As some farmers struggle through their fifth or sixth consecutive year of drought and dry conditions spread across other parts of Australia, there is a push to overhaul national drought support.

Key points: AgForce wants to see immediate ongoing relief for farmers

AgForce wants to see immediate ongoing relief for farmers Some farmers are struggling through their fifth or sixth consecutive year of drought

Some farmers are struggling through their fifth or sixth consecutive year of drought But the cap for income assistance from the Federal Government is only three years

Farmers in Queensland — where two-thirds of the state is still officially drought-declared despite flooding rains in some areas last month — are calling on the Federal Government to immediately extend drought relief.

The Farm Household Allowance (FHA) provides financial support and future planning for farmers who are experiencing hardships.

But they can access the FHA for a total of only three years out of every seven.

The ABC can reveal that, as of April 20, federal Agriculture Department figures showed nearly 2,300 farmers and/or their partners across the country were no longer eligible for FHA because they had reached the three-year limit.

"We need a different approach to preparing for and managing drought, one that supports farmers and rural communities financially, socially and environmentally," said Michael Guerin, chief executive of farmer advocacy group AgForce.

"We need to move away from governments only responding in crisis and instead empower producers to continually improve management of climate risks across their business.

"The current assistance measures are really designed to assist people through a drought that lasts no more than two to three years, whereas many producers in Queensland are now in their sixth year of drought and you can't reasonably be expected to prepare for that."

Some regions of Queensland have been in drought for six years. ( ABC Longreach: Melanie Groves )

'It's very important the allowance goes beyond three years'

Agforce says it will soon be sending letters to 17 federal and state politicians requesting immediate ongoing relief for farmers. It follows an emergency meeting of 24 shire mayors earlier this month.

"It's very important that the household allowance goes beyond three years," said Annie Liston, the Shire Mayor of Murweh, in south-west Queensland.

"While it's not enough to keep them out of debt it gives them something to live on.

Murweh Shire Mayor Annie Liston is on AgForce's emergency drought taskforce. ( ABC News: Oliver Wykeham )

"If you haven't got food on the table or fuel in your car there's no social interaction, and mental health is a huge issue here and with my nursing background that worries me.

"Things are very tough out here. We've had a severe drought for six years."

Cr Liston said tougher land clearing laws introduced by the Queensland Government would be the final straw for some farmers, who rely on knocking over mulga trees to feed their livestock.

"People are going to have to walk away from their farms, and that has a flow-on effect for businesses and the whole community," said Cr Liston, who is on AgForce's emergency drought taskforce.

In petitioning federal and state politicians, AgForce is calling for:

changes to the FHA to provide wider access to income support

changes to the FHA to provide wider access to income support longer-term funding for mental health services, including that provided by the Royal Flying Doctor Service

longer-term funding for mental health services, including that provided by the Royal Flying Doctor Service investment in capital works projects to keep jobs in drought-affected towns

investment in capital works projects to keep jobs in drought-affected towns relief from leasehold rent and rates payments for drought-affected farmers

relief from leasehold rent and rates payments for drought-affected farmers increased educational support for families in remote areas sending their children away to school

increased educational support for families in remote areas sending their children away to school an overhaul of national drought policy and included measures

Federal Agriculture Minister 'happy to explore options'

"I haven't been inundated with people asking me to extend their terms" for the FHA, Minister David Littleproud said.

He said his concern was that "only around a third of those eligible have applied for farm household assistance".

David Littleproud said the Government had put more than $1 billion in drought assistance. ( ABC News: Mitchell Woolnough )

"I have a real fear that people have self-assessed … they've just said, 'You know what, I'm not going to bother, I won't be eligible'."

FHA has been available since 2014 and has been accessed by nearly 7,900 people.

Agriculture Department figures show 2,110 people are currently receiving the allowance, and nearly 3,500 farmers and/or their partners have accessed the payment but left voluntarily before reaching the three-year limit.

AgForce has told the ABC that many cash-poor farmers are ineligible for the FHA because their net assets exceed $2.5 million.

It's calling on the Government to lift the threshold.

Mr Littleproud said since taking office the Government had "put in more than $1 billion in drought assistance through farmhouse assistance, through concessional loans (and) also a community drought program where $1.5 million has gone into shire councils to build projects using local businesses".

"The reality is that we've put in place a program that not only gives short-term benefits but also looks for the long-term sustainability of those businesses … and be resilient for the next dry period," he said.

The Queensland Government is currently reassessing dry conditions across the state, which is likely to result in some shires shaking off their drought status.