Only 64.2mm of rain fell in January, 85.8mm in February, 13.8mm in March and 12.8mm in April, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

The NSW Combined Drought Indicator, which measures agronomic conditions has classified the Queanbeyan-Palerang area as ‘drought onset’.

This is just below the most severe drought classification and is characterised by dry conditions, low soil moisture, modest growth and some rain.

Times are certainly tough, says local farmer Ian Cargill.

Farming all his life, he took over the family farm in the early 2000s. He now runs approximately 400 cows and 1,000 sheep across several properties.

These are among the worst conditions he has seen.

A poor autumn last year, no spring rains, and almost no autumn rains have left him without the growth that would normally get the farm through winter.

“Just because it’s green, it doesn’t mean there’s feed there, and even if it rains now, it’s not going to solve the problem. It won’t grow here until the end of August, and getting cattle through that colder winter months is tough,” he said.

Being forced to buy feed for stock puts his operation under enormous financial pressure, which is a constant mental stress, Mr Cargill says.

“It puts a lot of pressure on you mentally, that you know you’ve got to get enough feed to get the stock through the winter,” he said. “Across the community, I can imagine there’d be a lot of people there in the same boat. When we’ve had season after season which haven’t really eventuated, that starts to take its toll.”

The NSW Department of Primary Industry (DPI) website 'droughthub' shows Upper Lachlan, Yass Valley, Wingecarribee and Goulburn already in drought.

“Farmers are very concerned about the ongoing lack of rain as they see their dams quickly drying up and the feed in paddocks disappearing,” rural financial counsellor Beverly Houterman said. 

“Without rain soon, and colder temperatures, there will not be paddock growth to sustain livestock over the winter.”

Ms Houterman said farming families in the region have expectations of lower stock prices, which has led to reduced on farm numbers to lower the expense of feeding in winter.

“Some farms are already carrying a significant amount of debt. Many farming families also have personal issues that are making it harder to cope with drought,” she said. “You only have to see how dry the paddocks are, or the number of hay trucks coming through towns to know the situation is becoming serious.”

“Unfortunately, many farming families do not seek assistance early on. The later they seek help, the more difficult their problems become and it is harder to get them the assistance they need.”

Ms Houterman said there were many reasons why it was important to speak about drought issues. “All rural communities suffer when farming families suffer, as these families are the backbone of the community,” she said. 

“It is also important that farming families get the chance to connect with each other and have access to mental health support.” 

There has been a fluctuation of rain in Braidwood over the past five years, but this year’s rainfall to date (176.8mm) is particularly low.

Early action, according to Ms Houterman, is key to facing this issue.

Information is available online but she said the best option is to contact the Rural Financial Counselling Service. Families will be assisted in selecting and applying for financial packages.

“We urge farmers to take early action to access the government’s financial assistance options,” she said.   “Cartage costs for fodder or water can be a heavy burden and farm income does not pick up the moment it rains. It takes time to recover.  

“Long-term farm upgrades can also be costly, but can assist to ‘drought-proof’ farming businesses in the future.”