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The Australian government is considering giving extra help to farmers fighting the worst drought in living memory. Almost half of the country's farmland is in drought and weather forecasters have warned that it's likely to get worse. Australia's
Big Dry continues to tighten
its grip. Much of the land is dying of thirst
and has been reduced to dust.
Many areas haven't had decent rainfall in months. The prime
minister, John Howard, has travelled to one parched corner of New South Wales where 90% of
the state is in drought to see the struggles endured by
one farming community. Mr Howard's government has spent more than half-a-billion dollars
on drought
relief and expects that figure to rise much further. Some farmers have
said the system is unfair because many families are ineligible for help if a wife or son,
for example, has taken up work in a nearby town to try to make ends meet. The cabinet will
gather early next week to discuss possible changes and the prime minister appears to be
sympathetic. "I admire Australian farmers," he said. "They're not whingers,
they're doers,"
he added. Concerns have also been raised about an increase in depression among farming
families, not to mention rising debt. Weather
forecasters have said there are early signs that this arid continent risks entering another
El Nino episode in the months ahead, which is associated with drought in
Australia. Phil Mercer, BBC
News, Sydney |
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