Oz Flooding Strands Cattle and Producers Alike
AUSTRALIA - The Gulf is a disaster zone, yet nobody seems to know or wants to know about it says the Australian Beef Association (ABA).
5 February 2009
1 minute read
From all local reports this is the longest, largest and most severe flooding this region has endured for decades.
"It is not something we could have ever planned for or insured ourselves against", says the ABA. "Approximately 100 000 acres of Cowan Downs has been subjected to prolonged and extreme flood waters resulting in unknown stock and infastructure losses. We have begun our own relief effort hiring a jet ranger helicopter to drop fodder to stranded and starving stock, no government assistance was offered."
"We keep seeing the media reports of flooding, emergency responses and concern over our coastal regions but the same attention and protocols apparently do not apply to the Gulf", the BA report continues.
"We as long term primary producers need help. We wern't gambling our money or taking unnecessary business risks, we have just been dealt un unfair card by mother nature. As well as the stock losses (only some of which can be seen in the attached photos), it will be a significant expense to restore damaged infastructure to bring the property back to being operational. And now in the meantime we have to pay the day to day costs of the business, continue to employ our staff and service a loan."
TheCattleSite News Desk
