Dealing with dry times
This portal has been developed to support growers and the broader horticultural industry through the forecast dry times by providing a suite of resources and information to inform decision making.
For additional information and advice, growers are advised to contact their Peak Industry Body and/or relevant Federal and State Government agencies (many of these are listed on this page).
In September 2023, the Bureau of Meteorology declared that El Niño and a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) were underway.
The Bureau stated that warmer and drier conditions would be more likely over spring and summer for parts of Australia, under the influence of these two climate drivers.
Both El Niño and a positive IOD tend to draw rain away from Australia. El Niño events increase the risk of extreme temperature shifts, such as heatwaves and hotter days.
The last time Australia encountered both El Niño and a positive IOD was in 2015.
For a summarised El Niño explanation video, and what it means for the different regions across Australia, click here.
For up-to-date information about the outlook, go to:
Drought, disaster and rural support: Programs are available to help prepare for, manage and recover from events such as drought.
Future Drought Fund: Provides secure, continuous funding for drought resilience initiatives. It will help Australian farmers and communities prepare for the impacts of drought.
On-farm Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate Scheme: The scheme provides rebates to farm businesses to purchase and install critical on-farm water infrastructure.
Regional Investment Corporation: Help to prepare for, manage through, and recover from drought. Australian Tax Office: Help for primary producers, individuals and businesses affected by drought.
Foundation for Regional Renewal: Small Network Grants for initiatives that assist local people and communities to strengthen social capital and capability to prepare for future droughts.
Hort Innovation continues to invest strategically in research and development, and other initiatives, focused on water use efficiency, climate impact preparedness and management, and sustainable practices.
On behalf of industry, Hort Innovation is a tier 1 partner in the One Basin CRC which is a focused collaboration developing policy, technical and financial solutions to support and reduce exposure to climate, water and environmental threats in the Murray-Darling Basin.
Many multi-industry and industry-specific investments supported by Hort Innovation have generated relevant insights and outputs to assist growers, including the following:
