In addressing this topic I have been asked to consider the development of management strategies for farmers faced with a shortage of irrigation water, a situation that appears endemic in the Gwydir Valley. Ten years ago Greg Constable and I showed in an analysis of our experimental data that 8 Ml per planted ha are needed for maximum yields in the driest years, while 7 Ml/ha gives the greatest remrns per Ml on average by allowing a larger area to be planted with a given allocation. When the allocation is reduced, greatest returns would be obtain on average when the crop area was reduced to allow 6 to 7 Ml for each planted ha. With less than 6 Ml per ha the risks of obtaining yields below the breakeven point were very great and there was no advantage in delaying the first irrigation or increasing the interval between irrigation