City Ball Buys Hay for Scone

ON Saturday night more than 140 people raised $35,000 at the Rural Aid Black Tie and Boots Ball.

Charles Alder, chief executive officer of Rural Aid said guests gathered from throughout the state to support the Ball and farmers in Scone.

“The ball was held in Maitland, with guests coming from Newcastle, Brisbane, Canberra, the far north coast and the central west with a wide variety of people from politicians through to small business owners and professionals,” said Mr Alder.

Zenda Casey, former Scone resident with John Preston, Upper Hunter candidate for Shooters, Fishers and Farmers at the Buy a Bale ball.

John Preston, Upper Hunter candidate for the Shooters, Fishers an Farmers party said it was a great night for a great cause.

“It was a fabulous night and shows that urban areas really do care about where their dinner comes from and the farmers who make it happen,” said Mr Preston.

“I look forward to the government realising what broad community support for the farmers and do some of the heavy lifting that at the moment is being done by charities,” John Preston said.

Mr Alder said people in the city did care about the drought, but didn’t fully understand it.

“They care about it, but don’t know as much as they possibly could,” he said.

“Today we are putting together materials to target June for end of year financial donations and we are planning to run some trucks across the Sydney Harbour Bridge to educate people about the seriously dyer consequences happening with the drought,” he said.

“The cost of hay has gone up and that is obviously a challenge, the challenge means farmers are paying more for hay and cost for us to buy it means there is less to go around,” he said.

“All of the hay is coming in from Victoria and South Australia and at the rate it is being brought in they will run out there as well,” he said.

“We’ve got some farmers who have 50 cattle and are spending $10,000 a month and have been for months and that’s just not sustainable and you don’t want the RSPCA coming along to get rid of the animals or worse they get to a state where they can’t be trucked and sadly we are reaching that point,” he said.

“Maybe the next step is about artificial insemination, if you have some core breeders that are important to you so that when the drought breaks and the property comes back to the point of carrying stock again, you’ve been able to reinvest that money into AI or maintain your farm and maybe the government has to assist with that,” he said

“We will find a solution,” Charles Alder said.