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An old superstition holds that a mouse in the house is bad luck. In NSW, they’re bemoaning not just a mouse in the house, but on farms and in entire country communities.
So concerning is the mouse plague in the state that the NSW Government has now come up with a $50-million assistance package to help farmers, households and small businesses in parts of rural and regional NSW who have been impacted by the problem.
Deputy Premier John Barilaro and Minister for Agriculture Adam Marshall, said free baiting, through free-of-charge grain treatment, would be made available to primary producers.
They also announced that affected households and small businesses would be able to apply for rebates to help them meet the cost of purchasing mouse baits.
“We know the financial pressure this mice plague is putting on farmers and household budgets; we have heard the concerns of regional NSW and we are acting on it,” Barilaro said.
“The NSW Government will establish grain treatment facilities at specified locations across rural and regional NSW for farmers to have their grain treated free of charge and we will provide rebates to small businesses and households through Service NSW to help meet the cost of buying bait.”
The minister added: “I am also forming an advisory committee to ensure everyone has access to expert advice – including the latest hot spots, health and food safety advice, information for vets and guidance for keeping children and animals safe.”
Under this package, households will be able to apply for rebates of up to $500 and small businesses will be eligible to claim up to $1,000 through Service NSW.
Marshall said farmers would be able to have their grain treated free of charge to protect their hard-sown crops from vermin.
“Today’s announcement … almost completely removes the cost burden on our farmers and croppers and complements our popular workshops to arm farmers with the tools needed to build a mice-free fortress to protect their paddocks,” he commented.
“I’ve seen first-hand the impact these rodents are having. They are a scourge on our agricultural production, so we are giving landholders a fearsome suite of tools to manage mice.”