NSW Department of Primary Industries

Climate Vulnerability Assessment

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Assessing vulnerability of key broadacre crops to climate change

The issue

Climate change is altering the growing conditions for agricultural commodities including broadacre crops. The viability and growth of broadacre cropping will depend on the industry's response to higher temperatures, more extreme weather events, and shifts in rainfall patterns. The NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) is undertaking a detailed analysis of the risks and opportunities of a changing climate to support resilience and adaptation in the broadacre cropping sector.

DPI staff, leading researchers and industry experts are working together to develop crop suitability models

What we are doing

The NSW DPI Soil & Water R&D Unit is working with the NSW DPI Climate Branch to:

  • Identify elements of climate change affecting production of 10 broadacre crops that make the most significant contribution to the NSW economy
  • Build and test models that demonstrate crop suitability under varying climatic conditions
  • Identify climate change related risks and opportunities for broadacre cropping

Researchers are investigating how key crops will be affected by climate change

Project objectives

  • Identify climate risks and opportunities for the highest value broadacre cropping industries
  • Provide the evidence base to support Government policies and industry plans to address climate change effects

Project outcomes

  • Improved understanding of climate change risks and opportunities for broadacre crops
  • Greater capacity in industry and government to plan and respond to climate change
  • More effective on-farm mitigation and adaption strategies
  • Greater capacity to capitalise on opportunities for increased production and geographic expansion

Funding and partners

The Primary Industries Climate Change Research Strategy (CCRS) is investing $8 million in the Climate Vulnerability Assessment Project focused on livestock, cropping, horticulture, fisheries and forestry, drought and biosecurity.

This initiative is supported by the NSW Climate Change Fund.

NSW DPI is partnering with farmers, industry leaders and scientists to deliver the Climate Vulnerability Assessment Project.

Contact

Michelle Miller - Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute
michelle.miller@dpi.nsw.gov.au




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Published: Apr 2021


www.dpi.nsw.gov.au