Tasmanian dairy farmer warns state’s wet reputation masks emerging crisis
Even Tasmania’s reputation as Australia’s wettest state is no protection from the escalating impacts of climate change, warns a leading Tasmanian farmer and scholar.
Iain Field, a dairy and beef farmer and Nuffield Scholar, has spoken out as part of a major statement from Farmers for Climate Action, highlighting how climate change is now affecting even Tasmania’s traditionally rainfall-rich regions.
“Most Australians probably think of Tasmania as a wet place with lots of rainfall, but even in Tasmania we’ve now seen climate change bringing us worse droughts.
“We need serious pollution reduction this decade to protect our farmers,” Field said.
The warning comes as climate data paints an alarming picture of Australia’s changing climate.
The Bureau of Meteorology records show the number of extreme heat days in Australia has increased tenfold since the 1960s, with just 14 extreme heat days recorded in the 1960s compared to 143 in the 2010s.
For farmers, the financial toll is mounting rapidly.
Research by CSIRO has found that climate change is already costing the average farmer $30,000 per year, with farm insurance bills skyrocketing as extreme weather events become more frequent and severe.
Field’s call for action reflects a broader consensus among Australia’s farming community. With 8,400 member farmers, Farmers for Climate Action is urging the government to maintain its net zero commitment by 2050 while driving down emissions this decade.
“Agriculture is one of Australia’s most valuable sectors and climate change directly compromises farming businesses,”
Field noted, emphasising that protecting farmers means protecting the climate.
The organisation points out that nearly all of Australia’s farm trading partners have net zero commitments, and China is reportedly drafting carbon border adjustment tariffs that could impact countries not pulling their weight on emissions reduction.
For Tasmanian farmers like Field, the message is clear – climate action is not just an environmental imperative—it’s an economic necessity.
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