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October 12, 2008 5:07:14 PM CDT

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'Big Dry' Killing Aussie Farms

Posted May 2, 08 8:33 AM CDT in Business,  World 

(Newser) – The worst drought in a century has forced a tenth of Australian farmers off the land, reports the BBC. The "Big Dry" has led to parched farmland across the nation over the last seven years, accelerating the exodus from rural areas. The number of farming families in Australia has dropped by a third over the last 20 years.

High interest rates have added to woes for Australia's farmers, with many borrowing heavily to plant their crops, only to face bankruptcy when the water-starved land fails to yield a sufficient harvest. The drought is one of the major reasons why the world's wheat stocks are at their lowest level in decades, with harvests millions of tons below their usual levels.

Source BBC

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The worst drought in a century is driving Australian farmers off their land.   (Getty Images)
The worst drought in a century has led to greatly reduced harvests in Australia and has forced many farmers off their land.   (Getty Images)
Am Australian cattle rancher inspects the dried-up spillway of a dam on his land.   (Getty Images)
Farmer Andrew Higham looks over his parched land on his Gunnedah property in northwestern New South Wales, Australia,.   (AP Photo/Peter Lorimer, File)
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Australia  • farming  • farmer  • drought  • food shortage  • wheat  • farm


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