Rural Aid Urges Australians to Buy a Bale or Fill a Tank to Support Drought Affected Farmers as Registrations Surge
Rural Aid has recorded a 60 per cent increase in farmer registrations from South Australia and Victoria in the past financial year, as both regions endure one of the worst droughts on record. Farmers are turning to Rural Aid for essential hay and water provisions, and the surge in registrations also reflects a growing demand for mental health support.
Rural Aid Chief Executive Officer John Warlters said the sharp rise in registrations shows how significantly the drought is impacting farming families and highlights the urgent need for donations.
“The increase in farmers registering with us is a clear sign of how difficult conditions are. Every registration represents a family that is struggling to keep going in the face of extraordinary pressure,” Mr Warlters said. “We need Australians to get behind our efforts and donate today. Their support is vital.”
Rural Aid provides practical and emotional assistance to primary producers, including hay and water deliveries, financial assistance, and counselling through its mental health and wellbeing program. These services are helping families stay on the land and cope with the emotional strain of prolonged dry conditions.
Farmers are sacrificing their own wellbeing to save their stock. Kaye Wicker, a sheep and cereal crop farmer from Waitpinga, South Australian farmer described how desperate the situation has become.
“Some weeks I went without groceries, to buy feed for my lambs, so they could eat” she says. “You just do what you have to. They come first.”
Ms Wicker said the support from Rural Aid made a significant difference. “The support from Rural Aid… it just means so much,” she says.
“To be able to access a pre-paid visa or speak to a counsellor when there’s a lot of pressure on you – really, they just mean everything. And to receive that generous gift of hay… you never forget how grateful you were to receive it.”
Mr Warlters said farmers are reaching breaking point and that donations this Christmas can make a life changing difference.
“We are calling on Australians to Buy a Bale or Fill a Tank. Every contribution helps to deliver hay, water and mental health support to farming families who are doing it incredibly tough,” Mr Warlters said. “Your generosity ensures we can be there for the next family who needs us.”
To donate or learn more, visit www.buyabale.ruralaid.org.au.
Media Note:
Rural Aid welcomes media outlets interested in developing feature stories on the worsening drought and our Buy a Bale 2025 Christmas Appeal. We can coordinate on-site farm visits, facilitate exclusive interviews with farmers and Rural Aid counsellors, and provide access to our relief efforts across South Australia, western Victoria, and south-west New South Wales. To organise coverage or discuss story opportunities, please contact me on 0447 116 757 or daniel.brown@ruralaid.org.au.
About Rural Aid:
Rural Aid is Australia’s leading rural charity, committed to supporting farmers and rural communities through good times and tough. Since 2015, Rural Aid has been a vital lifeline in times of hardship, delivering practical assistance such as mental health counselling, hay, drinking water, and community connection initiatives. Now celebrating 10 years of service, the organisation continues to stand shoulder to shoulder with rural Australians, helping them overcome hardship, build resilience, and create stronger, more sustainable futures.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Daniel Brown
Media and Communications Officer
0447 116 757
daniel.brown@ruralaid.org.au