Action needed on grants for farmers

APRIL 4, 2017: WITH the sugar industry facing tonnage losses of between 20 and 40 per cent across the Proserpine, Mackay and Plane Creek districts, as well as Bowen district vegetable growers estimating a $100 million loss, I'm urging the State Government to lodge the request for the next level of NDRRA funding.This would provide primary producers with individual grants of between $10,000 and $25,000 to aid their recovery from Cyclone Debbie damage.Although the assessment of crop damage is still ongoing, some growers in the hardest hit areas of Proserpine have losses of 50 per cent of their crop, and in Mackay and Plane Creek the damage is extensive with estimates of losses of 20 per cent.In the Proserpine district alone, where about 70 per cent of the district has been surveyed, there are a number of individual farms facing losses of between 35 – 50 per cent of their tonnage, and the whole district is looking at a loss of up to 40 per cent.Growers will also face a difficult harvest with cane twisted and lying on the ground on many farms.When it comes to the winter vegetable crop, Bowen Gumlu Growers have stated that 20% of seedlings were in the ground which they have estimated is a $100 million loss. The cyclone damage has affected crops of tomatoes, capsicums, melons, beans, eggplant, pumpkin and zucchinis.There’s not only the loss of seedlings, these growers have also lost equipment, sheds and infrastructure.With damage levels like these across the region, we’ve certainly hit the thresholds for the activation of Category C Natural Disaster Recovery and Relief Arrangements which provides standard recovery grants of up to $10,000 when more than 15% of primary producers in the sector are affected, and exceptional circumstances recovery grants of up to $25,000 when more than 33% of growers are effected.These Category C assistance grants, which must be requested by the State Government and then activated by the Federal Government, kick in when there are losses of more than 10 per cent of the total value of agricultural production.These growers have taken a massive hit to their bottom line, and are definitely deserving of the further assistance which is available under the NDRRA.I would urge the State Government to act on the assessments which are already at hand so that we can speed up the process of proving help when help is desperately needed.