Berrigan Council general manager Rowan Perkins said farmers in the region had learned to live “day by day” while waiting for relief from above.

“We’re sort of at the crossroads again — we just never seem to get away from them,” he said.

“If farmers don’t get a crop this year, I don’t know what’s going to happen — it’s going to be desperate.”

Mr Perkins said the drought had already caused long-ranging effects.

“Agriculture and manufacturing around agriculture are our largest industries by a long way — that’s got to have some effect,” he said.

“And we’ve lost a lot of young people, either to urban areas or the west.

“That’s already impacting as far as football clubs having trouble fielding teams, those sorts of things.”

Greater Hume general manager Steve Pinnuck said prospects looked better in the eastern part of the shire than in its drier west, and welcomed the decision of a group of Riverina pastors to hold a “pray for rain” meeting.

“In times of crisis any activities that can be undertaken to ensure that people’s spirits are maintained is very beneficial,” he said.

Lockhart general manager Chris Gallagher said he had been inspired by the tenacity of the shire’s farmers in the face of ongoing drought.

“They realise that these things are cyclic, although this one’s been a big dip for longer than usual,” Mr Gallagher said.

“They’ve been quite remarkable that they’ve been optimistic — I guess they’ve got to be.”