feed companies, veterinarian, friends who may be able to help.
5. Find out where animals are, how many, are they safe and secure?
6. Do a stocktake of feed on hand including how much viable pasture remains? If pasture is inundated it may take some weeks to dry out and stock will need to be kept off. The MLA Feed Demand calculator will help work out how far remaining pasture will go to satisfying animals’ nutritional requirements as will the Feed Budget and Rotation Planner
7. Investigate supplementary feeding options, considering cost and feed efficiency.
8. Gather as much advice on managing diet transition (eg. pasture to grain) as possible and introduce new feed carefully. Be mindful that animals will be under stress. If in doubt, ask.
9. There is plenty of hands-on work to do but start planning for the short to medium term as soon as you can. If you can’t manage the workload, get an advisor in to help with planning.
10. Be on the front foot and talk to banks early. Investigate options to make the recovery phase more manageable.

More information

Jason Lynch T: 0459 031 311 E: jlynch@macfrank.com.au

Useful links

Tasmania

Visit Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association at www.tfga.com.au

Visit http://tasfodder.com.au/

Visit http://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/about-the-department/flood-information

Phone the Farm Assistance Hotline (03) 6777 2233 or email AGT.admin@dpipwe.tas.gov.au

A “Found Livestock Tasmania” Facebook site has been established at https://www.facebook.com/photo.phpfbid=1783862921844824&set=gm.1214247825260413&type=3&theater

NSW

Phone DPI Agriculture and Emergency Hotline 1800 814 647

Visit the NSW Department of Primary Industries Rural Assistance Authority at http://www.raa.nsw.gov.au/assistance/natural-disaster-relief/additional-assistance