What you see is what you get

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By Dwain Duxson

What you see is what you get - The Irrigation industry in Australia has been a massive success story. Our Forefathers first built Dams and then got Water to places where things didn't really grow, and it turned those areas into something. 

These irrigation areas are food bowls, and they feed our nation and some. Our Irrigation system here in Australia is efficient because we are mostly only ever using surface water. It's different in places like California, where much of the Water comes from underground aquifers. I read this, "underground aquifers provide nearly 40% of the Water used by California's Farms and Cities and significantly more in dry years". 

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That's why we arguably have one of the best systems in the world. Reason? When we have an abundance of Water and the dams are full, prices are low, and we can grow a lot of stuff. As soon as it gets dryer and Dam levels drop, the price of Water gets higher.

This means we have to reduce the amount of Water we use and limit the Crops that we grow. The price of Water is a natural regulator, and at any one time, we know how full or empty our cup is, and we adapt accordingly. Government buybacks and political stuff aside, do you reckon that our irrigation system is a fair one? Reply to dwaind@farmtender.com.au

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