South Australia is officially in drought, according to the State Government.
Primary Industries Minister Tim Whetstone made the declaration as the Department of Primary Industries and Regions, South Australia (PIRSA) reduced its crop forecast earlier this week.
The announcement is the first time the Government has formally acknowledged a drought in South Australia.
For months farmers across the state have reported some of the driest conditions in recent memory, many destocking and prematurely cutting crops while others faced water and feed shortages.
Opposition primary industries spokesman Eddie Hughes said a lot of the measures introduced were "worthwhile initiatives", but said the move came late for some SA farmers.
"I can’t help but note, in the eastern states over 60 councils in drought-affected areas received, or are going to receive, financial support to help in their communities.
A ‘s***house’ season The acknowledgement of drought was welcomed by Livestock SA’s chief executive Andrew Curtis, who said the measures put in place by the Government were a "good start".
PIRSA’s crop forecast said that rainfall during grain growing season — measured from April to August — was either below average or "very much below average" in most South Australian agricultural areas.
It said more than half of the North East and North West Pastoral areas, which together cover more than 160,000 square kilometres, received below-average rainfall in the six months to August.
"We’ve got 10-15 per cent of the state that is the worst on record in terms of rainfall," he said.

BHUBANESWAR: The BJP on Monday lambasted the State Government for making tall claims of achievements when many parts of the State have already started experiencing drinking water scarcity.
Criticising Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for making the Panchayati Raj Divas a party programme, leader of the BJP Legislature Party KV Singhdeo dared the former to provide a correct picture on the drinking water supply position in rural areas to the people during his interaction with them and elected representatives of panchayats.
Claiming that only two per cent of rural population has been covered under piped water supply in the last 18 years, Singhdeo said drinking water scarcity is being felt in many parts of the State especially in areas which received scanty rainfall during last monsoon.
With rising temperature, the situation will be more acute in the coming days.
Disputing the State Government’s achievement in rural housing sector, the former minister said the ruling BJD is making a false propaganda.
While the State Government is claiming to have constructed 11.5 lakh housing since 2014-15, this is the cumulative achievement of the last 10 years.
As per the State Government’s progress report, 9,73,273 houses have been constructed under Indira Awas Yojana (IAY), 2,31,467 houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Rural), 13,226 houses under Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana and 2,392 houses under Niraman Shramika Pucca Ghar.
Of the total houses constructed till January 2018, over 3.17 lakh houses were built during the current year.
Claiming that the State Government has not made any budgetary provision for Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana this fiscal, Singhdeo sought to know from the Chief Minister about his government’s achievement under the State-funded housing scheme in 2017-18.He further alleged that selection of beneficiaries under rural housing scheme is made on party lines.