Australian growers worried by early onset of dry weather

Hot weather across Australia is causing anxiety to wine growers, due to the rising cost of irrigation and the increased risk of fire.

This year has seen an early, hot spring across the country, and one of the strongest El Nino systems ever declared, according to the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI). This weather system is one of the most important climate drivers in Australia and is typified by reduced rainfall, warmer temperatures, a shift in temperature extremes and increased risk of frost.

The weather has already been hotter and drier throughout October and November, the AWRI noted, and this was likely to increase the risk of fire in the South East of the country earlier than normal. It said restrictions on fires had been issued already in some regions, with ban dates brought forward to late October-November, rather than the more usual peak period in January or February.

“There are some concerns across our industry about the weather between now and the 2016 harvest,” it said.

A Ciatti report also out this month noted that with the cost of temporary water allocations in now exceeding $300 per megalitre across Victoria, there were concerns that the additional costs would not be covered by the final grape price. Vineyards are also facing increased competition for water from the increase in land planted with almond, it noted.

“Experts have advised the water flow in the main river systems are now as low as they were in 2002‐2003, the first bad year of the ‘millennium drought’,” the report warned.

Between 2012 – 2015, vineyards increased water consumption by around 18%, according the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Vineyards in South Australia accounting for around 46% of the total water usage, with New South Wales using around 32%.