In recent weeks the prevalence of hand watering livestock has increased due to the severity of the dry season and the intensifying heatwave.

In fact, last week the mercury rose above 45 degrees in many parts of the Riverina.  

NSW Farmers district branch chairman Alan Brown said if lessons were to be learned from past drought experiences the presence of water carts was not a good sign.

He said traditionally this was the time when producers might consider the option of destocking.

“I think we will see destocking … people can make up a feed shortage but making up a water shortage it is extremely difficult,” he said. 

If the Wagga sheep and lamb sale on Thursday was to be a guide restockers were active in the market and the concerns about stock water hadn’t taken hold yet. 

He conceded that January was a dry month and storms weren’t necessarily helpful.

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However, the ongoing dry had a big impact on dams in the region. 

“Some people are looking at very serious water shortages in this area,” he said. 

WHERE THE RAIN FELL: Gundagai 12mm, Cootamundra 8mm, Ardlethan 10mm, Grong Grong 4mm, Wagga Wagga 6mm

Storms this week offered some reprieve to the dust and dry conditions, however, Mr Brown said they did little to fill stock water storages. 

There also appears to be an increase in people who are expanding and renovating their dams.

The dry times have offered an opportunity to get the heavy machinery in to improve dams for the future. 

“The dry time is a chance to clean out dams and I think we will see more of this in the next couple of months,” he said.