SOUTH Australia is currently dealing with what many experts are calling the worst drought in its recorded history.

The horrific dry spell has devastated crops, destroyed pastures and pushed rural communities to the brink, with some farmers having to make the difficult decision to sell either their stock, or properties.

While South Australia has experienced droughts before, the current conditions — ongoing since the early 2020s — have been uniquely severe. 

Rainfall across key farming regions has been well-below average for consecutive years. In some areas, 2023 and 2024 delivered less than half the normal annual precipitation. 

This recently prompted a visit from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to South Australia, where he had the opportunity to meet with farmers and see the difficulties and challenges that they are facing.

This included a visit to a grain and livestock producer on the Adelaide Plains, a sign the Federal Government was acknowledging and understanding the severe impact of South Australia’s worst drought in living memory.

Financial strain is mounting on farmers and many of them have drained their savings and taken on debt to keep operations going. Rural banks are reporting an increase in loan defaults, and farm equipment sales have virtually halted. 

Emotional tolls are just as dire — there has been a noticeable spike in mental health issues across farming communities, with isolation, anxiety, and hopelessness becoming daily struggles.

During Mr Albanese’s recent visit it was announced further funding would be available to the Rural Financial Counselling Service (RFCS), and that the National Drought Forum will be moved from Victoria to Gawler.

Grain Producers SA (GPSA) welcomed the visit, but chief executive officer Brad Perry said immediate financial support for farmers needed to follow as he addressed the scale and urgency of the drought that was gripping the state.

“While the measures announced today are welcome, the reality on the ground for South Australian grain producers are that we need significantly more immediate and practical support,” he said.

“GPSA successfully advocated for the Federal Agriculture Minister (Julie Collins) to visit South Australia… where we hosted her on a farm tour and took part in an industry roundtable to present practical support options on behalf of grain producers.

“The Prime Minister’s visit is a strong signal that the Federal Government recognises the severity of the challenges facing South Australia’s grain sector — but that recognition must now be matched with immediate, on-the-ground support for impacted farming families.

“This drought is not a distant threat — it’s happening right now. Many farmers are experiencing severe cash flow constraints and are being forced to make incredibly difficult decisions about their future.”

The additional $2m in contingency funding to the RFCS has supported more producers to access financial counselling and advice if they need it, but Mr Perry stressed “advice alone will not be enough”.

“Boosting financial counselling services will help some producers navigate tough decisions, and the RFCS is a critical support mechanism to help farmers through this difficult time, but without tangible financial relief such as low, or non-interest loans, too many growers will be left without a viable path forward,” he said.

“Support must include direct mechanisms that ease financial pressure — not just prepare producers for future challenges.

“The decision to bring the National Drought Forum to South Australia is a positive gesture but gestures alone are not enough in responding to the current situation.

“What’s needed is urgent, co-ordinated action that delivers real relief to those feeling the effects of this drought season — not simply more long-term ‘resilience’ talk.”

Mr Perry said GPSA will continue to work with all levels of government to secure meaningful drought support measures for the state’s grain producers.

“In the immediate term, we are calling for more direct support to help producers manage household and business costs, including quick and easy to access concessional or interest-free loan options, freight assistance, council rate rebates and further mental health support that reaches the farm gate,” he said.

“In the longer term, we’re also calling for a review of the outdated Farm Household Allowance asset threshold, and for a serious look at the Regional Investment Corporation’s loan settings to ensure they’re meeting the needs of the agriculture industry.”

For South Australian farmers, the effects have been nothing short of heartbreaking. Wheat and barley growers have seen yields plummet or fail entirely. Livestock producers are facing skyrocketing feed costs as natural pastures disappear. Some families are being forced to truck in water just to survive.

Despite the crisis, South Australian farmers are known for their grit. Many have turned to innovative strategies to weather the storm. Some are experimenting with drought-resistant crop varieties or adopting regenerative farming techniques aimed at retaining soil moisture. Others are reducing herd sizes to preserve water and feed.

Communities are also rallying. Local charities and councils have launched food and water relief programs, while mental health support services have been expanded thanks to state and federal funding. Online support networks, peer groups, and rural counselling services like Rural Aid, and Lifeline, are playing crucial roles in keeping farmers connected and supported.

