NSW Farmers Face Tough Drought Conditions

0:00It's April 9th. This is Sydney News Today, AI-powered stories from your city. I'm Corey with the story. More than half of New South Wales sits on Drout Alert right now, with experts forecasting a brutal hot and dry El Nino pattern hitting later this. Year. This could deliver some of Australia's toughest drought conditions in years, drying out the land even further. Farmers across the state are already unloading livestock way ahead of schedule, as soil moisture vanishes and feed prices skyrocket. In places like the robbery and armadale, stock sales are ramping up fast, hitting record levels at yards everywhere. Local growers are filling the squeeze hard, talking about slashed herd sizes for sheep and cattle that haven't been this low in ages. No big storms in sight means everyone scrambling with feed and water shortages, forcing tough calls on the ground. On top of that, diesel costs are through the roof for hauling feed, and fertilizer shortages are piling on the pain. Feed farmers are getting risk averse, skipping crops altogether the season to avoid total losses.

1:03As this El Nino builds strength and reshapes the weather, New South Wales braces for a long haul, with ag folks rethinking every move to survive the. Dry spell ahead.