Without access to better water policies, the Basin will lose its vibrant biodiversity, say Riverina farmers. Photo: Facebook.
Riverina farmers have questioned the National Party’s push to provide farmers with interest-free loans to combat drought conditions, saying the major parties need to take a broader look at water policy.
“I mean, there’s a bit more to it than simply short term loans or low interest loans, because I suppose I’m swinging to the fact that we need to address the water issues,” Yanco Creek and Tributaries Advisory (YACTAC) Council President Trevor Clark said.
“Low interest loans would be handy, but yeah, we’re never sure how long the drought goes.”
Following Australia’s drought and floods, the Nationals have called for the return of interest-free loans for farmers from the Regional Investment Corporation (RIC).
Nationals Leader David Littleproud said the Coalition’s two-year interest-free loan period in 2020 stopped a lot of farms from going bankrupt.
“Well the reality is, it’s either saddle them with debt or they’ve got to liquidate their assets,” Narrandera-based Matrix Commodities executive David Farley said.
“But at least it gives them a chance to reestablish the asset into a saleable position and a productive position, than leaving an abandoned asset.”
David Farley does not think interest-free loans are a good idea. Photo: Oliver Jacques.
Mr Clark said farmers were being backed into a corner and planting only “high value crops”, which posed a threat to the Murray-Darling Basin’s biodiversity.
“[What] used to be irrigation water now goes to the environment, and we’ve been forced into producing high value crops,” he said.
“The lower value crops, such as fodder, milk [and] rice are falling by the wayside because there’s less water available.
“With the cost of water these days, we need to plant higher value crops, and risk losing our diversity across the Basin.”
Irrigation in farming involves applying water to crops artificially, supplementing rainfall in dry areas and during droughts.
Mr Farley thinks “the biggest thing” Labor could do to help Australian farmers and the cost of food affordability is to “get the water policy right”.
“At the moment, the water policy is restricting farmers from growing feed and fodder to help those in droughts,” he said.
“The overall water policy is not [conducive] to reducing food prices in Australia, and it’s definitely not [conducive] to assisting farmers in drought.
“So water policy is probably the most critical and most immediate area of address that could literally take effect tomorrow.”
Farms require many resources, from fertiliser to chemicals and feed. Without affordable water policies, Mr Clark warned the Murray-Darling Basin would be “doomed for failure”.
“Our margins have been squeezed considerably,” he said.
“And as I said, we’re at risk of losing our diversity throughout the Basin.
“In theory, … they say we should move our water to the highest value crops. Well, we probably all should be growing almonds, you know, we shouldn’t be growing anything else, because that’s probably the highest return.
“You can’t have that because you end up with two or three crops or breeds across the entire Basin.
“It’s doomed for failure.”
Original Article published by Erin Hee on Region Riverina.
