Remembering the 2019/20 bushfires

Remembering the 2019/20 bushfires

Still fresh in our minds, we will always remember the devastating end to 2019 and the start of 2020, due to bushfires ripping through our communities. Starting late November, the first ‘code red’ was declared in the Mallee and Northern Country, and three fires began in East Gippsland, which continued for months after.

This fire season no doubt brings back some painful memories amongst the Melbourne Market community. With over 820,000 hectares of agricultural land affected by the bushfire crisis, the extent of damage it caused is heartbreaking. Like many others, we heard last year from Flavorite and Pure Gold Pineapples, who lost a substantial amount of their farms due to the fires. More than 17 million hectares of land, 3,094 homes, and 34 people were sadly lost across cross NSW, Victoria, Queensland, ACT, Western Australia, and South Australia. Ecologists estimate more than one billion animals, birds and reptiles were also killed. During the bushfire season, one of the biggest impact’s to agriculture was the major rainfall deficiency, particularly in Northern NSW and southern Queensland. The continuation of low rainfall in 2019/20 saw a much-reduced winter crop for many businesses. For example, the 2019 wheat crop of 13 million tonnes was 47% below the longterm average. Irrigation storages have been greatly impacted, which has resulted in one of the smallest rice crops in history. Cotton was estimated to decline by 82% to 61,000 hectares – the lowest since 19781979. Grain sorghum also fell by a considerable amount – down 71% to 143,000 hectares. Irrigated dairy has been priced out of the water market by higher value permanent horticulture crops in northern Victoria. Resources ranging from income help to mental health support are still available from the Australian Government for those affected by the bushfires. As we try to rebuild our Australian tourism sector due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s important to remember the areas and towns affected by the bushfires and visit them this summer to continue to boost up the community.