Need for Feed convoy headed for Port Welshpool

KING Island is experiencing one of its biggest droughts in history with thousands of head of cattle moved off parched paddocks

, some of them through Port Welshpool, and tonnes and tonnes of hay and other emergency feed shipped back.

One of the problems has been a lack of shipping access for such a major event.

This Sunday, May 19 will be the culmination of a huge Need for Feed effort with 750-plus tonnes of donated hay and cattle pellets, purchased with donated money, heading for King Island courtesy of Eastern Line Shipping.

On Friday, May 17, Chairman of Need for Feed Graham Cockerell, of the upper Beaconsfield Lions Club, was onboard the convoy, from Swan Hill headed for Port Welshpool, delighted with the level of support, including volunteer, transport and financial support, but always looking for more for the organisation’s worthy causes.

Loading of the 220 tonnes of cattle pellets in bulka bags and around 550 tonnes of oaten hay was completed on Thursday and on Friday, 30 plus trucks will convoy together from Swan Hill through Melbourne around lunch time to meet the King Islander ship from Eastern Line Shipping at Port Welshpool.

“We’ll start loading as soon as we get there. The cattle have already been unloaded and the ship is there ready for us,” said Mr Cockerell.

“We’ve got 98 farmers registered with us over there and about half that number will benefit from this.

“We bought the hay and feed with donations to our website. We were getting hay and feed from Tasmania but there’s no more left for sale.

“We negotiated cost-price shipping from Eastern Line Shipping, which was very generous but that has now been covered by the Tasmanian Government, not the commercial price, just the cost-price so I guess they’re just breaking even which is something but not ideal.”

Graham has also been thankful for the local support.

“We’ve got the Port Welshpool Coastal Patrol doing coffee and breakfast over the weekend and the Yarram Lions Club is coming down to do lunch and I would say both of those would be available to people who come down, for a donation.

“Just a reminder as to why we’re making this weekend’s shipment of 750 plus tonnes of donated fodder to King Island.

“These photos show the situation just over two months ago.

“The records tell us that this has been the driest start to the year in over a century and in the last year since records began more than 140 years ago.

“While our recipient farmers have had a sprinkle of rain since and there’s now a tinge of green in places, it’s far too late for any real pasture growth with winter fast approaching. Most of them can’t destock any further and have used up any fodder reserves to make it through to now,” said Graham.

“Our team is getting excited. We can’t wait to start loading the cattle pellets tonight and seeing our precious cargo leave on the boat on Saturday night.

“We are told this will the largest ever single shipment of fodder from the mainland to anywhere in Tasmania, an achievement we know our whole team is so proud to be able to deliver.”

“You can support our efforts to continue making a difference when and where it’s needed with a tax deductible donation.”

Go to https://www.needforfeed.org/donate.html and hit the “donate” tab.