Building Knowledge and Skills to Use Seasonal Climate Forecasts in Property Management Planning

Few in Australian agriculture had heard of the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon and its impact upon Australian climate or agriculture before 1990. Today, few Australian farmers, agri-business people or scientists are not aware of its impact. This change was partly stimulated by revisions to the National Drought Policy in 1990, which introduced a major change in the role of government services. Emphasis was shifted from providing subsidies to providing information so that farmers could be more self-sufficient in managing the climatic risks they faced. Training initiatives for farmers and land managers were initiated through the National Property Management Planning Program. This paper outlines the property management planning process, details how information on seasonal climate forecasting was made available so that the necessary knowledge and skills to use it effectively in farm management could be developed, and discusses what has been learnt in the process and the major issues for the immediate future.