Exorbitant irrigation water prices, coupled with high grain and hay costs, have the couple contemplating their future in dairy.
The departure of two employees has meant more work for them and an extra layer of stress.
Within the next month, the Hores will make the decision on whether or not to follow the dairy farmer exodus in northern Victoria.
Mr Hore said they normally bought 800-900 megalitres of irrigation water to grow enough feed for their 350 milking cows.
He said, four years ago, they made a fortuitous decision to buy 590 megalitres of high reliability permanent water at $2900/megalitre.
“Now, that water is selling for $5400 to $5600 a megalitre,” he said.
“We could make a hell of a lot more money trading that water than even thinking about milking cows.
“Others around here don’t have that option.”
Mr Hore said most farmers had to buy in water at $600 a megalitre.
“We (dairy farmers) shouldn’t be held to ransom to the point where you say: that’s the price, we ought to pay,” he said.
“At those prices, we couldn’t make money (from milk production).
“If we were forced to, we would have gone another $300,000 into debt.”
The difficult decision to leave the industry is complicated by the fact the Hores spent $900,000 on upgrading their irrigation system last winter.
Plus, the farm has organic certification.
“So you just can’t go back in two or three years time when water prices are lower and jump back in,” Mr Hore said. “If we have to leave the industry, it will be a very difficult decision to make.
“This is all I’ve ever known what to do and all my wife has ever known as well.”