Variations in rainfall are natural, we can see that from data histories, politicians and politics should stay out of drought.
Farmers should understand their long term rainfall histories and put aside money or resources (feed) in the good years to cope with inevitable low rain years. Perhaps the tax system should make it easier for them to do that. But all Govt payouts for so called “drought relief” should be abolished. Govts have created enough disasters that there is plenty for them to do fixing the damage.
NZ farmers who made mistake of going along with climate change zealotry now pay the price.
The only way to meet carbon (sic) targets is to cull stock, or, put themselves out of business.
Australian farmers need to smarten up & fight hard against the green left .
Next will be export and what’s left of dairy.
Next will be the lamb & wool industry.
After that its wood industry.
After that you ain’t go nothing left.
Fight for it or lose your economy.
‘Frustratingly cruel’: Farmer fury grows over Government’s climate change plans
www.newshub.co.nz/home/rural/2019/05/frustratingly-cruel-farmer-fury-grows-over-government-s-climate-change-plans.html
“Condemnation of the Government’s plans to address climate change is growing within the rural sector with claims stock would have to be culled to reach the proposed targets.”
As a retired grazier I couldn’t agree more with your item about drought. Like any business it’s one’s own responsibility to do ‘due diligence’. Assessing the long term rainfall history and planning how to cope with the worst (+ a some) is an essential component of that. In the event, droughts are always difficult decision times, but once governments get into it, it creates the unfair situation that the balance of the playing field is upset and some farm businesses are always favoured over others.
When others organizations such as the ABC get into the ‘drought’ thing, it of course makes matters even worse again. – Although we know they are just doing it for the ‘narrative’ they are keen to push.
“Perhaps the tax system should make it easier for them to do that. But all Govt payouts for so called “drought relief” should be abolished.”
On first principles, I would have to agree. The government will never be as efficient in compensating for weather events as a farmer can be. Given the huge variations in rainfall even over relatively short distances, “drought declaration” is always going to be a lottery, with some farmers missing out when they have been really suffering, and others cashing in when they don’t need it.
Was watching ABC NewsTV and there was a slot on high lamb prices at Wagga Wagga saleyards. Usual comments re drought and a farmer said something along lines “we have had 3 years of drought”.
Checking 12 month Rainfall Percentage maps for NSW here for periods 1 July to 30 June it is clear that the map for 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017 had plenty of above average rain around Wagga region. So 2 years of below average rain not 3.
www.bom.gov.au/jsp/awap/rain/archive.jsp?colour=colour&map=percent&year=2017&month=6&period=12month&area=ns
But nobody checks, no attention to accuracy, got their slanted grab.
Being a grazier, and drought affected, I am yet to see any “drought relief” provided by the government. The government have employed more public servants as councilors etc. There are freight subsidies, but they only give back about the amount that they have already taken in diesel and other taxes. The media and politicians just make mileage at farmers cost. We have received some money, but it was private donations via private organisations. And some help, but it was from volunteers via private organisations. I would like to know what these government payouts are??
Old bush saying:
“At the end of every drought there is a good rain.”
Media in the US parrot similar lies and rubbish about rainfall that OzMedia flood us with in Australia.
wattsupwiththat.com/2019/07/11/somethings-rotten-in-d-c-and-it-isnt-those-rain-totals/
‘Murray-Darling Basin in ‘most severe’ two-to-three year drought conditions in 120 years of records, BOM says.’
www.weatherzone.com.au/news/murray-darling-basin-in-most-severe-two-to-three-year-drought-conditions-in-120-years-of-records-bom-says/529962
Don’t they look at their own data?
www.bom.gov.au/climate/change/#tabs=Tracker&tracker=timeseries&tQ=graph%3Drranom%26area%3Dmdb%26season%3D0112%26ave_yr%3D0
There are at least four periods that seem worse.
Yes Ian – I made a 5 yr av of MDBasin rain totals at –
www.bom.gov.au/climate/change/?ref=ftr#tabs=Tracker&tracker=timeseries&tQ=graph%3Drain%26area%3Dmdb%26season%3D0112%26ave_yr%3D5
Making a 5 yr av line – that was dryer post 2000 – around = in the 1980’s – dryer in 1960’s – much dryer in 1940’s and 1930’s- dryer in 1910’s & 1900’s.
Chart added 11.30am 20Jul19 – Larger chart
BoM would say global warming has made modern drought worse. I would say they are ignoring the large increases in our spending power over the Century. Farmers in the 1940’s and earlier were relatively poorer than their modern cousins. See chart of our National increase in GDP per capita – only back to ~1960. Pre-1950 there were periods of low or negative GDP growth.
www.ceicdata.com/en/indicator/australia/gdp-per-capita
So obvious too in the BoM MDB chart that rain hit higher highs post WWII and lower highs before 1950. Sooooo MDB rain is increasing over 120 years. Never hear that.
On the topic of putting aside money or feed for dry times, roos seem to be at an historical high. They are plains animals that thrive on what farmers do. Old fellas, like 70 year olds, who lived in the country said when they were lads, there were no where near this number. If we could have an open market in roos there would not be a thing wrong with grazing and the droughts would just mean we get rid of time consuming sheep and cattle and just harvest roos. I run at least 3 x as many roos as I do sheep. I cant rest paddocks or put in pasture improvement like they could in the 1950s. Re. tax system. I think it was the LNP some time recently made fences deductible rather than depreciable over 20 years. We have had a rash of much needed new fences lately. Farms are often worth about what the fences cost, so in effect we get a free farm when we buy fences off the previous farmer. Fences are that important in grazing areas that land values are affected by their condition. Many fences are 70 yrs old. 15 years ago when looking for places to buy I saw quite a few properties where the fences were put in in the depression. The properties were being lost to productive farming because in steep country where vehicles could not go it was not economically feasible to replace the old depression fencing when it fell down if it could only be depreciated. So yes, govt policy and tax makes a huge difference to drought preparedness (ie financial viabiliity of grazing).
If climate change were to result in less stability in the climate system, and push currently marginal land towards becoming unprofitable land to farm (in other words, if drought becomes the new normal), then we can just tell those farmers on that land to ‘suck it up’ and hand their farms back to the banks. Bad luck, guys. Sure, not your fault, but you have to pay for it.
Perhaps we should also get rid of Medicare, as well? You got sick? Can’t pay for treatment? Bad luck. You die.
Or perhaps we should acknowledge that we need to support those farmers in some way, to share the burden a bit?
Too often drought stories on the ABC say make claims about rainfall that is not supported by checking the nearest century long or longer rain data history.
That’s my main bitch.
The freaking constant avalanche of lies, over-statements and “climate change propaganda”.
When anybody who can use Excel can see the truth in minutes.
John,
Who saves miners and farmers when commodity prices fall.
Who helps manufacturing industry employees and companies when labour and power costs increase?
You might like to lead the Great Helper Organization.