If one more person tells Rachell Cox and her family to be resilient she says she will cry or scream … maybe both.
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That comment cuts the former Tocal College student to the core and is yet another example of how the wider community doesn’t understand the plight her family – and countless others across the state – are enduring as they battle unrelenting drought.
They have done all the right things at their property west of Scone.
They had hay reserves in the shed for bad times, they sold surplus stock, when the reserves ran out they started buying hay, they sent some of their cattle on agistment, they kept feeding stock, they sold more stock, and now they are trying to keep 34 breeders alive who will all have calves in August.
Read more: How you can help Hunter farmers
Read more: Hay and grain supplies drained
Read more: Give them help, and quickly
Now, before we go any further, Mrs Cox wants to point out that having a calf is a nine-month process – and nine months ago when the cows became pregnant everyone thought the drought would soon break. She is sick of people questioning why the cows are pregnant during a drought.
How much more resilient can we be? How much more prepared to change and make management/business decisions due to the season can we be? I think they get stuck on the catch phase and it is their go to comment … even the PM has got on the band wagon.
The family is relying on a creek – which is still flowing – to nourish their stock, and they’re also using that water to do some of their laundry. Their water situation is dire. Every drop of drinking water counts and the homestead tanks are critically low.
Soon they will have to buy more water.
Meanwhile the household and farm bills are piling up and the money they made from selling cattle – which is next year’s income – is being used to buy more feed for their livestock.
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The dip in the cattle market, due to an oversupply, left them with $12,000 less when they sold 36 cows and calves earlier this month.
“The power bill has arrived, the Shire rates have arrived, there are lots of ongoing costs, let alone the extra to keep feeding stock,” she said.
Things are getting very hard on everyone.....what people don't understand is we are selling what should be next year’s income – and I was even asked if we keep that money, to buy back stock?
“Well, no … at the moment it goes towards another load of hay and a load of diesel to keep the tractor and truck going around.
“It took 12 months for there to be any real mumbling from the farmers here that things are getting tough.
“The government forgets about the 10 to 12 years in between, when we all go about our normal lives, without asking for any subsidies.”