The Ag Econ team lives in rural Australia, and our livelihoods depend on the success of agriculture and farming communities. We know, from experience understanding climatic influences can help farming businesses prepare for significant changes in farm output.
We have launched Farmer Forecast in response to demand for our condensed and easy to read climate information. This has followed seven years of climate extension for research corporations and rural businesses, that targeted broad acre agricultural industries on the eastern seaboard. To date, we have provided climate analysis and extension to the irrigation sector (cotton, grains, sugarcane and horticulture), livestock sectors (rangeland beef, sheep and goats) as well as intensive livestock operations such as fisheries, cattle and sheep feedlots. Each industry experience’s various combinations of tropical, sub-tropical and Southern Ocean impacts on seasonal, annual, and decadal timescales, each of which requires interpretation.
As climate literacy of future generations of advisors and land managers improves, decision-makers in regional and remote areas requires good quality and timely information, need to be at the forefront of research findings, aware of new decision support tools, unbiased and independent analysis and critical thinking. Our recently launched newsletter content is fluid by nature and will change throughout the calendar year to target and communicate key climatic influences on farming businesses.
Our aim with Farmer Forecast is not to transform farmers into meteorologists, instead explain fundamental influences, cycles that occur around us, in a way our farmer audience can understand!
Meet our climate team
Jon Welsh | Climate analyst lead
Jon has made comprehending and communicating climate processes his passion. Jon has a unique knowledge of complex climatic and agricultural research findings as well as a depth of agricultural production experience. Jon is a dual-international climate speaker, respected agricultural R&D author and advisor also holding post-grad qualifications in related disciplines. He is currently furthering his weather and climate knowledge through the University of Reading (UK).
Janine Powell | Decision support, farmer focus & communications lead
Janine is an experienced and accomplished agricultural researcher. She is a critical thinker who can easily recognise value among the latest technology or management change and how it fits into farming operations. Janine has always lived in western NSW and her family operate an irrigated, broad acre and livestock farm. She has a vested interest in keeping at the forefront of decision support, skills and tools that can aid in risk management.
Chris Clyne | Climate research reviews & analysis
Chris is currently a broad acre farmer in the Gwydir Valley in northern NSW. Chris has a keen interest in climate research and is the recipient of a Grain Growers Leaders Program completing a project focused on seasonal model accuracy and the communication of global model outputs. Chris has come from a background in financial risk management abroad with Macquarie Bank and holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Laws (U.Syd).
"Climate research has reached a point where it has become too important to ignore in the management of our farming enterprise. The next generation of weather and climate analysis and the tools developed around them are value adding to any business where weather and climate are important profit drivers." Chris Clyne