N.S.W. DROUGHT LOSSES

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 November 1944, Page 6

N.S.W. DROUGHT LOSSES

SHEEP AND WHEAT

(N.Z.P.A. Special Australian Correspondent) SYDNEY, November 6. SUH experiencing one of the worst droughts on record, practically every farming district in western and southern New South Wales, faces grave prospects. Sheep are .dying in thousands, crops have failed, and rivers are drying up. In spite ot Government assistance it is believea that many farmers and graziers will never recover from their losses. Already 3,500,000 sheen have died in the State this year. Normally about two-thirds ot. New South Wales wheat is produced in these southern and. western areas. This year Australia’s wheat production will drop . from 50,000,000 to 20,000.000 bushels —a loss of £6,000,000. New South Wales hay production will fall from 700,000 to 100,000 tons. When hay is cut and bagged as chafi it is worth £lO a ton. This reduced ‘production entails another £.0,000.000 loss to the farmers. The present drought, although confined to comparatively small areas of Victoria. South Australia, and southwestern New South Wales, is as intense as any experienced. The rainfall over the stricken districts during the last year has been about four inches, compared with the average of more than 15 inches a year. A major problem of the drought has been soil erosion by wind turning tens of thousands of acres of formerly rich farmlands into stony deserts. This has led to widespread agitation for the earliest possible introduction of giant water conservation schemes. Several rivers flow from the areas now affected. Other similar areas,

when irrigated, have proved to be among the most fertile lands in Australia. The Mildura irrigation area of 30,000 acres was once barren, useless country, but now it produces £3,000,000 worth of dried fruits annually. Production in the LeetonGriffith irrigation area of New South Wales has risen from £lOO,OOO to nearly £3,500,000 last year—mainly from fruit and rice.

Heavy overstocking is claimed to have aggravated' the drought effects in western New South Wales. Once the district, carried 15,000.000 to 20,000,000 sheep. Before the drought this year it was carrying .7,500,000. After the drought, experts say it will not be fit to carry more than 4,000,000. Yet'irrigated land within 20 miles is among the most prosperous in Australia. One 30-acre citrus farm last year earned an income of £BOOO for its owner.

Irrigation projects are already high on the priority list for Australia’s post-war national works, and the present drought has emphasised their need. For the districts now ravaged a £30,000.000 scheme, embracing a dozen rivers, is contemplated in a programme of works to extend over 20 years.