Caltex has announced a $100,000 donation to Rural Aid and a package to assist drought-affected farmers in NSW and Queensland.
Among Caltex’s package are $200 StarCash fuel vouchers, a contribution towards Rural Aid’s fuel bill, Farm Army assistance, and support for Rural Aid’s upcoming fundraising events.
It has also pledged to donate $1 for every 20L of Delo bought to Rural Aid for a 12-month period.
“[Caltex’s] donation will provide an immediate cost savings to our operation with our vehicles travelling hundreds of thousands of kilometres per year, but also provide a significant reduction to on-farm costs for our farmers,” Rural Aid CEO Chris Alder said.
“Any savings to operating costs will be welcomed by our rural communities in these tough economic times.”
Besides the upfront donation and hands-on support, Caltex says it understands the stress some of its rural customers face. It says it will negotiate longer-term agreements with those relying on fuel to keep their property going.
“So, as well as the donation to Rural Aid, and volunteer assistance, we will reinvest in the community through the sales of our new lubricant range,” Caltex Australia General Manager, Business to Business Sales Brad Phillips said.
“We also know that the mounting short-term debt faced by some of our customers is a big contributor to the stress experienced during tough times. We will help alleviate that stress and manage cash flow by extending our credit terms for some of the worst-affected rural customers.
“As Australia’s largest supplier of transport fuels, we’ve worked with farming communities and local distributors for many generations. Caltex is passionate about supporting farming communities across NSW and Queensland and lending a hand in the ways we know can have the most impact.”
Other donations and initiatives
In late July, Woolworths announced its support of Rural Aid, in a partnership it said would double the charity’s existing capacity in the next 12 months.
For its part, Coles pledged $5 million in grants and interest-free loans from its Nurture Fund to help drought-stricken farmers. It has since also pledged to match dollar-for-dollar every donation by Coles’ customers.
BP Australia recently donated $50,000 in fuel.
