SAMI chairman Ian Zadow said while Exceptional Circumstances packages helped provide short-term relief, a more long-term solution was needed.

Mr Zadow said some irrigators needed to borrow money to buy water and to stay in business.

"We're getting to the point now where permanent planters are probably getting to the end of their 16 per cent allocation," Mr Zadzow said.

SAMI has also called on producers of annual crops to consider leasing their water, to help irrigators trying to save their permanent plantings.

SOURCE: Stock Journal, SA, published Thursday, October 11, 2007.