To provide assistance for horticulture irrigators faced with tough decisions, free-one-on-one information sessions are currently being offered in the Goulburn Valley, Swan Hill, Sunraysia, Riverina and South Australia.

The sessions are delivered on-farm by financial or agronomic experts who work through issues specific to each business where growers want information.

This includes providing the tools for growers to work out water budgets, to assess the costs and expected income of various crop options, and to generally plan ahead in the face of low water availability.

Growers using the service to date have had a mix of experiences, from those thinking of exiting the industry to those who bought water and have had their best season in years.

The project is being run by Horticulture Australia Limited in partnership with industry and supported by the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

Local organisations have been contracted to run the project in each region and can be contacted for more information or to set up an appointment.

* More information is also available on the HAL website at www.horticulture.com.au/mdbdrough tinfo