AGRIBUSINESS

Multi-million dollar project launched to improve forecasting services

A $19 million investment aims to improve climate predictions and outlook services.

Staff writer
 Agricultural Innovation Australia Ltd (AIA) is working with the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) and other research bodies to improve seasonal outlook services. Image courtesy BOM.

Agricultural Innovation Australia Ltd (AIA) is working with the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) and other research bodies to improve seasonal outlook services. Image courtesy BOM.

The four-year program, Agri-Climate Outlooks, is AIA's first major initiative in the climate space and aims to improve and enhance seasonal outlook services provided to the Australian farming, fishing and forestry industries.

The BOM has estimated the initiative could generate up to $68 million annually in potential value for agriculture.

AIA has facilitated the cross-sectoral investment into Agri-Climate Outlooks via a collaboration of 10 of Australia's Rural Research and Development Corporations (RDCs).

The RDCs are Meat & Livestock Australia, Australian Eggs, Australian Wool Innovation, Dairy Australia, AgriFutures Australia, the Grains Research and Development Corporation, Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, Cotton Research and Development Corporation, Sugar Research Australia and Hort Innovation.

AIA chief executive officer, Sam Brown, said the collaboration was ground-breaking because the RDCs were working together on a large-scale project with common goals to help growers and mixed-production enterprises mitigate the impacts of climate on their enterprises.

"Climate variability is proving to have a significant and devastating impact on agricultural and food production, as we have seen with recent floods, extreme weather events and subsequent food shortages and supply chain challenges," Brown said.

Agri-Climate Outlooks will develop decision-specific digital forecast tools and products tailored to specific commodities. The investment also supports improvements to Australia's dedicated weather forecast modelling system.

The BOM's general manager, Agriculture and Water, Matthew Coulton, said: "This initiative will involve deep engagement across the industry to identify high-impact weather- and climate-dependent decisions growers make, and then design fit-for-purpose products and services to support those decisions."

The BOM will manage five Agri-Climate Outlooks workstreams, covering products, services, support and industry capability building. They are:

1/ Establishment of a dedicated team of agri-climate specialists to provide relevant insights to support decision-making.

2/ Upskilling and training for growers and their advisers to accurately interpret and utilise weather, climate and water products to inform agricultural decisions.

3/ Development of easy to understand, decision-specific forecast products delivered via appropriate digital channels.

4/ Development of methods to overlay skill on the BOM's seasonal outlook products and promote the methods as best practice to other seasonal outlook service providers.

5/ Improvements to Australia's high calibre sovereign seasonal forecasting, through improved accuracy of multi-week to seasonal forecasts.

A growing series of reports, each focused on a key discussion point for the farming sector, brought to you by the Kondinin team.

A growing series of reports, each focused on a key discussion point for the farming sector, brought to you by the Kondinin team.

editions

Research Report: Field Days Wrap (November 2024)

Kondinin Group's research team has the low down on the latest gear that was on show at various field days held around the country in the past few months.

editions

Research Report: Trailing Sheep Feeders (October 2024)

Trailing sheep feeders are on the menu for Kondinin Group's October Research Report with nine popular models covered.

editions

Research Report: Livestock Management Software (September 2024)

Kondinin Group's September Research Report looks at a range of livestock management software platforms which can make life a lot easier when it comes to efficient sheep and cattle production.

editions

Research Report: Grain Storage (August 2024)

This month's Research Report from Kondinin Group looks at the benefits and challenges associated with ground level storage with a focus on growers who have done it successfully.