Metropolitan media highlighted on Sunday night how dairy, rice and wheat farms are dying out due to a lack of water allocation.

Hoping to provide a solution, Mr Barilaro has called for a crisis meeting with the Federal Government and other States to release water to irrigators in the nation's southern food bowl.

"The Deputy Premier has resisted all calls for accountability," Mrs Dalton said.

"He voted against a royal commission into the Basin Plan last year.

"When I introduced a bill to force politicians to declare their water ownership, his party stalled, delayed and my bill has now been thrown out.

"Centrelink recipients have to declare their water ownership, but Government MPs do not, the system is rife for corruption."

Farmers have already battled through drought, bushfires and floods, with the COVID-19 pandemic only serving to further damage primary industries.

The crisis meeting scheduled for the next 30 days will aim to turn on the taps for MIA farmers during this desperate time of need.

Southern Riverina Irrigators chariman, Chris Brooks, has backed the urgent coronavirus water call.

"If we act quickly, we can avoid a food crisis," Mr Brooks said.

"Government policies have created this crazy situation, without water for agriculture to grow our staple foods we are heading towards serious food shortages.

"The Federal Government must immediately release water allocations for this growing season."

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The southern Murray Darling Basin once produced 60 percent of Australia's food, but water mismanagement has resulted in hundreds of farms being wiped out.

Chairwoman of the Speak Up Campaign, Shelley Scoullar, has echoed Mrs Dalton's sentiments.

Ms Scoullar says the most efficient and productive agricultural systems have already been compromised due to political games, and the time has come to draw a line in the sand.

"It is disappointing that we need a pandemic crisis to highlight a food crisis," Ms Scoullar said.

"What we need now is action and an end to the denial from politicians.

"This has to change, it has to change immediately so the southern Murray region can return to its proud position as Australia's food bowl."

The crisis meeting letter written to federal Water Minister Keith Pitt by John Barilaro was co-signed by NSW Water Minister Melinda Pavey.

Within its contents was the need to secure a water allocation for Southern Basin irrigators.

"We've seen a stimulus for jobs, a stimulus for business, now we need a water stimulus," Mr Barilaro said.

"I've always had a concern about the whole trading of water, there is no room for people to profiteer as a commodity off the back of water.

"This is urgent, given the extraordinary actions already taken place in the face of this pandemic, this emergency measure not only makes sense for our food security but for the economy generally."

The meeting will hopefully deliver irrigation to Southern Basin farmers within the next 30 days, allowing for winter crops to be planted before June and national food security to prevail amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

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