According to the NSW Department of Primary Industries, drought conditions which plagued the state last year could linger in 2019.

The Bureau of Meteorology has warned that the first three months of the year were expected to be warmer and drier than average and that there was an elevated chance of an El Niño event developing in the Pacific Ocean.

El Niño is typically result in warmer and drier than usual conditions, and a later autumn break, for southern and eastern Australia.

The DPI’s researcher Anthony Clark has warned that it would take a “significant and rare rain event” to break the drought before the cooler months of autumn.

Martin Honner from the NSW Farmers’ Association, who has a property near Junee, said recent thunderstorms and showers had given hope to some growers, but others had recorded little rainfall.

“If they got a bit of a green tinge, there may be a bit of a sigh of relief,” Mr Honner said.

“A lot of people will be looking at the sky over the next couple of days.”

Mr Honner said availability of fodder to hand-feed stock was going to become an increasing problem for many farmers.

“This drought is so tough because the whole of the state has been affected. In the past, if there has been a drought in the north, it’s often OK in the south, or the other way around.

“This time, it’s the whole of the state.

“There is just nowhere you can go to put stock on agistment.”

Mr Honner said the drought could prove to have repercussions beyond the farm gate, as both NSW and federal elections are expected in the coming months.

He believes how the governments have handled the drought conditions, and the promises of the major parties, could prove big issues with regional voters.

Mr Honner said the mass fill kills in the state’s north and debate about the Murray-Darling Basin could remain on voters’ minds.

On Thursday, the DPI has removed 20 stressed Murray cod from an area near Menindee and trucked them to Narrandera in a bid to save their lives. 

The fish, which all measured between 80 and 100 centimetres in length, were caught in nets, before being put into a purpose-fitted fish transport truck, which is aerated and temperature monitored.

The 20 Murray cod are destined for Narrandera Fisheries Centre, where it is hoped they will regain health for future breeding and re-stocking purposes in native fish community of the Lower Darling River, because they have a productive potential of more than 100,000 fingerlings per year.

These fingerlings will then be available for future restocking efforts in the Lower Darling, and will ensure the ongoing genetic and cultural connectivity of these fish with the existing populations in the river.