A new storage facility has been opened in northern Victoria for fodder donations to Lions Need for Feed.
Purpose-built on the JBS Australia meat processing facility at Cobram, it complements storage on a Need for Feed member’s farm in the Albury district.
Need for Feed coordinator Graham Cockerell said the 2ha site, which opened on September 9, would make it easier to store and coordinate delivery of fodder, dog food and other donations into disaster areas.
But the current economic conditions and tight hay market has seen fodder donations drop by 30 per cent and financial donations drop by 50 per cent.
Mr Cockerell urged people to consider donating the fodder they have left over from last year, to meet current needs.
“We’re still delivering fodder donations to areas that were flooded last year,” he said.
“We’re starting to get requests from people farming in the continuing dry conditions in northern NSW and East Gippsland.
“We have some fodder in storage at a couple of depots.
“If people have fodder from last year that they want to donate, we’d be very appreciative of it.”
Lions Need for Feed can organise the collection of fodder and other donations from a donor’s property.
Mr Cockerell said it was understandable that donating was not front of mind for people, given the current economic conditions.
“Fodder donations are down 30 per cent and cash donations are down 50 per cent,” he said.
“Fodder donations are affected by the tightening hay market.
“And people’s budgets are affected by the current economic conditions. They have less income to donate to charity.
“Anything like that has a flow-on effect to organisations like ours that rely on donations to assist people.”
Mr Cockerell said disasters always gained a lot of public attention and motivated people to help.
“We received phenomenal support from people when the 2019-20 bushfires and the 2022 Lismore floods occurred.
“Unfortunately, there’s an ongoing need for fodder in some areas.”