Innovative Climate Tool Expands to Support More Farmers

The Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO have unveiled a new name for their digital information product 'My Climate View', along with updates to help more farmers make informed decisions now to build climate resilience for decades to come.

Previously known as the Climate Services for Agriculture online platform, My Climate View is unique in providing farmers with critical data to assess how climate trends, including changes to temperature and rainfall, might impact their business for specific commodities and date ranges in their location, to a 5 km² resolution.

Along with the new name, My Climate View has been updated with:

• climate information on new commodities – avocados, cherries and chickpeas
• significant improvements to how users access and view their local and commodity-specific climate information
• details on how climate information is calculated.

The Australian Government’s Climate Services for Agriculture program is a collaboration between the Bureau of Meteorology and Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO.

Bureau of Meteorology Program Director, Climate Services for Agriculture, Elizabeth Johnston said My Climate View is a product that has been designed by farmers for farmers.

"The Climate Services for Agriculture team has engaged extensively with Australia's agricultural sector to understand what climate information and services the sector needs and how it is best presented," Ms Johnston said.

"It is critical Australian farmers and communities have the locally relevant and commodity-specific information they need to prepare for the future," she said.

"The product presents past and future climate information, all in one place."

The program team, which includes agricultural scientists, climate scientists, social scientists, digital product developers, and communication and engagement specialists, continues to integrate feedback from farmers and their advisers across Australia into the My Climate View product.

CSIRO’s Drought Resilience Mission lead, Dr Graham Bonnett, said more than 2,000 people who work in agriculture had been engaged across Australia.

My Climate View has been developed to help farmers understand the aspects of future climate that are most relevant to them and what they farm."

Dr Graham Bonnett, Drought Resilience Mission Lead, CSIRO

The Climate Services for Agriculture program is part of the Australian Government's Future Drought Fund's investment into the development of better climate information for Australia's agriculture sector.