Hunter Local Land Services wants to pay tribute to the local farming community as the region heads into a second spring severely affected by drought.
Upper Hunter District Vet Jane Bennett said the longevity of this drought has led to many having to make tough decisions.
"The Hunter is traditionally considered a safe region but unfortunately the ongoing dry conditions have led to the worst drought in living memory, forcing many people to have to sell nearly everything, including core breeding stock," said Dr Bennett.
"Given the challenges in sourcing quality feed and the cold, harsh winter we have just faced the fact so many producers are still turning off quality cattle is a sign of how robust local farmers are."
The Hunter Local Land Services team is assisting landholders to make important decisions regarding animal health and nutrition, as feed is becoming increasingly scarce.
While the majority of the cattle have been in excellent condition, Hunter Local Land Services have been assisting the RSPCA with some welfare cases in our region.
We understand no producers deliberately let stock condition slip away and the high cost and lack of available feed such as hay and silage has led to some difficult situations.
Hunter Local Land Services district vet team and agricultural extension officers are available to discuss your herd’s health and nutrition needs one on one.
The Upper Hunter team will be holding another round of ‘drought drop in sessions’ in coming weeks for producers wanting to discuss their weaning and feeding plans for spring.
More information about times, dates and locations will be released soon.