Horticulture in the Murray-Darling river basin, often referred to as the ‘fruit basket’ of Australia, has been subject to tightening water allocations as the river system dries up.

A review of water allocations released today, however, has relaxed restrictions on growers in New South Wales and Victoria, according to ABC Rural News.

Murray irrigators in Victoria now have 13 per cent of their water entitlements, and those on the Goulburn river system have 9 per cent. Parts of northern Victoria still don’t have any allocation at all, however.

High security water allocation in New South Wales’ Murrumbidgee Valley now stand at 95 per cent. In the Murray region, high security allocations are up to 80 per cent and those in the Lower Darling system are at 20 per cent.