A cargo conundrum is crippling food producers on Norfolk Island, with a lack of available space on ships leading to a shortage of stock feed for chickens and pigs.
Norfolk Island egg producer Cassie Christian said the shortage has forced her to cull her flock size.
"We normally run 1,000 chickens but we're only running approximately 600 at the moment," Ms Christian said.
"We're having issues getting enough feed."
Norfolk Island is an Australian territory 1,400 kilometres east of Port Macquarie in New South Wales.
A ships brings supplies from the mainland to the island bimonthly, but delays often occur as the ship must pass via New Zealand, and there are often difficulties unloading in rough seas.
Typically, competition for available cargo space is stiff, with perishable, medical, and basic necessities given priority.
Ms Christian's need for stockfeed is becoming urgent, and she is not the only egg producer on the island.
"My business requires 1 tonne of stockfeed a week so for my needs alone we need 8–10t of feed per ship," she said.
"I know people who have let their chickens go to roam the island freely because there's just been no feed."
Ms Christian said cargo planes were not a suitable delivery option for her bulk requirements and advocated for additional shipping services.
"It's hard to compete when there are non-essential items like cars coming to the island on the ships," she said.
Defence steps-in
In a statement, the Australian Government said there were three suppliers on the island with available chicken, pig, and horse feed.
But Ms Christian said she required a specialised product.
"What's more, if I did buy my feed from the other smaller suppliers I would be buying it in such quantities that the rest of the island wouldn't have enough," she said.
In March, the Australian Defence Force dropped stock feed to the island to help alleviate an acute shortage.
The Government said it is working with the island's council, industry players, and the community on medium to longer-term options to address sea freight availability.
