With almost a third of the state in drought, or conditions approaching drought, farmers across the state are facing some very tough decisions.

As you will know, the situation is particularly dire in the Upper Hunter as well as

parts of the Central West, Central Tablelands and Far West.

I’ve been speaking regularly to farmers throughout these regions and I know farming businesses and their local communities are hurting.

No government will ever have the answers for a farmer looking out across their bare paddock with hungry and thirsty livestock. However, the NSW Government is supporting its farmers through a range of measures that build resilience and preparedness on farm.

Through the Farm Innovation Fund, part of the NSW Drought Strategy, we have approved $54 million worth of low-interest loans for drought preparedness and capital improvement work this financial year alone.

This money is being used to improve water infrastructure including dams, drilling bores, underground piping, irrigation facilities, livestock water as well as being used to buy silos and improve feed storage capacity.

Although we’re proud of what our farmers have accomplished with the Farm Innovation Fund, we also know when times get really tough the focus must turn to more immediate measures.

That’s why the strategy includes a rural resilience program, rural support workers and financial counselling, as well as subsidies for the cost of transporting donated fodder and for transporting stock off-farm for animal welfare purposes.

However, more recently farmers have told us that the situation is now so challenging that even with the right decisions – having de-stocked to minimum levels – they are having trouble meeting the costs that come with feeding and watering key breeding stock.

That’s why I was pleased to be able to announce this week a new measure – the NSW Drought Transport Fund – it will provide up to $20,000 in low interest loans, with a two-year interest and repayment free period to help farmers pay freight costs for fodder, water, or to move stock to agistment.

This is a new measure, created in response to the feedback we’ve had from farmers and one that will have an effect well beyond the properties which put it to use.

This additional fund will allow farmers to better manage core breeding stock, which will in turn enable a more rapid recovery when conditions improve.

Our farmers are no strangers to tough times – our commitment as a government is to do all we can to support them through those challenges and to help them make the most of their opportunities when conditions improve.

Niall Blair is the NSW Primary Industries Minister