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FARMERS are facing an unprecedented rural crisis unless significant rain arrives soon, Federal Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran said yesterday."Unless there are spring rains in the next three to four weeks of substantial volume then Australia will have an agricultural and rural crisis on its hands like never before," he said.The Bureau of Meteorology will today release its latest outlook and despite repeated forecasts that the drought-bringing El Nino would soon be replaced by La Nina's rain, Mr McGauran said he held out little hope for a break."There have been too many predictions from the bureau that have raised expectations or hopes in the past," he said."If by some miracle their predictions are more accurate this time then that will be a bonus."Otherwise, everybody else is preparing for the worst. It's a rapidly deteriorating situation in many parts of Australia."Mr McGauran highlighted the state's Central West, the northern quarter of the West Australian wheat belt and the southern Murray-Darling Basin as most in need of rain."The Government is deeply concerned at what appears to be, now, inevitably a failed season across many regions and states," he said.The Federal Government is now paying out $27 million every week across 23,000 families as part of its exceptional circumstances program which helps farmers living in drought declared regions.
As in the days of Noah...
