New South Wales · SA4 sub-regional conditions
Actual
4.8mm
Historical
39.7mm
vs Average
12%
Bar shows rainfall relative to average (centre line = 100% of average)
4.7%
volumetric (0-1cm) · Very Dry
State average: 8.6% (Very Dry)
1421
hotspots (5d)
State-level · NASA FIRMS
State-level · BOM Water Data
Far West and Orana faces severe drought conditions with recent rainfall at just 12% of average (4.8mm vs 39.7mm) and critically low soil moisture at 4.7%, well below the already dry NSW state average of 8.6%. These harsh conditions pose significant stress for wheat crops entering critical growth phases and cotton plantings, while also limiting pasture availability for beef cattle operations. The sub-region's composite score of 23 reflects substantially higher agricultural risk compared to the NSW state average of 33, with drought conditions likely to persist given the extremely low soil moisture levels.
SA4-specific AI summary · 14/04/2026
Far West and Orana (New South Wales) has a composite agricultural conditions score of 23/100, rated as challenging. This score is updated daily using localised rainfall and soil moisture data from SILO DataDrill and BOM.
Recent 30-day rainfall is 12% of the historical average (4.8mm actual vs 39.7mm average).
The key commodities in the Far West and Orana region are wheat, cotton, beef. Each commodity has its own detailed analysis page with live pricing and forward outlook.
The SA4 composite score is the average of the rainfall score (30-day actual vs historical average) and the soil moisture score (volumetric water content banded from Very Dry to Wet). Soil moisture is currently 4.7% (very dry).
