Rural crime, native vegetation and other issues affecting Central West farmers were all high on the agenda at the NSW Farmers Region Three meeting in Dubbo last week.
More than 50 farmers from Wellington, Dubbo, Trangie, Ballimore and beyond took the opportunity to meet association president Derek Schoen while discussing the latest issues and networking during the evening.
The biggest discussion of the night was rural crime.
There were many discussions among farmers, many of whom are victims of rural crime.
NSW Police Detective Superintendent Fred Trench, one of the guest speakers, talked about the importance of reporting crime.
"A lot of rural crime goes unreported," he said.
"But all rural crime is important to us."
Darling River Local Area Command Detective Senior Constable Kath Quarmbey was also a guest speaker and answered many of the farmers’ questions relating to stock theft and trespassing.
Senior Constable Quarmbey also spoke of Operation High Ground and its aim of providing specific rural crime training to frontline police, targeting rural crime suspects, conducting proactive patrols of remote areas and bringing the rural community together.
Later in the evening Mr Schoen spoke of the issues that will be addressed within the organisation during 2016.
Mr Schoen then spoke of his tour of the Central West and Western region during the past few days.
Earlier in the week Mr Schoen visited Walgett were he saw first-hand the affects of the drought on north-western farmers.
"I visited Walgett yesterday, where one farmer had received more than 120 millimetres of rain, yet five kilometres up the road, another farmer had only received 11mm," he said.
"It's chalk and cheese up there."
While on his tour Mr Schoen travelled to Nyngan to attend the Local Land Services livestock and pastures forum.
"It was very well presented with over 70 people in attendance,” he said.
"It's a very active group, which is great to see.”
Mr Schoen also touched on the 2016 NSW Young Farmers forum and the work the committee had already achieved.
He will be attending this year's Dubbo Young Farmers’ Forum on Saturday, February 20.
NSW Farmer of the Year Ed Fagan, Cowra, and NSW Young Farmers’ acting chairwoman Jo Newton will also speak at the forum.