Climate Services for Agriculture

Combining historical, seasonal forecast and projected climate data

The Climate Services for Agriculture (CSA) prototype helps Australian farmers to adapt to climate variability and related trends and thereby improving the viability of their businesses. 

The CSA prototype is unique in that it helps you understand the historical, seasonal and future climate at your location to help inform decisions for your business. It provides you with:

  • historical data (1961-2020)
  • seasonal forecasts (1-3 months)
  • future climate projections (2030, 2050, 2070).

Delivery approach

This prototype is being delivered by CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology, combining climate science and agriculture expertise. The program is using a human centred design process and a multi-disciplinary capability to design the prototype in collaboration with end users.

Explore the prototype

Please explore the CSA prototype.

We encourage users to provide feedback within the prototype or by emailing CSAEnquiries@csiro.au.

Please note:

  • The prototype is being used to deliver relevant data and insights at national scale and is focussed on the 8 pilot regions for consultation, evaluation and feedback purposes.
  • The prototype is best viewed on a desktop computer using Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome or Safari.
  • System performance may be variable for some locations in Australia.

User engagement in pilot regions

Additional climate risk, impact and resilience information will be developed with users in pilot regions, through to June 2023. 8 pilot regions have been identified to focus engagement with farmers on the development of the CSA platform and the related Drought Resilience Self-Assessment Tool (DR.SAT).

The initial 4 pilot regions announced in March 2021 include:

  • Queensland Dry Tropics – including the Burdekin Dry Tropics Region. Key centres include Townsville, Charters Towers and Bowen.
  • Condamine and the Northern Tablelands – including the Condamine catchment and Northern Tablelands NRM regions. Key centres include Toowoomba, Stanthorpe, Warwick, Armidale and Glen Innes.
  • Victorian Mallee and south-east South Australia – including the Sunraysia and Wimmera / Mallee regions of Victoria and Riverland and Mallee regions of South Australia. Key centres include Mildura, Swan Hill, Renmark, Berri, Ouyen and Horsham.
  • Western Australian Wheatbelt – including the Wheatbelt NRM region and surrounding areas. Key centres include Northam and Narrogin.

The additional 4 pilot regions announced in November 2021 include:

  • Tropical North – including coastal Queensland between Townsville and Cooktown, the NT Katherine region and north-eastern WA in the Ord River region. Key centres include Cairns, Darwin, Katherine, and Kununurra. 
  • Central West New South Wales – including the broad-acre cropping regions. Key centres include Dubbo, Parkes, and West Wyalong.  
  • Riverina and Goulburn-Murray – including the irrigated area within the southern Murray-Darling Basin. Key centres include Shepparton and Griffith.
  • Gippsland and Northern Tasmania – including the irrigated and non-irrigated dairy and vegetable growing regions. Key centres include Bairnsdale, Sale, Yarram, Burnie, and Launceston.

Indicative boundaries are shown on the map below:

The map shows the 8 pilot region boundaries. Pilot regions include: Queensland Dry Tropics, Condamine and Northern Tablelands, Victorian Mallee and south-east South Australia, Western Australian Wheatbelt, Tropical North, Central West New South Wales, Riverina and Goulburn-Murray, Gippsland and Northern Tasmania.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Further information on how to participate is provided in the Questions and Answers (below) or by contacting DroughtResilience@agriculture.gov.au.

Questions and Answers

March 2021
  • Initial pilot regions established.
  • User engagement commenced to support the development of prototype platform
July 2021
  • Prototype platform launched, including:
    • Historical and future looking climate information at a 5km2 scale across the country.
    • Historical and future projected rainfall, temperature, heat risk, frost risk and evapotranspiration provided nationally.
    • Climate impact information for wheat and cattle production in pilot regions.
July – November 2021
  • Engagement with farmers, advisors, state government agencies and peak industry groups in pilot regions to support development of the platform (including joint workshops with DR.SAT).
December 2021
  • Update to the live platform to provide:
    • Tailored climate impact information for more commodities in pilot regions, now including beef, sheep, wheat, almond, apples, barley, canola and lupins.
    • Agriculturally relevant seasonal forecasts of rainfall targeted to your location.
    • Information modules on water availability, agricultural productivity, and natural capital available for early access and evaluation by invitation.
    • New and improved mobile-friendly layout based on user feedback.
    • Faster data loading and responsiveness.
January – May 2022
  • Further engagement with farmers in pilot regions to support development of the platform (including joint workshops with DR.SAT).
June 2022
  • Update to the platform to provide:
    • Climate impact information for more commodities in pilot regions, including sugarcane, tomatoes, grapes, oranges, sorghum, dairy, and mangoes.
    • Further enhancements to seasonal outlook products.
    • Further enhancements to web design for improved access via mobile devices.
    • Information modules on social resilience, finance, and markets.
2022-2023
  • Further updates and enhancements to the platform upon evaluation.

We’re looking for people working in agriculture in each pilot region to participate in user-engagement activities up until June 2023.

This includes farmers, advisers, extension officers and natural resource managers, as well as businesses servicing agriculture, such as agricultural suppliers and people working in business financing and banking.

Different options will be available for participation, depending on your time, interest, and availability.

Once you’ve registered your interest by emailing CSAEnquiries@csiro.au, we’ll be in touch with further details.

As a participant, you may be invited to attend regular workshops or participate in interviews with product developers from December 2021 to June 2023. Depending on your time, interest, and availability, you could be involved in:

  • helping to develop climate information products, to assist farm businesses understand future climate and how that could impact the key commodities in their region
  • providing input into the design, function and content of the new CSA digital platform

Key activities are likely to include:

  • online and/or face-to-face group workshops
  • one-on-one interviews
  • website testing, surveys, and other online activities.

Recordings of the first series of online workshops held in pilot regions in October and November 2021 are available on request by emailing DroughtResilience@agriculture.gov.au.

This will depend on the type of activity you are involved in, your interests and availability.

Activities could occur online, in-person or over the phone.

Yes, it is intended that the prototypes will be extended beyond pilot regions to reach additional commodities and farmers.

Currently CSA includes regional scale climate projections for all of Australia. You can provide feedback within the prototype or by emailing CSAEnquiries@csiro.au.

Funding information

Find details of the payment information for the Climate Services for Agriculture program as required under section 27A of the Future Drought Fund Act 2019 below.

Download

Future Drought Fund: Climate Services for Agriculture (PDF 181 KB)
Future Drought Fund: Climate Services for Agriculture (DOCX 1.99 KB)

If you have difficulty accessing these files, visit web accessibility for assistance.

Contacts

Call 1800 900 090

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