How will climate change effect farmers and what can they do?
RMCG worked with the Birchip Cropping Group and the CSIRO to assess how different climate change scenarios are likely to affect crop yields for standard cereal crops. We assessed the effect that this change in yield will have on the viability of five different farm types and sizes.
We then looked at the costs and benefits of a range of different adaptation options including changed crop varieties and planting schedules to see how far farmers could off-set the adverse impacts of climate change. Once again these changes were modelled to asses whether they could be adopted given the financial constraints of different farm types.
The outcome was a set of pointers that will help farmers monitor, manage and mitigate the effects of climate change.
Project contact: Matthew Toulmin (03) 9882 2670