Grain growers, agronomists and farm advisers took a break from the challenges of coping with drought affected paddocks to attend the Grains Research and Development Corporation's (GRDC) Dealing with the Dry forums at Meandarra and Felton in southern Queensland and Bellata and Narromine in northern New South Wales recently.
Agronomic management during dry conditions and effective decision making; tips for talking about debt with your bank and how to optimise your position to refinance; and accessing government support in dry times were key topics at the half-day forums.
Initiated by GRDC Grower Relations Manager - North, Susan McDonnell, the forums aimed to deliver practical advice directly to growers and advisers in some of the most severely drought affected regions of the State.
Mrs McDonnell, who with her family also operates a western Queensland grain property, said this was the second round of forums delivered by the GRDC in response to grower calls for support and information.
"Our focus with these forums was to deliver genuinely helpful information that effectively supports farming operations and businesses and, very importantly, people during the high stress time of drought," she said.
"As a grower I have a very personal understanding of the day-to-day challenges people are facing and the impact on their emotional and financial wellbeing, as well as farming operations.
"While we can't make it rain, there are things we can do as growers to put ourselves in the best position to make it through this drought and plan for the future, and these forums were about exploring those options.
"They were also an opportunity for the GRDC to reassure grain growers and advisers that we are all in this situation together and we will be with them through this challenging time and when the season breaks."
The free Dealing with the Dry forums were held in Meandarra and Felton in southern Queensland last week, as well as Bellata and Narromine in northern New South Wales.
Social photos from the NSW and Queensland events are available.
