WELCOME rainfall is all that stood between export turmoil and profit for Tamworth dairy farmer Wes Brown.
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The fifth-generation dairy farmer was on the cusp of selling off some cattle overseas before rainfall allowed him to hold onto the stock.
Mr Brown said he was sure the stock "would have got tangled up in the coronavirus problem" had he chosen to sell.
"I'm not sure what would have happened if it hadn't rained when it did," Mr Brown said.
"I think the ones I was going to sell would have probably got caught up in it all.
"But luckily we were able to duck it because the rain finally came."
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Not all sectors of the Australian agricultural industry have been as lucky as Mr Brown.
Southern Australia's export fishing industry has taken a huge hit due to the outbreak of the virus, while the wool and cotton industries have also experienced downturns.
However, while the crisis overseas is troubling, Mr Brown said he was facing plenty of challenges on the home front.
"The rain we've had recently has been very good, but we've had a bit of trouble harvesting our oat crop," he said.
"It's been too wet to get out into the paddocks and the crew I hired from down south to do it haven't been able to get out there.
"Initially, I thought it might be a three or four day job, but it's been more like 13 days so far.
"I suppose it's not a bad problem to have, but it adds up.
"The cost has a ripple effect and can make things a lot worse in the long run."
Mr Brown said people who believe the drought had been broken by the recent rain were mistaken.
"Honestly, I think it will be the better part of two years for things to get back on track," he said.
"I think a lot of people will have had to borrow money and that takes time to pay back.
"Basically, the way I see it, we need the milk price to stay steady and the rain to consistently fall in the next two years to get back on track.
"That would be ideal anyway."
As for the price of milk, Mr Brown urged locals to continue to support the nation's dairy farmers by buying Australian produced milk.
"At the end of the day, milk is milk," he said.
"However, for anyone who thinks dairy farmers are getting 29 cents a litre from the supermarket brand milks is mistaken.
"It's a hell of a lot lower than that and is really making it tough for farmers."
Billy Jupp
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
