Climate Risk and Adaptation
As the impact of climate change increases for agricultural enterprises worldwide, it is critical Australian dairy farmers know how to prepare for it and manage the consequences to keep their businesses viable into the future.
Climate risk
Understanding climate risks, and the potential impact on individual dairy businesses requires some appreciation of what drives climate and weather, predictions about future climate and the greenhouse gases emitted by the dairy industry.
Climate risks can be either physical, such as risk of increased flash flooding or long dry periods, or business related, such as risks associated with carbon markets or with increased expectation from the dairy supply chain that farmers understand and reduce their emissions.
You can learn more about both types of climate risks and try activities to help you understand and reduce them on your farm, through the online climate learning modules.
Adaptation options
The Dairy Businesses for Future Climates (DBFC) project analysed how future climate conditions could impact dairy farms across the country, with five dairy farm case studies from different regions. The work explored what on-farm system changes may best suit new climate conditions.
Some adaptation steps that dairy farmers have already taken to remain productive, sustainable and profitable under climate change, include:
- Changing crop types to fill feed gaps.
- Long-term feed storages and carrying larger fodder reserves.
- Infrastructure for feeding cows, such as sheds or feedpads, to reduce wastage.
- Increasing water use efficiency through better irrigation technology.
- Developing longer term management plans and planning for income variability.
- Increasing stock shade and shelter for extreme conditions.
- Fans and sprinklers in sheds and yards.
- Winters will be warmer with fewer frosts. Pasture growth rates could be higher in winter in southern dairy regions and using nitrogen fertiliser during winter may become more effective.
