NINE innovative, young farmers and agricultural professionals from across Australia are touring climate research sites and innovative farms in South West Victorian this week.
The group from a range of agricultural industries and research aged 21 to 35 heard from leaders in climate science, carbon farming and climate change adaptation including at Terang's Demo Dairy yesterday and Hamilton's Jigsaw Farms and Southern Farming Systems' research sites at Inverleigh today.
Among yesterday’s guest speakers were Russell Pattinson who was the national coordinator of Southern Livestock Adaptation 2030 (SLA2030), a project that was funded by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry as part of Australia’s, Meat & Livestock Australia, Dairy Australia and Australian Wool Innovation.
The trends of Australia’s average annual temperature rising and winter rainfall in southern Australia decreasing are likely to continue, and farmers risk huge profit losses if they do not adapt their enterprises, Mr Pattinson told Young Carbon Farmers last week.
Modelling directly involving producers was undertaken in 46 country towns across southern Australia. A further 43 locations were modelled, with the research looking at cattle and sheep enterprises at most locations.
SLA2030 found the majority of future climate predictions suggest much of southern Australia will become more difficult to farm in the future, with potentially higher temperatures, lower rainfall, more extreme weather events and shorter growing seasons impacting pasture production, he said.
Australian farmers will need consistently better information on climatic conditions and the impact on plant and animal growth to enable them to successfully negotiate these challenges, Mr Pattinson said.
“Sadly climate change is not as ‘sexy’ as it was a few years ago, so funding for research is down which will impact how agribusinesses will be able to cope.”
Agricultural scientist Professor Snow Barlow, of the University of Melbourne’s School of Land and Environment agreed, saying: “We can’t leave farmers high and dry because of the political view that we can’t talk about climate change.
“We need to separate politics from the critical help needed for farmers to adapt.”
Mr Pattinson hopes governments and industry switch that trend because, he said, many climate forecasts suggested on average, temperatures might increase by about 1°C and rainfall might reduce by about 10 per cent by 2030 and CSIRO modelling indicated such changes are likely to have a significant impact on pasture and livestock production – potentially reducing them by 15pc to 20pc.
While temperature and rainfall changes by 2030 were modelled on average to negatively impact on pasture and thus livestock production and profitability, each area will differ.
Lower rainfall inland areas are forecast to be hardest hit.
Data from a Yass wool producer showed average annual profit from 1970 to 1999 of $228 per hectare but in the 2030 prediction model if no changes were made, profit would reduce to 60pc of the base period, he said.
“If you do nothing, which farmers don’t do because farmers always react to markets and weather changes etcetera, there are adaptations that can make an impact.”
Different adaptations would have differing impacts but genetic improvement could limit the reduction in profit to 86pc of the base. The farmers could also adapt by improving soil fertility, changing stocking rate and using a feedlot in poor summers to keep the profitability.
“But the trick is combining adaptation strategies. It won’t be one thing that will adapt your farming operation on its own.”
The three-day Carbon Bus tour was the Young Carbon Farmers' final event.
