Improved Seasonal Forecasts for Wool Producers in Western NSW

Citation

Land & Water Australia. 2007. Improved Seasonal Forecasts for Wool Producers in Western NSW . [Online] (Updated June 10th, 2008)
Available at: http://lwa.gov.au/node/25 [Accessed Sunday 21st of March 2010 10:42:25 PM ].

Summary

The western pastoral zone of NSW covers the area bound by Walgett in the north, Balranald in the south, Broken Hill in the west and Nyngan in the east. Since 1879, five extended droughts have caught many graziers in the region unprepared, resulting in major stock losses and sometimes irreparable land degradation. But through Improved Seasonal Forecasts for Wool Producers in Western NSW, some 330 woolgrowers were introduced to seasonal climate forecasts in the hope that landholders will be armed with some degree of seasonal foresight.

Aims

The project had the joint objectives of making woolgrowers more profitable by giving them the confidence to carry more stock through good seasons, while averting the land degradation caused by overstocking through drought periods.

Outcomes

An important aspect of the project was to develop seasonal forecasts for pasture growth rather than just rainfall. Using the AussieGRASS computer model, pasture growth is calculated across the variety of soil types based on daily rainfall records and other information, providing graziers with a figure they can use in their stocking rate decisions. The model shows how the pasture growth outlook for the season ahead compares with previous years.