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A new climate is emerging across Australia and nationwide agricultural practices will need to be adjusted, according to new maps released by the Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre (AEGIC).

Based on data from more than 8,000 Bureau of Meteorology stations around the country, AEGIC analysed changes in observations and discovered that traditional rainfall zones have changed significantly since the year 2000.

AEGIC agro-meteorologist Dr David Stephens said the new analysis revealed striking changes to the Australian climate over the past 16 years.

“Since 2000, there has been a general increase in summer rainfall across Australia, and a corresponding decrease in winter rainfall, leading to shifts in rainfall zones extending for hundreds of kilometres,” Dr Stephens said.

“This change in climate has major implications for farming and pastoral systems as the profitability of different crop types changes, disease risk changes, and the composition of rangeland grasses changes with stocking rates.”

As a result, Dr Stephens claims Australia will need to adjust agricultural practices accordingly.

“Australia is going to need some of the most water-efficient farming systems in the world to mitigate the effects of a drier and warmer climate in Southern Australia,” he said.

Research in this area is vital because Australian crop yields have been among the most affected by climate change compared to other grain exporting nations.”

For further information, visit the AEGIC website.