Farmers have welcomed a partial backtrack on CSIRO cuts, but have called on the Government to invest more in climate change adaptation research for agriculture. Key points: Science Minister Greg Hunt has announced 15 extra CSIRO climate science jobs

Earlier this year it was announced 275 jobs were to be cut from the organisation

Farmers say more jobs need to be reinstated.

Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Greg Hunt, has instructed the CSIRO to renew its focus on climate science, promising it would be a "bedrock function" of the organisation.

He has revealed the CSIRO will create 15 new climate science roles.

The national research organisation announced earlier this year that it would cut 275 jobs, with climate-focused roles in its Oceans and Atmosphere, Land and Water, and Agriculture divisions hard hit.

Farmer 'pretty cynical' about announcement

Farmers welcomed news that 15 climate science jobs would be reinstated, but have said it did not go far enough.

Mixed farmer Peter Holding, a member of the Climate Champions farmer network in southern New South Wales, said he was "pretty cynical" about Thursday's announcement.

"I thought this is just a case of the pressure getting to them and they're trying to make themselves look good — but on the other hand, it is 15 jobs," he said.

"It's still less than half the ones they've lost.

"I guess you've got to take what you can get when you can get it, but I'm a bit concerned that it's nowhere near enough."

In South Australia, the chief executive of Temple Bruer Wines, David Bruer, welcomed the news but also called for more concerted leadership from government on agricultural climate change adaptation.

"I think it would be a good idea to reinstate all the positions [because] I don't see how we can get out of the mess we're in without expert help.

"CSIRO scientists have been among the most prolific in terms of helping us. They understand our difficulties probably better than anyone else.

"The predictions that were made for the effects of climate change on the wine industry were that we were going to get much earlier vintages, and a very compressed vintage, by 2030. Wrong. We got it in 2016.

"The worst fears of experts have turned out to be true and applicable, much earlier than we thought they would be."

Mr Holding agreed that the impact of climate change was already causing farmers to change their practices, whether they called it "climate change" or not.

He said that made the CSIRO's historical leadership of climate research even more critical for agriculture.

"We've suffered probably about a half a tonne loss of yield over the last 20 years from nothing but climate change, even with improved technology and better varieties," Mr Holding said.

"You're seeing heat effects in livestock, that's putting pressure on people's returns.

"I don't think it's any secret that debt levels are pretty high in the farming community.

"That makes some farmers, I believe, reticent to talk about climate change when they're talking to their banks because they have to prove that they're viable, and they might not be under a new scenario of reduced yields and productivity."