The trees deprived of water slowly turn to ghosts, their branches as dry and crisp as paper, their silhouettes grey and still.

But it's the trees that have been cut down that are the most disturbing.

Turning off the water leaves room for hope - it might rain before the trees die - but cutting them off at the trunk half a metre above the ground is a final, conclusive act.

Cock has removed trees and drastically pruned the ones he has left.

He may not have ghost trees to haunt him, but he knows the cost of reducing production - less return to the farmer and a consequent reduction in long-term viability.

Cock has plenty of optimism, though, and says reducing the amount of water each tree receives has had a surprising benefit. Last year he found the flavour of his navel oranges had become more intense.

"They taste like the fruit my dad used to grow."

Consumers have noted the change too.

Some growers are also taking a long-term view and replacing older trees with new varieties, which need less water.

These trees will need seven to eight years before they produce a decent crop, but it's a more hopeful option.

Others are replacing citrus with different crops such as stone fruit and avocado, hoping to get higher profits for less outlay. But it's clear that some won't make it.

Josie Caccaviello, 69, is one of those living with uncertainty. With husband Leonardo, 73, she has grown citrus for 50 years. The couple built up their property from nothing, starting with a small plot bought with Leonardo's two brothers and their families in Tooleybuc on the NSW side of the Murray.

The small holding grew into a large commercial operation, as the family used skills learned in Massalubrense, near Naples, Italy, where Leonardo was born.

Now it's an impressive sight - 140 hectares of citrus, wine grapes, stone fruit and a few olive trees and 160 hectares of cereals that stretch as far as the eye can see.

But the view no longer brings Josie much joy. "I used to look at the farm with pride," she remembers, ''but now the sight of it is only cause for worry.''

Rising costs also include chemicals, machinery, repairs, maintenance and labour.

This means the profit margin on fruit sales is increasingly tight. What the Caccaviellos once considered their superannuation is now an asset they say no one would want. "We may be forced just to walk away," says Josie.

It's hard to believe that anyone could consider abandoning such an impressive farm, but Josie's son Leon, 38, who manages the property, is filled with anger and despair.

"Growers need to earn more for their fruit," he says, "otherwise it will become impossible for us to survive.

I'm not knocking supermarkets, they are our best customers, but all buyers need to either share more of their profits with us, or charge more for our fruit.

"As with all commercial operations we must make a profit to continue operating."

Australian Citrus Growers CEO Judith Damiani acknowledges that many growers are under stress, but increased export, particularly to the US where returns are very good, means Australian citrus will readily find a market.

The water crisis will have to be overcome using new efficiencies and technology, she says.

Australian citrus growers' ability to withstand challenges is shown by the stable supply of citrus to domestic and export markets over the past 10 years.

So why is there imported citrus in our supermarkets?

It's a question Damiani is asked regularly.

There are two reasons: seasonal availability and price.

At certain times of the year, Australian-grown citrus is not available.

Imports from California usually fill the gap (California is also one of our industry's export markets).

Australian growers don't try to compete with the volume of cheap concentrated juice imported from Brazil.

They can't match the price, despite the quality of local product.

But Cock, who is also vice-president of Australian Citrus Growers Inc, says it's easy to tell the difference between imported and local juices.

"Australia and California grow the best navels in the world.

"Our juice is sweet and orange but the rest of the world produces a less-sweet yellow-coloured juice.

"You can see the difference just by looking."

While the quality of our fruit may be second to none, changing lifestyles and consumer demand for convenience are also affecting the industry.

In a world of muesli bars, breakfast bars, muffins and drive-through fast food, taking the trouble to peel a piece of fruit, removing the pith and spitting out the seeds feels like hard work.

Peeling a mandarin or an orange is no longer the easiest snack option.

Graeme Sanderson, a research horticulturist at the Department of Primary Industries and a citrus specialist, says it's a world-wide trend.

"People just don't have the time to peel and eat any more. Eating citrus needs to be as easy as eating a banana.

"If you look in the supermarkets you'll see mostly seedless grapes. There's been a move away from the varieties with seeds as people just don't want to eat them.

Citrus is moving that way too. There's a gradual varietal change to easy-peel, softer skins and no seeds. Mandarins are easier to consume so we're seeing a gradual worldwide expansion of the mandarin market," Mr Sanderson said.

The desire for convenience has helped the market in Australia, though.

Cock says the fresh-juice market is one area that has taken off.

And there are also opportunities for Australian growers in the organic export market.

Among those taking advantage of them are Jan Denham and her husband Robert Ridgwell.

Their farm, Karra Organic Citrus, on the Darling River at Ellerslie in NSW, has been certified with the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture since 1989 and produces navel oranges, tangelos, mandarins, plums and vegetables.

Since the early 1990s, Denham and Ridgwell have made water efficiency a major priority.

The farm's system identifies soil moisture levels and fine-tunes watering daily.

Other growers are doing the same and open-channel irrigation is disappearing fast.

Although she's philosophical about imports, Denham says that Australians need to be more aware of buying locally and seasonally, even if it does cost a little more.

"If we lose growers," says Cock, "we lose our independence.

"I can't think of a more frightening situation than having to rely on other countries to supply our food."