Three more road trains of much needed fodder have been delivered to Cobar farmers in the past two weeks thanks to a combined effort by the Rotary Club of Cobar and Victorian Rotary Clubs of Eaglehawk and Castlemaine.
Cobar club president Tony Punzet said funding made available by the Victorian clubs has helped to buy 225 large bales of good quality canola fodder which has been delivered to farmers along the Barrier Highway east and west of Cobar and also to properties along the Louth Road to the north west.
“Representatives from the Rotary Clubs of Castlemaine and Eaglehawk visited Cobar four weeks ago on a fact-finding mission to find out more about how the drought was affecting local farmers,” Mr Punzet said.
He said as a result of their visit they applied for funding from their districts to help out.
Cobar Rotary Club secretary Gordon Hill said the local club has been responsible for planning and distributing the fodder.
He said they have identified a number of drop off points and local farmers, who have requested fodder assistance, then collect from their assigned points.
“Six road trains of fodder have now been delivered to the Tilpa and Emmdale areas since December last year,” Mr Hill told The Cobar Weekly.
“Funding for these loads of fodder has come from significant donations from the Rotary District 9670 RAWCS Programme and the Gulf Horizons Foundation Charity and their partners Flash Market and Eye Candy Motor Sports.”
He said the Eaglehawk and Castlemaine clubs have also contributed to the Cobar club’s ongoing project to supply grocery packs, bottled water and working dog food to needy farmers.
“We’re working in an area stretching from Emmdale and Tilpa in the west to Nymagee and Mt Hope in the south and Nyngan in the east,” Mr Hill explained.
The club has provided almost 170 grocery packs to needy farmers since October last year with Mr Hill saying many more are still needed.
“All the essential food items for the packs, the dog food and the bottled water have been purchased from local business houses in Cobar to support these businesses during this devastating drought and downturn in business,” Mr Hill said.
“The ongoing Drought Relief project for Cobar farmers has been an important project for our small Rotary club which only has nine active members.”
