Water - and agriculture !

Farmers are furious because the Murray river revival plan will mean cuts to water allocations. There is talk of farmers walking off their land, rural communities becoming ghost towns - and huge price increases in fruit and vegetables.

The fact is that we have an impossible situation. The river is dying because each of four states has independently issued irrigation licenses without regard to the ability of the river to deliver - and we have past the point of no return.

When all the fuss dies down - and sanity prevails - we will need to change our ideas on water management. We will probably have to cease growing cotton and rice in this river system. Both use inordinate amounts of water, which can be used more economically for other agricultural crops.

We will also have to abandon the criminally wasteful method of distributing agricultural water in open canals. This leads to disproportionate waste by water soaking into the earth under the canals - and evaporation of the surface due to our hot summer climate. Both these areas of loss can be removed by delivering water in enclosed pipes.

We will also need to reinvent our farming methods. Israel has shown the way by the use of drip irrigation that has seen their desert flourish. Importantly, we will have to change our thinking on water. At present we see it as both cheap and available. In future it will cost more and be in shorter supply - and that will be a fact of life !

Some of the dire predictions from the farming sector will certainly happen. There will be some job losses as farms adjust and towns that rely on agriculture will see some bleak times, but farmers are a resourceful lot - and they will adjust to what industry and other forms of commerce has been subjected to for many decades - " doing more with less ".

We will also have to change attitude on some aspects of science. Genetically modified ( GM ) crops can be devised to grow quicker, resist disease - and use a lot less water. If we are to feed this planet's growing population we will need to accept the challenge and adapt our farming methods to get the best results.

And when push comes to shove - we have no other options. The river can't deliver at the rate we are drawing water and with a bit of common sense we can have the best of both worlds - a healthy river system and prosperous farmers.