Premier Bob Carr made the announcement in State Parliament yesterday afternoon, confirming what local farmers already knew but believed was well overdue.

The latest round of declarations has 96 per cent of New South Wales in drought with another three per cent on the verge of being declared.

Added to the list yesterday were the entire central tablelands and Tweed/Lismore Rural Lands Protection Board areas.

Further portions of the Gloucester, Goulburn, Hume, Molong, Wagga and Gundagai were also added to the list.

However, the outlook isn't good for farmers with the Premier saying Australian and American meteorologists are suggesting the El Nino phenomenon could continue until April 2003.

Lagoon farmer Neal McSpedden has seen it all before at his "Springfield" property which he has been on since 1924, but he says he has never seen it worse than it is at the moment.

"It was pretty dry back in the early 1980s, but at least then we had a little bit of spring and summer rain then before things dried right off at the end of summer," he said.

"This time we've had nothing (rain) for months and months and that's not good because we rely on spring falls for most pasture growth.

MORE: Read today's Western Advocate.