The potential of a drought in coming seasons continues to grow with the Bureau of Meteorology's dry forecast and experts say now is the time to prepare.
When under financial and emotional stress from a hard season, it can make it difficult to make well-informed and rational business decisions.
The Kondinin Group team of Ben White, Mark Saunders and Josh Giumelli, are encouraging farmers to start planning for a drought now.
The trio recently released a series of information books about how to best prepare and farm during drought periods.
The reports range from feed grain storage solutions, to water infrastructure and how to interpret weather forecasts.
"It's about providing people with information... and some independent information helps get rid of some issues," Mr Saunders said.
"When we have another drought, it's important farmers are prepared to manage the risk."
They believe there are some decisions that should be made before a drought situation, so they can be made quickly in the event.
"Being prepared is probably one of the key messages," Mr White said.
"While we're not in drought, you might not be thinking about it, but that's absolutely the time you should be gathering as much information as you possibly can.
"Because once you're in drought, and there's a whole bunch of stresses and other factors coming into it, that can affect your decision making."
They said some of the most important feedback they've received from farmers is that it can be hard to manage mental health during trying times on the farm.
"Droughts are pretty stressful for everyone involved," Mr Giumelli said
The booklets are a mix of new and existing information and draws on farmer case studies to help readers decide what the best course of action for their farm is.
It goes into mistakes farmers have made, things that went well and things that they thought they could do better.
The Kondinin Group has committed to releasing 24 booklets over a two-year period analysing different aspects of the farm.
So far they have released 12 booklets, which include:
Asking for help and where to find it
Drought impacts farmers financially due to the loss of production and profitability, which has a flow on effect to other businesses in communities.
The effects of drought have a broad range of impacts including mental health of those in drought affected areas.
Notably it also provides a guide on what to have prepared in order to help streamline the process when seeking financial assistance and how to avoid some common mistakes.
Destocking, agistment and leasing
A lack of early planning and preparation for drought is often the main factor leading to management problems for livestock producers.
Dry seasons that may or may not extend to droughts are a common feature of Australian climatic conditions.
While it can be hard to distinguish between a normal dry season and a drought, the slow onset of drought allows a sound, well thought out and staged management plan to be developed.
Pasture and ground cover during drought
Both feed on offer and pasture quality will determine the predicted growth rate of livestock at their stage of production.
Pasture quality is generally more important than quantity as livestock can reach a maximum intake but still not be receiving adequate nutrition for production and growth or even just maintenance.
Feed grain storage options
Grain, pulses as well as milled or extruded pellets can be brought in as a complete or components for a ration.
Typically, these commodities are of high value with prices often inflated due to supply shortages and demand during dry times.
This puts an emphasis on the importance of preserving quality, palatability and feed value during a storage phase of any grain before it is fed out.
Water infrastructure
Water is the lifeblood of any livestock operation, and during a drought the supply of this precious resource can be tested severely.
A second report also goes into why dams fail and how to maintain them in a drought.
Livestock feed requirements
Drought and dry seasons are often part and parcel of farming in many areas of Australia.
When finances are stretched and there is limited feed available, it is important to be prepared and plan early so decision making is easier.
Unfortunately as conditions worsen, management options which might have been available earlier may no longer be feasible.
Therefore early preparation and decision making is essential.
Shade options for livestock
During periods of drought, the risk of animals experiencing heat stress is increased, especially if they are also being fed in confinement areas.
Researchers in Queensland have looked at how heat stress is defined, diagnosed and monitored in beef cattle.
It is hoped this increased level of understanding will help predict heat stress events and mitigate their effect in both intensive and extensive livestock operations.
Livestock water requirements
When considering farm water supply and storage needs, it is important to understand how much water is required annually for livestock, farm operations such as crop spraying, firefighting, maintenance and households including gardens.
When considering how much water is required for livestock, it is important to allow far more than the peak needs of an animal, so there is enough water for extended dry periods or if there are infrastructure issues such as a broken pipe or tank.
The booklets are available for free on the droughtinfo.com website, which features weekly news and is dedicated to drought information.
"If you're a grower, you want independent and unbiased information, you need to be able to make informed decisions without someone else taking advantage of either purchase or business decision, whatever it might be," Mr Saunders said.
Mr Giumelli said they tried to fact check "pub talk" so farmers had realistic expectations.
"When we're presenting that information, then everything's been tested on a level playing field," Mr White said.
"Sometimes that's not the case, sometimes the information is presented in certain ways that it's a little bit hard to compare apples with apples."
In November, the group is going to Agritechnica in Germany to check out the latest agricultural technology entering the industry.
They plan to inform Australian farmers about the advances that should be entering the country in the next few years.
"It's good to have a heads up on what's coming here," Mr White said.
More information: Go to droughtinfo.com
Jasmine Peart
Jasmine is a earnest listener and a passionate advocate for justice. She feels privileged to be trusted by farmers across Western Australia to tell their truth.
Jasmine is a earnest listener and a passionate advocate for justice. She feels privileged to be trusted by farmers across Western Australia to tell their truth.
