Hello everybody
Foxy thanks
I have stayed out of this thread because we really are looking for ideas on the best way forward to support farmers.
I think different states allowing different produce and know little about cotton so thought it best to say nothing watch and learn
Thanks all

Ginx, come again?

"cotton farmers upstream pouring water onto their rice crop"

How informed are you? The floodwater arrived recently,but the planting window for cotton closed back in November. The Australian cotton crop is around 15% of normal this year, irrigators on the Darling at Bourke haven't grown a normal cotton crop for 5+ years, and nothing in the last few. Don't they deserve a share of the spoils like everyone else? You might actually find with wheat prices at record highs the extracted water will be used for that- is that as politically incorrect to you?

Even setting that all aside the majority of water in the Warrego river never makes it to the Darling, let alone past the Menindee lakes and onto the Murray, downstream of rice growers. Incidently rice production will be down to about 2% of normal this year.

Cotton farms are not permitted to grow rice under conditons of their water licence. Not that they would, because there is more profit in cotton.

I'll ask you a question, what should the water be doing?

I think the government should assess the viability of many farmers to continue their failed agri- businesses.

Should we prop them up? These long failing bush "traditions"?

And we don't have the billions that the US throw at their dirt farmers.

Surly the climate change science is telling us something about future prospects?

I say diversify, get profitable, and get eco or get off and let nature try to reinvigorate the billions of hectares of chemically poisoned land and the dry creeks and rivers that are now sucked dry by irrigation.

Rainier, to the best of my knowledge farmers have to prove their viability before they receive any help, certainly in relation to interest payment help.
With all the publicity one would expect every farmer either applies or is eligible for help. Not true. Last I heard only 17% of farmers had received any payment. If the ABARE stats are anything to go by the average farming operation is very healthy indeed, with an enviable build up in equity, and low debt levels. Don't get me wrong, it's very hard to keep going when income is negative for several years in a row, it's not something you can't fully prepare for- the worst drought in history. I do think though that only a handful of farmers seeking the exit grant speaks volumes about the general viability of the farming sector.

If spilling dams like those at Emerald and the Burdekin are an indication of future climate change, then irrigation is part of that future. It has to be in our "drought or flooding rains" climate.

Interesting that most of our rivers haven't run dry because of irrigation, more specifically our major storages like the Hume and Dartmouth Dams. I do think you hit the nail on the head about dry creeks and rivers, when there's no runoff there's no irrigation water pumped out of them. Their hasn't been much sucking going on in the last few years.

I'm afraid the world doesn't have billions of hectares of farming country that can be returned to nature, food security being the main concern. Our cropping area would be unlikely to exceed 50 million hectares, in a country of approx 800 million hectares total.

Don't you just hate it when that happens?

"How informed are you"?? Not informed at all YOU think!

You respond quite reasonably to another poster. I like that. You refer "to the best of my knowledge". Nicely put. It makes clear that your opinion is based on what you are able to glean. Likewise for me.

"What should the water be doing"?

This now very clearly acknowledged precious resource should go where it is needed. NOT where it is wanted.
We are on a flashing red light. We can no longer sustain the farming of ANY crop that is GROSSLY reliant on water ( and that IS predominantly rice and cotton), in areas of this country that are drought prone. We have sustained this practice for far longer than we can afford to do so.

ANY life form changes and adapts to its environment. Why should the environment adapt to what we want from it? It won't, so we get around that by 'cutting the suit to fit the cloth'. it is an overindulgence that has been unviable for quite sometime.

One more thing. Bluntly, I have had a gutful of South Australia being at the arse end of our main water resource. The lifeblood artery that is the Murray river. Whilst we continue to think and act according to the vested interests of individual States and their rural and industrial practices, and NOT as a whole society; we are stuffed! We are hamstrung by this attitude. It is causing massive problems and we continue to fiddle while Rome burns.

I will be damned if I will get into a slanging match with you about these issues. You will take little notice of what I've said, and frankly vice versa. So don't attempt to patronize me again.

We have different views. That is that.

Few Farmers that really need assistance ask. Those are the facts and they dont just give out funds willy nilly. There are forms and forms many of which some old farmers cant make head or tail of it.
People think the WA mines etc are the mosd important industry in this country.
Not So- Our Australian Farmers are without a doubt. Without them we simply do not eat. Now ewe can get behind them a bit more and stand up for a fair go for a fair price for our farmers or depend on China and other countries in the future to feed our nation.
A very unwise move thats for sure. With a few sactions hat IMOP will come when Oz are declaired war criminals along with US and UK we will be in deep water.

If you saw the way they grow crops in china and what they use to as fertiliser you might think again about wanting to keep our farmers.

Just some food for thought.