Feeding spikes as dry conditions take their toll on farmers

Farmers across the country are feeling the pinch as one of the driest seasons in recent memory stretches on. At Mobble, we’ve seen a clear reflection of this in our platform data, with feeding activity more than doubling over the past six months.

Between November 2024 and April 2025, Mobble users recorded 5,023 individual feed actions – that’s every time a farmer logs an activity like feeding hay or grain. That’s up from 1,686 feed actions in the same period last year. Even after factoring in Mobble’s 30% user growth over the year, it still represents a massive 130% increase.

For Mobble user James Brook, who farms sheep with his family near Nagambie in Victoria, the dry has had a serious impact.

“We haven’t had a whole lot of rain,” James said. “We get excited when we see it in the forecast, but it’s nothing substantial. All I’m doing is feeding hay. We’re struggling to do other things to be honest. I’m feeding hay every day, and someone else is feeding grain two to three times a week.”

Mobble founder Jock Lawrence, a third-generation farmer from Avenel in Victoria, says these numbers highlight just how tough things are on the ground.

“It’s an incredibly challenging time, especially for producers in southeastern Australia,” Jock says. “Rainfall has been disappointing, wool prices are down and there’s ongoing uncertainty around livestock exports. We’re hearing from farmers who are having to make really difficult decisions – some are selling off stock, others are thinking about stepping away from farming altogether.”

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The Bureau of Meteorology reported that March 2025 rainfall was below average to very much below average across most of Tasmania, large parts of southeastern South Australia and areas of coastal and northwestern Victoria.

And unfortunately, the forecast isn’t offering much hope. The BOM has indicated that below-average rainfall is likely to continue across large parts of the south and west. Most of Australia is also expecting warmer-than-average days and nights in the months ahead.

While it’s a tough season, Mobble is here to support farmers in making informed decisions. From tracking feeding to mapping paddocks, recording grazing activity and monitoring rainfall, Mobble gives farmers better visibility across the farm.

Mobble also supports rotational grazing and other strategies to make the most of what’s available, improve animal health and keep operations running efficiently.

Since launching in 2018, Mobble has helped thousands of Australian farmers manage day-to-day operations, strengthen team communication and respond to seasonal challenges – all in one simple app.

If you’re finding the dry is hitting hard, know you’re not alone. And if Mobble can help take a bit of the mental load off your plate this season, we’re here for it.

Have a read of how to best use Mobble for rotational grazing here. 

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