WA farmers hold an urgent meeting amid record-breaking dry spell

Farmers in the Southwest of WA have held an urgent meeting to discuss how the record-breaking dry spell has affected their livestock. Farmers said the lack of rain, feed and uncertainty in the future of live sheep exports have come together in a perfect storm. “Feed very short, but very expensive, the issue at the moment is finding enough feed, the whole state is probably going to run out of feed,” Manjimup farmer Gary Ryan. On an average year good quality hay costs around $150 to $250 a ton, the lack of supply and increase in demand means that the price has almost doubled. The state government recently launched a dry season task force to help address the lack of feed and water for livestock and to get advice on how to support regional communities affected by this record-breaking dry spell.