Forward planning | coming seasons

Safe to say, it might still be spring but it feels like summer has found us. According to the latest long-range forecast from the Bureau of Meteorology, daytime temperatures are likely to be above average for most of Australia, including our Hub region. 

Planning for summer is obviously top-of-mind for many of us; however, we also need to prepare for the coming winter as well.

Do you need to be looking at supplementary feed options now, or even destocking or agistment options or have you calculated how much feed you want to carry through summer and into autumn and winter, and discovered you have an abundance of feed?

Some parts of Southern Queensland and Northern New South Wales have just received rain (and some quite destructive storms in places), but was it enough to counteract the early, hot and windy start to the summer season?

The latest long range forecast from the Bureau, for December to February, does indicate above average rainfall is likely across parts of eastern Australia, but daytime temperatures are also likely to be above average (except for eastern New South Wales).

The Armidale Node-supported Ag360.com.au, developed and hosted by the University of New England, is one of the tools available to help you plan ahead. Ag360 is free to use, thanks to support of the Future Drought Fund.

It’s one thing to know your current livestock feed position, but it’s another to see the forecasts that go hand in hand with farmer experience, to help make decisions about stock numbers and grazing management.

Ag360 helps you forecast for pasture and livestock performance during the coming six months, based on weather data relevant to within 5km of the property location.

Members have customised their Ag360 accounts with paddock and animal details for their property. The time spent customising their online account has paid off for many farmers across Australia, allowing them to access 6-month forecasts of rainfall, soil moisture, pasture availability and livestock performance.

I would strongly encourage anyone interested in improving resilience on their properties to create a free account and begin planning for the future today.

With another variable season ahead, planning your decision-making process now, and investing time in forecasting winter feed supplies, will pay off.

Smart planning now sets you up not just for making the most of the current season, but for the seasons that follow.

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Jaimi-lee Edwards is the manager of the University of New England (AU)-hosted Armidale Node of the SQNNSW Innovation Hub. As a pasture coach, grazier and Ag360 expert, Jaimi-lee is enthusiastic about the future of agriculture and understands the depth of responsibility for decision-making that commercial landholders face. She works directly with landholders to build their skills and knowledge of pasture management, assessment and feed budgeting and how to incorporate climate forecasts into farm decision making.