Irrigation profitability case studies - Victoria Goulburn Valley region

Summary

The NSW DPI ‘Maximising on-farm irrigation profitability’ project has found that investment in new irrigation infrastructure and layouts has resulted in positive returns for case study farms in the Victorian Goulburn Valley region. (The project also investigated case studies in the Murrumbidgee and NSW Murray Valley.)

While investment in irrigation can present a significant upfront cost, the two case studies in this Primefact illustrate viable financial and payback periods achieved through increased area of higher value crops, labour savings, and better water use efficiency.

The ‘Victoria 1’ case study involved irrigation efficiency improvements to an existing border check layout and an increase in the area under maize.

The ‘Victoria 2’ case study involved investment in permanent infrastructure focussed on automation of the irrigation system across the farm.

Topics in this Primefact include:

  • Methodology including average commodity and water prices and economic analysis calculations
  • Outcomes related to changes in crop rotation and irrigation efficiency
  • Economic outcomes detailed through financial analysis of capital outlay and investment returns, including net cash flow and rate of return



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Primefact 1684 First Edition

Published: Mar 2020