A “tsunami” of donated fodder is headed to the south-west to help out farmers hit by the weekend’s fires.
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Andrew Duffus of the Grass Growers business in Terang said big loads of donated hay were expected to arrive in the south-west in a few days.
The Grass Growers business is acting as a distribution centre for donated fodder and is hoping to send the fodder directly to farmers in need rather than building a stockpile at its premises.
United Dairyfarmers of Victoria (UDV) is coordinating the fodder donations in conjunction with a range of community organisations and hundreds of volunteers.
UDV Corangamite representative and Boorcan dairy farmer Lauren Petersen said about 100 tonnes of hay had already been distributed to farmers in the Terang area and some hay had been stockpiled at the Grass Growers premises when trucks had not been able to deliver to farms.
Ms Petersen said farmers in need of fodder and or wanting to donate fodder should ring the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) on 1300 882 833.
She said fire-affected farmers should not think that others were worse off and not ask for fodder donations. The fire would have a long-term effect and while many farmers might not need fodder donations in the short-term, they were likely to need them later, she said.
In other developments, the UDV said power supplies had been returned to most south-west dairy farms with a handful given access to generators that came from a variety of sources.
UDV president Adam Jenkins said it did not expect to yet call upon the federal government’s offer to provide generators along with armed services personnel to restore power to dairy farms.
“Our information is that most dairy farms are back on the grid,” Mr Jenkins said.
He said local electricians, fire fighting organisations, milk companies and other parties had worked to provide generators and connect them to those dairies that were still off the electricity grid.
Mr Jenkins said the UDV was holding off on the government’s offer of generators because they might still be needed if high fire risk weather forecasted to arrive in the next few days caused more fire outbreaks.
Strong winds and high temperatures were forecast to hit the south-west again in the next few days, he said.
Mr Jenkins said regional dairy processors were working together with individual milk tankers picking up milk for a number of processors to reduce the number of milk tankers going along fire-affected roads.
“It’s safety first,” he said.