Farmers Unite to Feed 1,000km of Drought-Hit Cattle

Farmers across Western Australia are rallying to save cattle that haven't seen green grass in three years.

John Mahony's cows at Moorarie Station have survived on bushes since early 2023, when the rain stopped falling. Last year brought just 60 millimeters of rainfall to his property, 120 kilometers northwest of Meekatharra. He and his wife now spend their days hand-feeding young cattle in yards and trucking hay to animals scattered across vast paddocks.

Help arrived earlier this year when Farmers Across Borders, an Esperance-based charity, delivered emergency fodder. The volunteer organization has already completed 26 supply runs to drought-stricken stations across the north, funded entirely by community donations.

"It was a great help, it took the pressure off," Mahony said. "It's great too that we know people are out there doing that."

But the charity hit a wall. Thousands of donated hay bales now sit stored in sheds, ready to save more cattle. The problem isn't generosity but geography and rising costs.

Recent fuel price spikes added up to $1 per liter for diesel in just two weeks. Transporting hay across 2,000-kilometer round trips became financially impossible for the volunteer group.

"We've done 26 loads up north, we've had donations come in, but it's gone," said Sam Starcevich, president of Farmers Across Borders. "Unfortunately, at this stage, everything is on hold."

The Ripple Effect

This story reveals something powerful about rural Australian communities. Farmers who likely face their own challenges donated feed to help strangers hundreds of kilometers away. Volunteers organized massive logistics operations. An entire network mobilized to prevent animal suffering and protect family livelihoods.

The missing piece is modest compared to the community effort already invested. Transport funding would unlock thousands of bales already donated and waiting. It would mean cattle survive until rain returns. It would mean families like the Mahonys can hold onto their generational stations.

"We are not asking for millions," Starcevich said. "We are asking to help out people. It's an animal welfare issue."

The infrastructure of compassion is already built, and the finish line is visible just beyond the fuel tank.