Farmer News
1 July, 2025
BlazeAid to cover freight costs
FARMERS struggling to find and cover the costs of feed for their cattle can now have the freight costs covered thanks to disaster relief charity, BlazeAid.
The ‘Dunkirt for Drought – GiveA FarmerABreak’ program was announced earlier this week by BlazeAid founder, Kevin Butler.
“BlazeAid will cover 100 per cent of freight costs for road trains of hay coming out of Toowoomba and into Victoria,” Mr Butler said on Tuesday morning.
Struggling farmers across the western district are encouraged to apply for assistance through BlazeAid.
“This is all about helping the farmers; it’s about looking after their mental health just as much as it is about feeding hungry cows,” Mr Butler said.
“Farmers are desperate; we’re in the middle of a drought and they need feed for cattle and they need it now.
“Hay has become extremely difficult to get hold of and when you can find some, about two-thirds of the cost of a bale is in freight.
“We will cover the freight costs so I urge all farmers in need to get in contact and get the ball rolling.
“The state government said this (transport subsidy) couldn’t be done and there’d be people rorting the system, which is absolute bull. This inspired me to get going and within two hours we had this program sorted.”
Mr Butler said when he approached members of the BlazeAid board with his idea, they were extremely supportive.
“We have B-doubles and road trains coming into Victoria but the trouble today is that about two-thirds of the cost of a bale is freight. Farmers are desperate and this is how we can band together and help.”
According to Mr Butler, if this was a “normal dry June” in this part of Victoria, farmers would be accessing hay at a reasonable price but prices are continuing to skyrocket due, in the main part, to freight costs.
But the current drought, and the lack of availability, has meant hay and other feed needed to be sourced interstate - and in some cases thousands of kilometres away.
“A neighbour of ours recently brought down four road trains but the problem was freight costs, which made the cost of hay prohibitive for many,” Mr Butler said.
“He had to ask farmers for freight and that makes, say, good quality hay that normally sells up there for about $70 a bale closer to $180 including freight.”
Speaking to farmers across the state, Mr Butler found the majority wanted to keep their breeding herd.
“Farmers need hay for their cows, not water troughs, not mental health programs, not straining fences; they aren’t sleeping at night because their cows are starving in the paddock and they don’t know where their next bales are coming from.”
Mr Butler anticipates the ‘Dunkirt for Drought – GiveA FarmerABreak’ program will go until about mid-September and he encouraged farmers to register at giveafarmerabreak.com
“I can’t sit by and hear about breeders getting their heads chopped, heifers going off to abattoirs and my fellow farmers going broke,” he said.
“The longest mile starts with the first step. Hay has simply run out down here and we need to get those road trains from up Toowoomba way headed down here to help our farmers out.
“We need farmers to form a co-op of five to seven (farmers) with one who is ready to take road trains and to use a tractor with forks to offload the trucks and reload to shareholder farmers within their co-op.
“There’ll be no price gouging. It’s currently around $60 to $80 per tonne which means it’s on parity with what farmers would expect to pay if it was a normal dry year in our region and if they could access hay within a 50-200 kilometre radius.”
Mr Butler said while BlazeAid is proud to be able to offer this assistance, the organisation would also welcome any offers of financial support from those who could afford it.
“If anyone has some spare dollars and would be happy to donate, that would be gratefully received,” he said.