Dairy farmers feeling the pinch after enduring one of the toughest years in their industry’s history will get a break at Christmas, thanks to a Yarraville-based food relief agency.
Tough times have triggered a spike in demand for food relief by farmers, and Foodbank Victoria has stepped in to help keep food on the table for those hardest hit.
About 40 volunteers from Ford have helped pack 10 tonnes of food into 1000 Christmas hampers, with enough food to feed a farming family of four for a week.
The 10kg hampers were packed full of key kitchen staples and a Christmas treat, for a special delivery at a time of year demand for food relief traditionally rises by about 25 per cent.
Foodbank Victoria chief executive Dave McNamara said demand for food aid by rural communities has risen by more than 11 per cent in the past year.
“Since the millennium drought, our farmers have experienced flood, high costs, drought, and now the dairy crisis,” he said.
“It truly is a sad irony that those who feed our families are now the ones needing the support.”
Mr McNamara said the stress of not being able to celebrate Christmas makes the daily struggle even harder.
