Livestock SA hosted a regional roundup in Clare on Thursday, April 3. Members gathered at Clare Sporting Complex to hear from industry representatives and voice their current concerns.
Minister for Prime Industries and Regional Development, Clare Scriven MLC attended the whole night, speaking about the drought support from government, and answered questions throughout the night from producers.
Matt Dalgleish from Episode 3 was also in attendance, speaking about livestock markets, which was very timely with the announcement of the Trump Tariffs earlier in the day.
The event was the first roundup in Clare, with Livestock SA having previously run events in Port Augusta and the South East, and is now expanding to other regions to cover more connections with members.
The events allow an opportunity to understand the different issues affecting regions beyond the scope of the organisation’s yearly survey.
Unsurprisingly, drought continues to be the biggest issue on everyone’s mind currently, with many members interested in the outcomes of the Premier’s round table discussion earlier in the week; keen to hear what may become the focus of further support measures in the second stage of the State Government’s drought response funding.
Livestock SA were amongst the groups invited to the round table discussion, relaying members calls for support.
Minister Scriven noted while she was fully aware of what is needed, the government still needed to develop the package best suited to addressing the numerous challenges currently faced in the agriculture sector.
Amongst those gathered at the event, the infrastructure funding, which was rolled out in blocks of up to $5000 in the first stage was seen as insufficient in meeting current needs.
While future funding may remain capped, it is anticipated additional funding will be made available to address ongoing issues. Mental health was another area of concern, with producers highlighting the issues are unlikely to abate when rain does finally arrive.
Many have been forced to reduce stock, selling off breeding capacity, with the need to rebuild when conditions improve. This recovery is set to be an ongoing process, with producers understanding in some cases it may take years to become profitable again.
Livestock SA are pushing hard on financial support during this phase. With processing times for grants currently at around 10 weeks, even with significant resources being utilised, the demand is ongoing, with many reliant on the support to keep afloat.
Reduction in costs to do business in the short term were high on the agenda, with council rates, emergency levies and other ongoing costs raised as pressures creating pressure for the industry, who are continuing to suffer the harsh conditions.
The Trump Government’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs, announced earlier in the day were also fresh on the mind, with members keen to hear how they may be impacted.
Though Livestock SA correspond with national peak bodies to make a unified industry response, members views were taken note of, to bring to the national discussion.
