Principal supporter, Meat and Livestock Australia, contributes four million dollars so the northern beef industry has more accurate climate tools and wet season onset forecasts.
Meat and Livestock Australia Program Manager Doug McNicholl said red meat producers in Northern Australia were hungry for improved seasonal forecasts, predictions of multi-year as well as fast-developing or flash droughts and wet season onset
He said NACP will continue to develop new forecast products but their extension work is key because graziers want and need assistance interpreting forecasts for business decision making.
NACP Program Director David Cobon explains northern Australia has missed out on climate research developments in the past.
"Much more investment has gone into climate research for grain growers in southern Australia, however for large parts of Northern Australia the climate is becoming more variable - so it puts more emphasis on needing better forecasting."
In addition to UniSQ research scientists from the Centre for Applied Climate Sciences, the program involves Melbourne based Bureau of Meteorology experts, other staff from the world-leading Hadley Centre for Climate Research and the “UK Met Office” in the United Kingdom as well as graziers from Northern Australia, who work as specialist local extension “Climate Mates” to help their community to understand the research and apply it in a practical way.
The project has created the “Northern Rainfall Onset” that accurately predicted an early or late wet season onset in its first two years of application.
The Centre is also making changes in business culture with insurance products so when producers can’t manage their way through what the weather has in store they can still protect their business and continue to produce quality sustainable food and fibre to the world.
