Helping farmers deal with whatever they have in front of them

Last month's rain was welcomed by many farmers, however, it was too little in many areas with a large section of the state still drought-affected and charity Rural Aid said there is still more assistance required.

Rural Aid supported producers who had flooded pastures early in the year and then again when conditions dried out. Between June and November this year, they delivered approximately 2200 tonnes (4000 bales) of feed.

Rural Aid CEO John Warlters said the rain was probably "too little" in many areas.

"Rain is always valuable and has always helped in some way for those people who get it," he said.

"However, the drought update tells a pretty clear picture about the state of NSW.

"When you see it mapped out, 60 per cent of the state is impacted by drought in some form.

"That's an increase from the previous month where it was about 50-odd per cent and that's off the back of the good rain.

"So the good rain has made a bit of a difference, but it hasn't materially changed the circumstances farmers are facing."

Mr Warlters said demand for fodder and emergency drinking water was still very high.

"We are getting a lot of calls from people who lost their pastures during the floods and now it's dried out so quickly they haven't been able to produce any pasture of their own," he said.

"And similarly, we are getting calls for support around mental health and well being, none of that has changed."

Mr Warlters said that while Rural Aid hopes for the best for farmers, they plan for the worst.

"I guess we take the attitude that we expect the worst, hope for the best and then deal with what we have in front of us," he said.

"We're certainly trying to have the conversation with the broader community around the challenges that we have right now with drought for NSW.

"We are telling people that the drought is very real and that it is impacting farmers quite significantly at this point in time.

"It's a conversation that we really believe needs to be elevated to that next level.

"Because if you're a family experiencing drought now and you've been experiencing it for a period of months, which people have, that's incredibly demanding financially and emotionally.

"I think if people are aware, it doesn't change the problem, but it gives you some comfort that someone else understands what you are experiencing.

"With Rural Aid, if people understand the problem, they want to make a contribution towards solving it.

"But the awareness of the problem as a community and as a society is very low.

"Maybe that's because people have their own challenges that they're trying to manage themselves."