Australian Farmers Bulldozing Citrus Groves, Vineyards, As Water Cost Rises Tenfold - SMH

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The irrigation districts of Curlwaa, Buronga and Coomealla are dotted with citrus trees under stress and vineyards that have already died of thirst. There are numerous for-sale signs. Some farmers are about to run out of water, some have avoided that fate by buying water at record prices. Some have cut their citrus trees back to their stumps so they can get through the summer on survival rations. Some have chosen to sacrifice parts of their vineyard using chainsaws so there is enough water to maintain production elsewhere. It is a scenario locals admit they had never envisaged in their worst nightmares.

This summer, Wentworth irrigators have been given just half of the 52 per cent of their water allocation they had suspended last year when the severity of the drought was realised. They have also got critical water on a per-hectare basis until the end of March - just enough to keep plantings alive but not enough to produce a crop and an income. Therefore, water that would normally sell for less than $100 a megalitre is now commanding more than $1000. The 430 Western Murray irrigators usually only use half the district's 61,000 megalitres of entitlement and sell water to other areas, but this summer $5 million worth has already been bought in.

About 25 per cent have bought water, but Cheryl Rix, the general manager of Western Murray Irrigation, said: "A lot of people haven't been able to borrow money to buy water. A lot of people are going to let 30 per cent of their farm go . At the end of the day you have got to have a farm income." The average farmer had about 35 per cent of their normal water entitlement, Mrs Rix said.

Dennis Mills has bulldozed eight hectares of citrus and chainsawed through four hectares of shiraz vines to get the water he needs to produce crops on the rest of his land. Replanting the areas will cost tens of thousands of dollars. Resuming normal production will take years. "We have had to make some very tough decisions," he said. "So many of our shareholders have come in absolute tears. They just don't know what they will do."

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http://www.smh.com.au/news/federal-election-2007-news/oasis-country-dying-of-thirst/2007/11/18/1195321609241.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

Maybe something like "lalalala! This isn't happening!"

"This ain't happening, man, this aint' happening!!"

that I'm really gonna miss. We are going to have to get used to seeing things slip away. Australian wine as the pinnacle of western civ. Who knew?