By Mitchell Clarke
Pakenham stock agents have joined forces with disaster relief charity Need for Feed, calling on clients to donate hay for East Gippsland farmers affected by bushfire.
Need for Feed coordinator Graham Cockerell met with stock agents at the Victorian Livestock Exchange (VLE) in Pakenham on Thursday 9 January, to officially begin accepting donations.
SEJ agent Bruce Peterson said they were hoping to receive between 500 and 700 rolls of hay, but that number looks to be surpassed.
“The suggestion (to do this) came in from one of our agents who thought it’d be a good idea to get all the Pakenham stock agents in a group and get hay from their clients,” he said.
“We’re now ready to take donations of hay and it’s already started rolling.”
Mr Peterson has already been promised 150 rolls from a client while one agent has a semi load sitting at Yarra Glen and another has 30 rolls ready to go.
“Hopefully the agents will branch out to their clients and hopefully we can make a big difference,” he added.
But the hay won’t be sent to East Gippsland straight away, with the VLE throwing their support behind the initiative, allowing smaller lots of hay to stock pile on location until they reach truck loads.
Need for Feed’s Graham Cockerell said the initiative was a “great way” to ensure farmers were spared from tough conditions and the added stress of rebuilding their livelihoods.
“This will go on for some time, there is going to be an ongoing need for hay,” he said.
“If they don’t get an autumn break, they’re going to be in need for up as long as six to nine months.
“We’re here for the long haul, so knowing there’s a back up to keep this going, it’s a godsend.”
While there is limited government money available for emergency fodder transport, Need for Feed were prepared for an emergency, stockpiling two loads of hay from the outset.
They’d require those loads sooner than expected and transported it to Bairnsdale Airport on New Years Day.
Since their inception two years ago, Need for Feed have transported 1000 truckloads of hay, donating in excess of $8 million worth.
