After a six-month wait, New South Wales farmers affected by this year's devastating floods can apply for a slice of $100 million in grants to help repair their operations.
The Critical Producer Grants range from up to $10,000 for timber growers and up to $100,000 for dairy producers.
Codrington dairy farmer Peter Graham was excited to see the money but said it was needed months ago because an initial $75,000 disaster grant was inadequate.
"Most dairy farmers on the north coast would have exhausted that $75,000 within probably the first three, maybe four months, depending on the scale of operation," he said.
"That just doesn't go near as far as it used to, let's say even five years ago, with the way commodity prices have increased."
Mr Graham acknowledged that farmers were getting more money for their milk, but many remained "desperate" because they were running on "50 to 60 per cent of production to where they were prior to the flood".
"I'll also be restoring feed pads areas, hopefully putting down a little bit of concrete with the remaining 50, just to try and improve things for the future," he said.
Delivering help the 'right way'
NSW Agriculture Minister Dugald Saunders acknowledged that the grant process had taken the government "a bit of time".
"But part of that is making sure that things were actually being delivered in the right way for the sectors we're talking about," he said.
He said the dairy industry had faced significant issues and needed support.
"This will hopefully help them prepare better for the future and just keep going, so some people will use it for feed, some will use it to rebuild feed pads or some higher ground areas at their farms," Mr Saunders said.
'Now is the time'
Tony Carusi lost his rice, soybean and young cane crops during the floods, along with tractors and machinery.
Three houses on his property at Kilgin near Woodburn were also damaged.
"This is the news that the whole district has been waiting for, not just for the immediate farming families, but it will give a boost to the entire district," Mr Carusi said.
He said the grants were desperately needed to replant crops.
"Now is the time when all ground preparation has got to be done in readiness for planting," Mr Carusi said.
"Be it sugarcane, rice, corn or soybeans, all of that ground preparation needs to happen now, so it's timely."
Applications for the Critical Producer Grants close in June 2023.
Only producers who have exhausted the $75,000 Special Disaster Grants are eligible, with the previous criteria that requires applicants to have an on-farm income of 50 per cent or higher remaining in effect.
