Australia facing further drought
The New South Wales government warned yesterday that Australia's main eastern state was facing another "horror autumn" of drought to already devastated farmlands. The government said the area of the state officially in drought had increased to 48.4 per cent from 42.9 per cent a month earlier as farmers wait for rain in order to plant wheat and other winter crops. "These figures represent a real fear that our winter crop may again be savaged by this merciless drought," Ian Macdonald, primary industries minister, said.