Almost one-third of the Armidale Rural Lands Protection Board (RLPB) district has been rated as marginal in the latest drought assessment by the Department of Primary Industries.

The remainder of the district remains satisfactory - as the whole district had been for the previous five months.

Below average rainfall in March has finally been reflected in the district’s drought status.

Armidale received just 4.8mm in March.

While April proved more beneficial with 54.6mm, there has not been a drop during the first half of May.

The marginal area of the district lies in the north-east quadrant.

To the north, the Northern New England RLPB district has deteriorated further.

The western half of the district moved from satisfactory to marginal last month: now that area has increased and been further downgraded to ‘in drought’.

The State’s farmers are now bracing themselves for another horror autumn, with almost half of NSW now drought declared, according to Minister for Primary Industries, Ian Macdonald.

Figures show 48.4 per cent of the State is in drought, up from 42.9 per cent last month, 23.6 per cent is marginal and 28.0 per cent is considered satisfactory.

Mr Macdonald said many farmers have suffered more than seven years of consecutive drought, failed crops and dwindling water supplies.

“April rainfall was patchy across NSW,” he said. “Coastal areas received falls but inland regions generally were not as fortunate.”