Moss Vale's rain gauge hasn't been this dry in 114 years, leaving Highland farmers waiting until rain falls or government assistance arrives in March next year.

The State Government's carrot offered to the region's farmers has been hung on a stick that's six months long, far too long according to the Rural Lands Protection Board.

Arguing that this latest drought is exceptional, Moss Vale Rural Lands Protection Board spokesmen Keith Hart joined his colleagues at the saleyards last week to survey the impact of the big dry.

"Once upon a time, as soon as drought was declared the board would be in their helping out the farming community," Mr Hart said. "Now that we have to wait six months before the Government releases funds. We've been effectively sidelined.

"Instead of standing here doing nothing we are gathering information from the Highlands and the Sydney basin so we can write a letter to the Premier asking for greater assistance."

The Government's six-month stand was supposed to push farmers to drought proof their properties, as well as stopping anyone from exploiting government assistance, points Mr Hart does not contest.

What has been the contentious issue for the Rural Lands Protection Board is the government imposing a rationale based on one-in-30 year droughts in the State's western wheat belt.

"Simple arithmetic shows this drought is a one-in100 year phenomena so the government has to show some kind of leniency," Mr Hart said.

The Federal Government has weighed in offering tax breaks on hay sheds and deepening dams, welcome relief for a farming community trying to make the most of the last good rain which fell in February.

"As far as I'm aware we haven't seen a cent from the Federal Government," Mr Hart said.

Returning from a tour of the most affected western half of the Highlands, Rural Lands Protection Board regional president Peter Williams said much of the problem was perception.

"Good rain in February did nothing more than mask the underlying dry conditions that persisted for much of summer, autumn, winter and spring," Mr Williams said.

"In a broader context what we're experiencing is close to 10 years without a single flooding rain, so there is little surprise we are facing the worst drought in living memory."

Watching over the saleyard proceedings Mr Williams pointed to the continually falling price of beef cattle and the wholesale offloading of Highland herds.