Latest figures show 91.3 per cent of NSW is still battling the worst drought on record.

This is a fall from 96.3pc of the State drought declared last month.

A total of 5.9pc of NSW is considered marginal (up from 1.7pc) and the area in satisfactory condition is 2.8pc (up from 2pc).

This reflects a change in fortune for some very selected areas in NSW.

Rain around areas such as Armidale, Broken Hill, Gloucester, Kempsey and the South Coast has been the catalyst for pasture growth and rising water storage levels, moving parts of these districts out of drought status.

With more recent rains, I am sure some farmers across NSW are hopeful of better drought figures next month.

The next two months will decide the fate of the 2007 winter crop - without rain there won’t be a crop and that means there won’t be a harvest.

For NSW to sow a decent size winter cereal crop we need rain, and plenty of it, by May so that wheat, barley and triticale can be sown by June at the latest.

And farmers looking to plant canola need rain before mid- April to start sowing.

Let’s hope for timely rain to sow the winter crop.

Stock disposal scheme

The State Government has a program in place to help farmers meet the costs associated with disposal of unsaleable livestock.

This is a harsh reality of the drought and one that must be taken seriously.

The stock disposal scheme is designed to help those farmers who are in the terrible position of no longer being able to afford to feed their sheep, but also not being able to sell them at saleyards.

NSW DPI will ensure these livestock owners will be assisted in transporting their stock to alternatives such as abattoirs, or in some cases, in disposing of animals.

This is a very difficult situation for farmers to find themselves in, and the State Government is determined to minimise the financial and emotional impact of stock disposal by providing assistance.

For more information contact your local NSW DPI office or the NSW DPI drought hotline 1800 814 647.

Beef Spectacular

This month I took the opportunity to attend the inaugural Beef Spectacular in Dubbo.

This was a great event showcasing our beef industry and I have no doubt next year’s Beef Spectacular will be even better.

I congratulate John Dwyer and the team at The Land for this initiative.

More words on fine wines

Following the success of the Fine Wines 2006 magazine, the State Government and the Sunday Telegraph have teamed up again to promote the NSW wine industry.

The State Government and News Ltd recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and the two partner organisations will work together in the future.

The intent of the MOU was to see the success of last year’s Fine Wines magazine continued in the form of another magazine in 2007.

By teaming up with the Sunday Telegraph, we are introducing the wine industry to the newspaper’s 1.8 million readers.

This is exactly the type of exposure required by the industry to continue its growth and wine sales within the State’s borders.