Truckloads of aid arrive in South Australia drought struck farmland

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Truckloads of help has arrived in South Australia's far west and Eyre Peninsula from across the border in WA - 85 truck-loads, to be exact. It's all part of a huge logistical, cross-border exercise to deliver thousands of bales of desperately needed hay and straw to areas in the grip of a once in a generation drought.

Transcript

00:00A slow and steady journey across borders to deliver desperately needed relief to families

00:08and businesses struggling through drought.

00:11Thank you!

00:14The convoy, made up of about three and a half kilometres of trucks and well over 100 volunteers,

00:19given a hero's welcome in Ceduna in South Australia's far west.

00:24This is what people do, Australians do in time of need and everyone steps up.

00:28Buckies and other helpers have come from New South Wales, Victoria, SA and Western Australia.

00:34Ceduna is probably the first of the real welcoming committee, but there's been a few farmers

00:39out coming out at the end of their road, which is a bit emotional for us.

00:45All of South Australia's farming areas are in the grip of extreme drought.

00:49And while pastures are now green, rainfall has been well below average for 16 months.

00:55Western Australian farmers have been gathering fodder from across WA's agricultural heartland.

01:01The convoy, carrying 6,000 bales, left yesterday, snaking more than 1,000 kilometres across the

01:08Nullarbor Plain to the town of Woodina, before the hay is distributed to farmers in need.

01:14The emotions are starting to roll now that it's delivery day or final destination day, so

01:20it's very exciting, but there's just too much emotion.

01:24It's actually the mental relief to think that these people are prepared to go to these lengths

01:30to help us in our time of need.

01:32The massive logistical feat was organised by charities Farmers Without Borders and Need

01:38for Feed, with support from the South Australian Government.

01:42Since the start of the drought, 16 million tonnes of hay have been delivered to nearly 2,000 producers.

01:48But there are still desperate pleas for help.

01:51On their way across the Air Peninsula, the convoy has been travelling through green, muddy paddocks.

01:58Rainfall in some parts of South Australia in recent weeks has transformed the landscape.

02:04But farmers say it's come too late, and they're still having to hand feed.

02:10The rains have come very, very late, which means that a lot of people either sowed crops

02:14which then got blown away or didn't grow, or have had to re-sow, or both.

02:19A welcome relief, but still an anxious wait.

02:29Thank you, mankind.

02:30Thank you, mankind.

02:31Thank you, mankind.

02:32Thank you, mankind.

02:37Yeah, let's leave a comment left.

02:42Yeah.

02:43Thank you, mankind.

02:47Yeah.

02:49That's it.

02:51That's right.

02:52I'll see you.

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