As farmers look to the year ahead Mr Perry said there were genuine concerns regarding a lack of rainfall and depleted sub-soil moisture, and some grain producers were holding off on sewing.

He also said the recent weather event that involved dust and wind had also made the situation worse.

“A lot of dry sewing has been happening and this has been forced due to drought and dry conditions although some grain producers have been holding off on sewing and instead waiting for a bit of moisture relief.

“Some patchy rain falling in some areas has helped but the recent weather events with more dust and wind certainly wasn’t helpful as it was blowing top soil around which wasn’t good and heartbreaking for farmers.

“Damage to infrastructure was just another thing to add to pressure on producers.

“A recent survey showed that 30 per cent of the time farmers were dry sewing, compared to 60% the year before, it also showed that farmers were waiting for subsoil to build and that didn’t come so we’d imagine that most of them would’ve gone out and dry sewed.

“In most cropping areas last year was the worst rainfall on record for a hundred-plus years and this year it is tracking even worse and that’s why we are calling on federal and state government support. 

“Unless we get support or rainfall, farmers are going to struggle to have finance next season to put crops in, we really need substantial opening rainfall and winter rain.

“With the lack of rain the confidence of farmers has dropped right down, a recent survey showed that their confidence in the season ahead has dropped down. From a recent survey it was a four out of ten in confidence this season, whereas the previous year it was a six out of ten.”

Mr Perry said farmers were having to pull back on their rotations of crops.

“Depending on the region, it has been generally too dry in a lot of places for canola, most varieties are being planted where they normally get planted but if anything the rotations are being pulled back so there is not as much area being planted as they would if it was a bit wetter,” he said.

“Wheat, lentils, barley, peas etc. will probably still get sewn but just in a reduced capacity and this is mainly due to not having that subsoil moisture, its bone dry out there which makes it hard to plan ahead as they don’t know what rain is coming.

“Farmers will do everything they can to get the best crops they can and even if the dry continues they’ll make important decisions to get through it.”

Lynton Barrett is a sheep and grain producer from Elljay Farms, in Lameroo, and has been in the farming game for more than 40 years with his wife Suzanne, and in recent years his son Josh and partner Lucy. They farm approximately 4500ha with dryland cropping and irrigated crops for their main business.

Mr Barrett said while it was the driest he had ever seen it in SA in the past 18 months, the way things had changed in farming methods meant that they were getting through it okay.

“Conserving moisture and no-till seeding practices have enabled us to produce crops on minimal rainfall.  For us personally, a reduction in sheep numbers over the past 2 years has allowed us to maintain ground cover which has decreased soil erosion considerably,” he said.

The 2025 cropping program commenced in the middle of April. Dry sowing has become a common practice for the Barretts, and also for the Lameroo district in general.

Mr Barrett said there had been some promising results with their crops.

“Sowing dry is something we approach with a lot of confidence this season as we had subsoil moisture from thunderstorms at the end of 2024.  When the season did break for us in mid-to-late May, the germination of our crops has been excellent,” he said.

“For June we have had around 50mm of rain so the season is progressing positively. Hopefully we see general rains throughout SA during winter and spring, as I know some areas are still rainfall deficient.”

Government support has been varied and criticised in some areas as being inadequate. 

Mr Barrett said funding provided by the State Government had been very helpful, although he said he could understand while it wasn’t beneficial for everyone.

“The funding from state government has really helped our business. We have been able to upgrade some of our drought strategies as a result of the subsidies that we received,” he said.

“The greatest challenge in dry times is not knowing when the season will break.  This can be a testing time for anyone in the agriculture game, so mental health care is high on the agenda.

“I believe there are great support programs for businesses and individuals affected by stressful times, but the challenge is to get people to reach out and utilise them.  We are fortunate in the Southern Mallee to have a very supportive community.”

While the immediate future remains uncertain, many farmers remain cautiously hopeful. 

Long-range forecasts hint at a potential easing of conditions later in 2025 if La Niña patterns return. The current drought has made one thing clear, South Australia must rethink how it supports and sustains its agricultural backbone in the face of an increasingly volatile climate.

For the farmers of South Australia, the road ahead is still dusty and dry — but they continue to walk it, driven by resilience, community, and an unbreakable bond with the land they call home.