Caltex is to give away fuel to farmers needing drought assistance as part of a $100,000 donation to Rural Aid.
The oil giant has also promised to negotiate longer term agreements with those relying on fuel to keep their property going.
Caltex Australia is also making a contribution towards Rural Aid’s own fuel bill to help keep its volunteer team and vehicles on the road in drought-stressed regional areas of Queensland and NSW.
Rural Aid provides a central point of focus for rural communities requiring assistance including relief for livestock via the buy a bale fodder initiative.
It’s package of support from Caltex will start with $200 StarCash fuel vouchers for farmers registered with the charity for drought assistance.
Additionally Caltex will donate $1 to Rural Aid for every 20 litre Delo lubricant and oil products sold in the next 12 months after the launch of its new Delo product range in October.
The company is keen to recruit its own staff, their families and friends to join Rural Aid’s farm army as volunteers to assist Rural Aid’s initiatives in the bush, including upcoming fundraising events.
Rural Aid chief executive officer Charles Alder said the donations would provide an immediate cost savings to the charity’s operation.
“Our vehicles travel hundreds of thousands of kilometres a year,” he said.
The StarCash cards would also provide a significant one-off reduction to on-farm costs for farmers.
“Any savings to operating costs will be welcomed by our rural communities in these tough economic times,” Mr Alder said
Caltex Australia business to business sales general manager, Brad Phillips, said the fuel company fully understood the stress faced by some of its rural customers.
The need for fuel was critical to rural operations.
“We know the mounting short term debt faced by some of our customers is a big contributor to the stress experienced during tough times,” he said.
“We will help alleviate that stress and manage cash flow by extending our credit terms for some of the worst affected rural customers.
“As Australia’s largest supplier of transport fuels, we’ve worked with farming communities and local distributors for many generations and we’re passionate about supporting farming communities across, lending a hand in the ways we know can have the most impact.”
Meanwhile ongoing donations from sales of Delo products would continue to reinvest in the Australian community, which the company had been part of since 1900.
- For information on the drought assistance package visit caltex.com.au/drought or buyabale.com.au/can-we-help-you
Andrew Marshall
Andrew Marshall is the group agribusiness writer for ACM's state agricultural weeklies and websites. He is a former editor at The Land and has worked in various Rural Press group roles in Canberra, North Richmond (NSW) and Toowoomba (Qld).
Andrew Marshall is the group agribusiness writer for ACM's state agricultural weeklies and websites. He is a former editor at The Land and has worked in various Rural Press group roles in Canberra, North Richmond (NSW) and Toowoomba (Qld).
