Farmers look to the clouds

FARMERS say rainfall within the next few weeks is critical for the most parched parts of the state and one mayor is calling for relief in the form of cloudseeding.

With no rain in sight for Tasmania’s East Coast and Southern Midlands, farmers emerging from a record dry winter are facing a shortage of livestock feed to get through the warmer months ahead.

Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association CEO Peter Skillern said some farmers had already started to destock and many were counting on rain coming soon.

“The next few weeks are critical,” he said.

“If we don’t get decent rains in the next three or so weeks then we are going to start looking at how we can address this issue.”

Southern Midlands Mayor Tony Bisdee said the situation was becoming “very serious” for many farmers.

Cr Bisdee said he would ask the State Government whether Hydro could initiate a cloudseeding program to help farmers on the East Coast and south of Campbell Town.

Hydro Tasmania runs a cloudseeding program to target rainfall in specific catchments for hydro power, but Cr Bisdee said it should also be considered as a way of averting disaster for farmers.

“This is becoming critical,” he said.

He said the Midlands irrigation scheme had been a great help for many farmers, but the pipes did not stretch to all.

“We are very lucky that we have the Midlands irrigation but that doesn’t service all properties,” Cr Bisdee said.

Mr Skillern said some livestock farmers had already started to reduce sheep and cattle numbers to manage their feed requirements in the summer ahead.

According to the Bureau of Meteorology, parts of Tasmania’s East Coast have the lowest moisture levels on record.

Dry conditions have persisted through winter in the central part of the East Coast, with rainfall over the five months from June through to October the lowest ever recorded.

Mr Skillern said the situation was also bad in the Southern Midlands.

“There is no subsoil moisture because there was no decent winter rains,” he said.

Glamorgan Spring Bay Mayor Michael Kent said it was certainly dry in parts of the East Coast.

The next few weeks are critical TFGA boss PETER SKILLERN