FARMING FOR PROFIT

Sounds easy doesn't it?  However, as with the drought that we have experienced, there is no way, you can get through unless you plan.

Planning sounds a dirty word when there is so much to do.  However, without planning you are just going in endless circles.  You need to know how much grass you have and how long it will last.  You need to assess whether it will carry x amount of cattle/sheep or y amount of cattle/sheep.  You need to destock sooner than later.  Most farmers hang on until circumstances force them to sell.  If you do this, you end up carrying less stock than if you destock earlier.  If you destock earlier, you get more for them as they look in good nick.

We made the decision in 2004, to sell all our stock.    As feed and water were a problem and there were tell tale signs like the little willy willies which are dust clouds that whirl around like miniature tornadoes except they are only a few feet off the ground.  When these are present, the old timers say that there is more dry weather.  The kangaroos were not breeding as they usually do.  Less joeys. 

Now, many farmers would regard what we did as suicidal.  No stock, no money.  However, it was the best decision we made.  We had a bit of rain and the stock looked wonderful.  We sold the whole herd including the bull to the first person to come and look at them.  No transport fees, only the cost of an advertisement, and top dollars.

So, sometimes, you need to decide that what you have always been doing isn't the best for the current situation.  How are we coping now?  Well, we have still kept the thoroughbred horses and we are leasing some of our country to other distraught farmers who are desperately looking for feed.  We didn't certify this place, as with such bad weather, we knew we were going to have to buy in feed for the horses.  This would automatically lose organic status.  So we decided, we would wait until this drought ended.  We never realised it was going to go six years!

We have kept 300 acres, so if and when things look up, we can start adding some stock back or crop it.  As the leases are only for 12 months at a time, this gives us enough land to start off with until the time expires, if we decide we need the land back.  As the lessees are neighbours, it is highly likely that when things look up, they will relinquish the extra land as their own properties grass up.

So many farmers as I have said before are in the 60 age bracket.  We meet many people who are facing losing their homes they have had for many years and it is heartwrenching.  They have hung on to their stock but because there is no feed or water, the prices are rock bottom.  So not only are they faced with an uncertain future, they are unable to offload their stock at reasonable prices.  However, the biggest problem is that to stay afloat they are often in more debt, trying to buy feed.