Last month DPI held a workshop in Lismore on the impacts of a changing climate on north coast agriculture.

Several research scientists gave a rundown on the general causes and impacts of climate change on agriculture and people from the region’s main agricultural industries then gave their impressions on how the increasing temperature, drier climate and extreme weather events would affect their industries.

The dairy industry is already researching ways to manage for a hotter, drier climate, with local farmers looking to secure better pastures and irrigation water.

The sugar industry has commissioned a study of the potential impacts of climate change on sugar production and processing and is reviewing future development of the industry.

The macadamia industry suggested that it may have to consider irrigation to stabilise production and the use of more drought tolerant species.

The issues for beef production include pasture species and possible wider range for pests and disease such as cattle tick.

Increased extreme weather events such as storms, hail and heatwaves will greatly affect horticultural crops.

Farmers at the workshop said they need to be prepared to change, to increase their knowledge, improve their farm management, particularly soil and water management, and change specific production practices.

They were particularly interested in information on climate forecasting tools and practices to reduce greenhouse emissions.

The workshop organisers recognised that there is a real need among farmers for good quality information about climate change.

An excellent publication that provides good background information that is easy to follow is the Bureau of Meteorology’s free book, The Greenhouse Effect and Climate Change. You can download it on the BOM website www.bom.gov.au or order a print copy by ringing BOM’s publications unit on 03 9669 4312.

The Bureau also has a huge range of free climate information available on its website. On the opening webpage click on iClimate information' to see what is available.

Another fascinating source of information is eCarbon news, a free electronic newsletter from the CRC for Greenhouse Accounting that gives short summaries each month of all developments in climate change, carbon, greenhouse emissions and energy.

It can make for depressing reading though! You can subscribe at http://www.greenhouse.crc.org.au. This website also has a section on greenhouse in agriculture because agriculture plays a major role in the flows of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane.

The Australian Greenhouse Office website includes a section on agriculture and provides good background information on greenhouse science at http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/education/index.html.

If you would like a list of climate information websites, please ring me on 02 6626 1319 or email rebecca.lines-kelly@dpi.nsw.gov.au.

This column appears in Agriculture Today.