Australia increases aid to farmers

Financial aid for droughtstricken Australian farmers will be increased to A$1.8 billion ($1.3 billion), as they endure the driest conditions in half a century, the prime minister said Sunday.

Farmers in eastern states are struggling with extreme aridity that has turned green pastures into dust, with the economies of local towns also suffering.

“Our farmers, we have your back. There is no set-and-forget,” Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said in the New South Wales town of Forbes. Graziers in Forbes, 390 kilometers west of Sydney, are among those battling the lack of rain.

“We are constantly working to ensure that you get every support you can, and of course let’s all pray for rain,” he noted.

While droughts are not uncommon in Australia, the length and severity of the dry conditions have depleted farmers’ food stocks.

With grass unable to grow, some graziers have had to handfeed their cattle and sheep, sell off stock to keep going, or even shoot their animals as they do not want them to suffer or cannot afford to feed them.

Canberra has already offered A$576 million in assistance in recent weeks, with Sunday’s announcement taking the total to A$1.8 billion.

The extra funds will include doubling the number of lowinterest concessional loans for farmers, who will not have to make any principal repayments for the first five years.

Councils in the droughtaffected states of NSW, Queensland and parts of Victoria will be given money to boost local facilities, with further funding set aside for water infrastructure.