Drought hits animal feed supply down under

ABC rural reports that livestock areas are bare in New South Wales, parts of Queensland and South Australia. The impact of the short supply and demand are forcing prices up. This forces grain traders to look in other states to get the supply. NSW grains trader Duncan Whittle is using social media to find feed for sale, which he has never done before.

As an alternative, some producers are experimenting with orange peel as a feed source, as other options like grape mark have already disappeared.

Brett Littler, a livestock advisor for the New South Wales Government, addresses the need for proper nutrition for food producing animals in dry times. He suggested that farmers download the drought feeder calculator, an app which assisted in understanding the minimum amount of feed needed for livestock. Mr Littler also warned farmers to get their hay and fodder tested so they could be sure that their feed was nutritionally adequate.

Read the full story on ABC rural.