Gov’t adds $50 million to drought response as farm production falls 15%

The Government is injecting an additional $50 million into its drought intervention programme as dry conditions continue to affect farmers and contribute to an estimated 15 per cent decline in agricultural production.

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Floyd Green, announced the additional funding as he provided an update on measures being implemented to cushion the agricultural sector from the effects of the drought during a press briefing at the ministry’s head office on Tuesday.

The new allocation will be targeted primarily at water storage and drip irrigation systems, as the ministry seeks to help farmers capture and use available water more efficiently.