New South Wales · SA4 sub-regional conditions
Actual
2.1mm
Historical
144.8mm
vs Average
1%
Bar shows rainfall relative to average (centre line = 100% of average)
4.5%
volumetric (0-1cm) · Very Dry
State average: 8.6% (Very Dry)
1421
hotspots (5d)
State-level · NASA FIRMS
State-level · BOM Water Data
New England and North West is experiencing severe drought conditions with rainfall at just 1% of average (2.1mm vs 144.8mm) and critically low soil moisture at 4.5%, significantly worse than the NSW state average of 8.6%. These extreme dry conditions pose substantial stress to the region's beef cattle operations through poor pasture availability and increased feed costs, while cotton plantings face severe water allocation constraints and wool production suffers from reduced sheep body condition. The SA4's composite score of 18 reflects these harsh conditions and sits well below the NSW state average of 33, indicating heightened drought risk for agricultural lending in this sub-region.
SA4-specific AI summary · 14/04/2026
New England and North West (New South Wales) has a composite agricultural conditions score of 18/100, 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 1% of the historical average (2.1mm actual vs 144.8mm average).
The key commodities in the New England and North West region are beef, wool, cotton. 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 4.5% (very dry).
