Company Managed Agreement for the Managing Climate Variability Program Phase 5

Summary

The purpose of this Company Managed Agreement (CMA) was to support a range of operational activities within the Managing Climate Variability Program Phase 5. This included:

• stakeholder engagement
• production of digital and paperback material generated from the program
• IT maintenance (MCV website etc.)
• review of outputs from the program prior to publishing.

Objectives

The objective of this investment was to support relevant administrative expenditure items related to the Managing Climate Variability Program.

Benefits to industry

The CMA enabled expenditure into operational aspects of the MCV Program Phase 5 that delivered the following benefits to the industry:

• ongoing education (through extension and communication activities) of producers and their advisors on weather and seasonal climate forecasts through the Climate Kelpie website and CliMate website and App
• the development of new R&D initiatives outside of MCV to develop extreme event forecasting products, namely the Forewarned is Forearmed Rural R&D for Profit Project
• research into specific issues furthering our weather and climate knowledge.

Future research

Future research, development and adoption activities required include:

• improving the understanding of weather and seasonal climate forecasts among producers (presently there are significant misinterpretation issues prevent correct interpretation of forecast information)
• developing / refining decision support packages that allow producers and their advisors to seamlessly apply seasonal climate forecasts to key farm management decisions;
• ongoing pursuit of improvements in the skill and use of seasonal climate forecasts.