00:00Watching the weather is part of life for dairy farmers like Ben Wilhelm.
00:07But with no rain since October, it's taking a toll.
00:10When you see the cows not performing and not looking good
00:14because you can't give them what they need and enough feed at times,
00:18that's when you're letting them down a bit.
00:23It's a problem 5th generation farmer Rodney Herman says
00:27it is becoming more common at his Mount Torrens property.
00:30But here we are every five years, we're struggling.
00:34Amid the ongoing dry conditions,
00:36the state government has announced three emergency water collection points
00:40to help households not connected to mains water.
00:43But the opposition says more help is needed for farmers.
00:46They need water, they need feed and they need support and they need it now.
00:50They want the water collection scheme to include agriculture
00:54and they're calling for water carding subsidies, hay delivery funding
00:58and low interest loans for essentials.
01:00The state government says its drought support package includes community grants,
01:05rebates for on-farm infrastructure,
01:07donated fodder transport subsidies and mental health support.
01:11Rodney's farm normally receives about 650 millimetres of rainfall annually.
01:16But in 2024, it received only about 390 millimetres
01:21with the majority falling between June and August
01:24and very little rainfall since.
01:26Farmers like Rodney and Ben say they need support now
01:30from both the sky and the government.
01:32I've always wanted to milk cows and I'm milking cows
01:35but whether it's just, how long will that last?
01:38The state government says it is continuing to monitor the situation
01:42and will consider further support where appropriate.
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