Role of seasonal climate and weather forecasts in agricultural decision making

Climate variability has large impacts on agricultural production, human health and the well being of communities throughout the world, and hence research in this field is a high priority in many countries including India and Australia. Farmers and those involved in the agricultural sector are well aware of climate variability. The ability to understand, monitor, and predict this climatic variability may provide an opportunity to put historical experiences into perspective and to evaluate alternative management strategies for making improved decisions to take advantage of good years whilst minimising the losses during the poor years.