Gerringong beach walkers were in for a surprise this week after ears of corn washed up in the tides, but one local farmer said the reason behind the unusual tidal delivery is nothing to laugh about.
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South Coast farmer and contractor John Henry said the washed-up corn was a harrowing window into a farming industry at breaking point, decimated by this year's weather.
Mr Henry believes the corn may be the remnants of a cattle feed crop from a Gerringong farm that was flooded so badly that no one was able to get in to harvest.
"I've been contracting for 35 years and we've never had to leave crops in the paddock before," he said.
The corn crops are often grown for cattle feed, and without feed, there is a knock-on effect for the whole industry.
Some farmers have lost their winter feed for this year, Mr Henry said, which affects what is reserved for next winter, too.
"It's not just a six-month feed gap, it's a whole 18 months," he said.
The relentless rain this year has decimated farms in the Shoalhaven.
Kiama has an average July rainfall of 88mm, but this week alone Kiama received five times that amount, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
"I've been contracting and farming all my life and this is the worst year that I've ever seen it," Mr Henry said.
"Last week, we planted $30,000 worth of seeds and the whole lot is underwater now."
Severe rain has rocked the South Coast on more than one occasion this year, and Mr Henry said as soon as the farms recover enough to get work done, they're hit with flooding all over again.
The most fertile ground is on the flood plains, he said, which is worst affected.
"We were just starting to get back on paddocks three weeks ago after the last floods, and now it'll be another 3 or 4 weeks," he said.
Corn is just the tip of the iceberg, Mr Henry said.
"One link in the chain affects the whole chain," he said.
"It's not just a problem for that week or that month, this is going to be an ongoing problem for 18 months."
For dairy farmers, the outlook is so bleak Mr Henry said Australia may soon be importing milk.
With rising costs, the contracts dairy farmers are locked into are becoming impossible to profit from.
The price increases we're seeing in vegetables like lettuce aren't reflected in milk, despite the increased cost to farmers.
"It should be the same for milk, but because dairy farmers are under a contract, we don't get rewarded for supplying through the hard times, we just have to cop it on the chin," Mr Henry said.
Like many farmers, Mr Henry is hoping for a break in the weather, for the sake of his whole industry.
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Rosie Bensley
Illawarra Mercury trainee journalist and newest recruit.
Illawarra Mercury trainee journalist and newest recruit.
