It says recent announcements from the Prime Minister provide little for dairy farmers in the southern Murray-Darling Basin.

ADF president Allan Burgess says there are about 2700 dairy farm businesses in the Basin and all have been severely affected by the drought.

"The Prime Minister's reference to an increase in the Farm Help Re-establishment Grant is meaningless to most dairy farmers as current Federal Government rules greatly limit dairy farmers' access to this assistance," Mr Burgess said.

"We also agree with the National Farmers' Federation comments about the total lack of information and direction about the provision of the urgent household and stock water for thousands of farmers in the southern basin," Mr Burgess said.

"To have had no clear advice from governments at this point in the season is unacceptable and represents a total failure on behalf of governments to support families and businesses in the southern part of the Basin.

"The reality is that in the coming months some farmers may not have access to water for their homes and stock.

"The original advice from the Federal Government was incorrect and remains inconsistent with the Murray-Darling Basin contingency plan report."

Mr Burgess said farmers were struggling to find fodder for stock to get them through the long cold winter ahead.

"ADF made a specific request for support from the Federal Government to connect long-distance fodder markets to help address the fodder crisis on the eastern sea board. This has been rejected – another dry gully," Mr Burgess said.

Source: North Queensland Register