DESPERATE farming families around Victoria have swamped the Country Women's Association with applications to share in the money raised by Woolworths' Backing our Farmers Day last month.

The supermarket promised to donate the profits from one day's trade - more than $7 million nationally ($1.33m in Victoria) - to farmers suffering from the drought.

However, the appeal, now in its third year, has seen an unprecedented response from farmers, with the CWA closing applications just a week after the fundraising day on February 20.

"We will be able to help about 600 applicants, but we have had about 1000 applications in total, and have had to turn some people away," CWA of Victoria president Helen Wall said.

She said applicants were asking for funding for day-to-day essentials such as household bills, machinery repairs, school fees and groceries.

"We are getting a lot of people asking for grocery vouchers," she said.

The CWA was enlisted by Woolworths to distribute the funds to farming families within EC-declared areas. Areas near Kerang and the Mallee, as well as in the northern irrigation areas on the Murray River had many applicants, Ms Wall said.

"We are trying to spread the money as far as possible. It is very difficult when the need is so strong," she said."

About 600 applicants will receive a share of the funds, which totals just over $1.33 million in Victoria. Families can receive up to $2000.

Ms Wall said 20 per cent of the fund was set aside for community groups. Applications close on April 20 with grants of up to $3000 available.