South Australian water minister Karlene Maywald has delivered a blow to Murray River growers by admitting that the water allocation for July could be 0 per cent.
The Australian Citrus Improvement Association's Mike Arnold told ABC News that further water shortages could result in major crop losses – worse even than the 10 per cent of Riverland citrus that was culled or left to die in 2007. 'If we get another water shortage this year I'm sure it is going to be a lot more than 10 per cent, because most growers are stretched this year.'
Grower Malcolm Hill added: 'We have got nowhere to go, and it's looming as a major catastrophe, not just for Riverland but for South Australia in general.'
