Aussie farmers have faced some extreme weather events over the last 12 months – fire, drought and flood – some have not been seen across many generations of farming families.
After hoping for rain, our fellow farmers in north Queensland have been inundated by flooding, with some estimating it could take up to a decade for these businesses to eturn to pre-flood productivity and profitability.
Farming and rural communities display incredible resilience through these challenges, but farmers are not invincible. One of the most critical responses after a natural disaster is counselling support. Intense feelings of stress, hopelessness, frustration, anxiety and anger are all very common during and after natural disasters.
The National Centre for Farmer Health’s Dr Alison Kennedy, says she constantly hears farmers say they’ll be the first to offer help to others, but the last to ask for help themselves. I encourage all members to seek support and share your thoughts and feelings with others.
The only way for us to have healthy farm businesses, is to have healthy farming families, and the Look Over the Farm Gate initiative, coordinated by the VFF, will be hosting more mental health workshops across the state in the coming months.
These devastating events also provide an opportunity to engage with our consumers about the real cost of food. Earlier this week, we welcomed a major supermarket chain’s decision to increase the price of fresh milk.
While everyone at times feels the pressure of the cost of living, it is important the price of food reflects the cost of production to ensure farmers are paid fairly for the work we do and the safe and quality product we deliver. The VFF will continue to campaign for fair food prices and we hope supply chains, retailers and consumers will join us in this cause to support the great food we produce.
- David Jochinke, VFF president.
