But despite the cancellations, charity CEO John Warlters told The Daily Advertiser there had still been a very strong outpouring of donations during the 2019/2020 financial year.

"Thanks to the generosity of ordinary Australians we handed out $28 million in assistance in the last financial year," Mr Warlters said.

"This is an amazing country, even with so many tough times last year people still dug deep."

While the Riverina has experienced better conditions over the past year, Mr Warlters said rural communities are far from out of the woods.

"The whole area has been enjoying a whole lot better time than 12 months ago, which has been helped by the rain," Mr Warlters said.

"There has been an unprecedented market price [for stock] and people who have been able to get a crop off this year, that's a huge achievement.

"We're in a much better position, but to draw the conclusion that a good season means everything is right again in the bush, it's a step too far. Recovery takes time."

The charity's annual Mates Helping Mates campaign will officially begin on January 26 this year.

This year, as well as the usual fundraising push, the charity is also promoting the need for regular people to look out for each other.

"It's about recognising that you've got to stand with a mate a little longer to make sure they're on their feet," Mr Warlters said.

"The key thing is not going into the situation thinking you're going to solve the problem. It's supporting the person and sometimes that means putting them onto Rural Aid for some extra support.

"When times are good, it's the last thing you're thinking about, but it does help to be proactive and seek out services like Rural Aid, register with us online now so that when disaster comes, the support will be much easier to access."

With its tours of rural NSW and Victoria now rescheduled to go ahead in 2021, Mr Warlters said he has his fingers tightly crossed for fair fewer challenges this year.

"Would it be absolutely fantastic if 2021 was the year we got through without a single disaster," he said.

"That would be unprecedented."