South Australia Murray Irrigators chairman, Ian Zadow, said the proposal was not new, but the window of opportunity would rapidly close unless annual crop irrigators acted soon.

He said the State Government's decision last week to increase irrigation allocations to 16pc was still well short of what is required to keep trees and vines alive in this State.

"We see a lot of sense in irrigators of annual crops - like potatoes and onions - leasing their water to irrigators who need to keep their trees alive," he said.

Mr Zadow said SAMI would like to see this approach adopted across the Murray Darling Basin.

"If all irrigators producing annual crops left their machinery in their sheds this summer, there might be enough water left to keep alive the $9 billion worth of permanent plantings right across the Basin," he said.

Mr Zadow estimated that SA irrigators with permanent plantings would need an additional 200 gigalitres to keep their orchards and vineyards alive.

"It is our belief that a lot of annual croppers are holding out in the hope that their allocations will be increased to levels that will allow them to plant a crop," he said.

"All the information we are receiving at the moment suggests that a 20pc allocation is as high as it will go.

"There is a lot to be said for getting a good return by leasing water now to irrigators anxious to keep permanent plantings alive."

SOURCE: Murray Valley Standard, Murray Bridge, SA, a Rural Press publication.