Drought worsens in Australia food-bowl-government
CANBERRA, July 10 (Reuters) - The drought in Australia's main food growing region of the Murray-Darling river system has worsened with the driest June on record, the head of the government's oversight body for the system said on Thursday.
"This is very disappointing and the likelihood of upper Murray inflows being above average for the remainder of winter and spring is very low," said Wendy Craik, chief executive of the Murray-Darling Basin Commission.
"Until there is significant rain and run-off, the prospects for irrigation and the environment in 2008/09 remain grim."
After good early rains this year which eased Australia's worst drought in 100 years, dry weather has set in again in the past three months, plunging more agricultural areas back into drought. (Reporting by Rob Taylor)
"This is very disappointing and the likelihood of upper Murray inflows being above average for the remainder of winter and spring is very low," said Wendy Craik, chief executive of the Murray-Darling Basin Commission.
"Until there is significant rain and run-off, the prospects for irrigation and the environment in 2008/09 remain grim."
After good early rains this year which eased Australia's worst drought in 100 years, dry weather has set in again in the past three months, plunging more agricultural areas back into drought. (Reporting by Rob Taylor)
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