"Involvement in the On-Farm Water Demand project has demonstrated great value to producers in gathering a defensible dataset on projected water value by commodity and upskilling producers regarding the current technology options to monitor an increasingly scarce water resource"
Kieran Kinsella, Southern Forests Food Council
⬇️Download project explainer (.pdf)
The Southwest of Western Australia faces major, immediate issues relating to water access for irrigation. The area is impacted by climate change with increasing extreme heat events and decreasing rainfall, particularly during the months from April to October. Forecasts indicate further impact of climate change on vapour pressure deficits and evaporation.
Traditionally, water planning has focused on the supply of water. In contrast, this project focuses on the demand side - quantifying how much water is used in food production and the value generated from that use. This approach supports a more balanced understanding of water use, recognising the need to maximise the value of available water while considering crop systems, farm businesses and community expectations.
This industry-led project enables agrifood producers to link water use with key business drivers, including yield, cost of production and profitability. By providing access to consistent, high-quality data, the project outputs will support improved decision-making at both farm and catchment scales, contributing to the long-term sustainability and resilience of the regional economy.
The project has provided seasonal water use data for production of avocados, apples, truffles, wine grapes and potatoes near Manjimup and Pemberton. The data has been aggregated with sub-catchment scale land use, landform data and weather observations to estimate actual water use at a scale equivalent to water supply calculations.
Cost of production were also collected as part of the project, to assess net profit per megalitre applied. This in turn provides data on the net benefit of irrigation to farmers, the Western Australian economy and the flow-on benefits to the community.
September 2026 - Final Report: On-Farm Water Demand
June 2022 - Presentation: Food Agility Symposium, Prof Mark Gibberd
August 2020 - Video: FA022: Project Introduction
