A drier-than-expected June and July has left many farmers with failing crops, a short supply of water and diminishing livestock feed.
According to the NSW Department of Primary Industries, 61% of NSW is either in drought or intense drought, while nearly 39% is drought affected.
‘There isn’t a person in the state that isn’t hoping to see some rain for our farmers and regional communities."
Less than 10mm of rain was recorded in the western, north west, and central areas of NSW over the past month and drier-than-normal conditions are forecast for the next three months across the majority of the state.
On Tuesday, the deputy prime minister, Michael McCormack, urged farmers to put their hands up for drought relief payments even if they were reluctant to do so.
We’re seeing rainfall that is more erratic, droughts that are more frequent and seasons that are hotter Malcolm Turnbull The prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, insists the package is a supplement to the Farm Household Allowance, a fortnightly payment for eligible farmers totalling about $16,000 a year.
Meanwhile, Turnbull has been dragged back into debate over the impact of climate change on drought.
Joyce, whose NSW electorate of New England has been badly affected by drought, believes reducing emissions in Australia won’t change the climate.
“It will have no difference on the climate whatsoever – zero, zip, nothing.” ‘Big call’: minister refuses to link drought to climate change on Q&A Read more But the National Farmers’ Federation president, Fiona Simson, pointed to a 45% reduction in red meat industry emissions between 2005 and 2015.
“The impacts of climate change will mean that [drought and rain] events could be more extreme but they could be more frequent,” she said.