Modelling to assist Gippsland farmers prepare for drought
Food & Fibre Gippsland is one of five node leads within the Victoria Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub (‘Vic Hub’). We work closely with a wide range of organisations who are involved with the Future Drought Fund. This update is concerned with the Climate Services for Agriculture program, led by the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM). Food & Fibre Gippsland works with the BOM as part of the co-design group, reviewing new products as they are developed and tested with producer groups.
Australia experiences drought in four stages:
preparing for drought
responding to drought
recovering from drought
good years
Different regions, industries and farmers will be at varying stages of the cycle at any one time; this can be very much the case in Gippsland where drought in the west of the region is very different to drought in central areas, or in the east.
By adapting to the drought cycle, Australian farming will remain productive, profitable and sustainable. Our sector will continue to protect our land and water, strengthen rural communities, secure the nation’s food supply and grow our economy.
The Australian Government is developing the Drought Early Warning System Project.
The Drought Early Warning System (DEWS) project is a new initiative established by the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF). This project is currently being undertaken by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) in partnership with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).
Overview of the proposed Drought Early Warning System
The project will develop a set of national indicators for measuring and forecasting the extent and severity of drought impacts in the Australian agricultural sector. The project will combine climate data with agricultural models to generate ‘outcome-based’ drought indicators translating climate data into specific agricultural impacts (such as crop yields, pasture growth and farm business outcomes).
These indicators will be forward-looking, accounting for both historical weather data and BOM seasonal forecasts; they will be produced nationally on high resolution (approximately 5 km). At the completion of the first phase of this project these indicators will be published online via the prototype Climate Services for Agriculture (CSA) platform, currently under development by the Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO with funding from the Future Drought Fund.
Source: https://www.agriculture.gov.au/abares/research-topics/climate/drought-early-warning-system-project
Find out more at:
https://climateservicesforag.indraweb.io
There are a number of regional meetings being planned by the Bureau of Meteorology; Food & Fibre Gippsland will advise in advance of these sessions. If you’d like to speak with one of our team, please email us at info@foodandfibregippsland.com.au.
