In January of this year, devastating forest fires occurred in the Australian state of Victoria, resulting in farmers losing over 40 thousand heads of livestock. The area affected by the flames exceeded 110 thousand hectares, local media reported, citing data from the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF).
According to the federation's information, the damage to the agricultural sector is estimated at more than 20 million Australian dollars.
The most affected group was sheep farmers: preliminary data indicates that about 32 thousand sheep perished in these fires.
In total, the number of dead animals reached 41 thousand 336, including poultry, cattle, goats, and horses. The fires also destroyed agricultural machinery, buildings, significant areas of fencing and pastures, and affected garden crops and pine plantations.
VFF President Brett Hosking emphasized that the final assessment of the damage is not yet complete. "It will likely take a significant part of the year to get a true picture of the actual scale of the losses," he noted.
At the same time, fires continue to rage in several areas of the state, complicating access to affected farms and the assessment of damage.
