An enduring feature of agricultural policy agendas across Australia remains drought.
It has been the approach taken to support farmers in drought conditions that has evolved over the past 20 years.
In the earlier stages of my career, policy discussion revolved around securing a formal declaration by government to trigger access to drought support programs, such as grants and interest rate subsidies, under the guise of exceptional circumstances.
The former National Rural Advisory Council was charged with making an assessment regarding the status of drought nationwide and toured regions to consider the merits of unlocking funding to support farming communities.
Given drought is not such an exceptional circumstance faced by Australian farmers, looking back to this historical declaration before unlocking eligibility for assistance seems harsh.
Depending on where your farm was located, you were either in or out of drought, according to government.
Our sector now operates under the National Drought Agreement, which recognises that support should be available on the basis of need of the individual farm business, rather than when then the economic pain of drought across is felt across regions.
New programs under the auspices of the $5-billion Future Drought Fund have been rolled out across the country to help farmers better prepare and respond to the impacts of drought in the longer term.
SA’s Drought Hub is one such multi-million dollar investment that may prove its worth in future years.
But this approach may offer little comfort to primary producers facing the prospect of drought today.
When combined with falling commodity prices, high input costs and rising interest rates compound the impact of weather events in managing farm finances.
As a society, we cannot only point to farm businesses doing it tough this year and say “be more resilient”.
We need practical support available that goes beyond the mantra of preparedness, as the capacity to service debt and meet cost of living expenses varies between farm households.
This is why the flagship Rural Financial Counselling Service has been inherent to drought policy settings for more than two decades.
The program is designed to meet farmers’ needs in times of financial stress, and continues to be a source of trusted, independent and confidential information.
In times of drought, government funding can be scaled to meet demand for the free service, provided by Rural Business Support in SA.
It is one practical means of directing support to where it is needed most.
RBS counsellors are funded by government to work with farming families; to help individuals understand their financial position and identity options, including debt management and refinancing, to help navigate tough times.
Increasingly, RBS also considers the impact of the season on individual and family wellbeing, to help farmers to seek broader professional advice and access government or community-based support.
There is no stigma in seeking help from the RBS team.
Having recently stepped down after nine years on the RBS board, I am proud of the enduring legacy RBS service provision has had on its growing client base in regional SA.
Its impact is so much more than simply lines on a map.
This column was written by PPSA CEO Caroline Rhodes and originally appeared in the 31 October 2024 edition of Stock Journal.
