Do any of the farmers here practise the horticultural methods used by the
farmers in Israel? I've read pretty impressive accounts of how they are
surviving in an arid land using very radical water saving measures.

No, the farmers here use quite primitive measures (clearing the land,
working it until its topsoil blows away, spraying crops at mid-day, etc.)
but as soon as you start saying such things you are bombarded with diatribes
("Australia needs farmers", "going bankrupt", etc).

Every time we have a drought the politicians and farmers and other
"interested" groups start talking about more progressive methods, but it
soon dies away when profits return.

The sad fact is that farmers can rely on handouts when times are tough.

(I hope this doesn't sound like an attack just on farmers - it should really
be an attack on everyone.)

--
Stephen Oakes