Summary report: irrigated crops of the Lower Murray-Darling 1997 to 2015 SunRISE Mapping & Research December 2015 Publication title: Summary report: irrigated crops of the Lower Murray-Darling 1997 to 2015 Author: Sue Argus, SunRISE Mapping & Research SunRISE mapping & research (formerly SunRISE 21 Inc.) a division of Mallee Family Care Inc. 94 Lemon Ave MILDURA VIC 3500 PO Box 1870 MILDURA VIC 3502 Phone: 03 5021 7492 [email protected] www.sunrisemapping.org.au Copyright: © SunRISE Mapping & Research 2015 Cover images: SunRISE Mapping & Research Disclaimer: Information in this report is derived from analysis of data from a range of sources. The report may be of assistance to you but SunRISE Mapping and Research and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any errors, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this report. SunRISE Mapping & Research Summary 2015 Crop Report Page 2 of 21 Foreword The mapping projects we have undertaken in 2014/2015 have again assisted in policy making, resource monitoring, entrepreneurial developers and governance organisations being able to bring into context the extent, location and level of variables pertinent to their various studies and land holdings. It was very pleasing to get sufficient support to again acquire aerial imagery of irrigated areas along the river corridor in 2015 to add to 1996/97, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009 and 2012. This has not been without its challenges over the last eighteen years. I trust this summary report is a small reward for that continuing support. Our partnering and supporting agencies are particularly important in this undertaking, and this year they are listed in the Acknowledgments on page four. As many will appreciate these fly-over’s put the ‘floor’ in our data bases and combined with prior year imagery act as powerful representations of change and development in our region. Our vision and mission continues and will remain “...to operate as an independent, viable, not for profit organisation, providing resources in the application of spatial data management and information technologies, thus meeting the needs of environment, industry, community and government sectors…” Our staff is again this year to be commended for continuing to complete the vision and Sue Argus’ and her team’s contribution over another solid year of challenges is to be commended. Ross Lake OAM President, Mallee Family Care Inc. SunRISE Mapping & Research Summary 2015 Crop Report Page 3 of 21 Acknowledgments There are many regional agencies, industry groups, businesses and individuals who have used and contributed to the SunRISE Mapping program over the years and they are all sincerely thanked. Special thanks are extended to: SunRISE partners for committing to financial membership in 2014/15, ensuring continuation of the SunRISE program through 2015: Australian Premium Dried Fruits Dried Fruits Australia Lower Murray Water Mallee Catchment Management Authority Mildura Development Corporation Mallee Family Care Mildura Rural City Council Murray Valley Winegrowers Sunraysia Rural Counselling Service TASCO Petroleum Wakefield Transport Group Wentworth Shire Council The Murray-Darling Basin Authority for commissioning 2012 and 2015 studies The Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning’s Coordinated Imagery Program and purchasing partners for acquisition of 2012 and 2015 orthophoto imagery Irrigators of the Lower Murray-Darling who use SunRISE maps and provide input to the crop mapping databases Past SunRISE 21 Board members for their past and continuing interest and support SunRISE Mapping & Research Summary 2015 Crop Report Page 4 of 21 Contents 1. Summary 6 2. Introduction 8 2.1 Background 8 2.2 Study area 9 3. Method and limitations 10 3.1 Definitions 11 3.2 Limitations 13 4. LMD crop information 1997 to 2015 14 4.1 Permanent & seasonal cropping trends 1997 to 2015 14 4.2 Crop types and categories 1997 to 2015 16 4.3 Irrigation methods 1997 to 2015 18 4.4 Grapevine plantings 1997 to 2015 20 4.5 Irrigation properties 1997 to 2015 21 List of tables Table 1: Description of irrigated crop types and categories 12 Table 2: Description of irrigation methods 13 Table 3: Change in irrigated crops 1997 to 2015 16 List of figures Figure 1: Summary of irrigated permanent and seasonal cropping 1997 to 2015 6 Figure 2: Map of the study area (Lower Murray-Darling of Victoria & New South Wales) 9 Figure 3: High resolution orthophoto series used by SunRISE to maintain its crop mapping 10 Figure 4: Permanent and seasonal cropping trends 1997 to 2015 14 Figure 5: Cropping trends 1997 to 2015; permanent crops, seasonal crops & vacant areas 15 Figure 6: Summary of crop types in the Lower Murray-Darling study area from 1997 to 2015 17 Figure 7: Irrigation methods for permanent plantings 1997 to 2015 18 Figure 8: Irrigation methods for seasonal crops 1997 to 2015 19 Figure 9: Grapevine plantings in the Lower Murray-Darling study area from 1997 to 2015 20 Figure 10: Change in irrigation properties 1997 to 2015 21 SunRISE Mapping & Research Summary 2015 Crop Report Page 5 of 21 1. Summary SunRISE Mapping and Research (formerly SunRISE 21) has been producing crop reports since 1997. Data on irrigation development has been consistently maintained for eighteen years, and this report provides a brief overview of irrigation, crop and culture, changes from 1997 to 2015 in the Lower Murray-Darling region of Victoria and New South Wales (Figure 2). Permanent and seasonal cropping trends The area of irrigated permanent plantings (green line Figure 1) increased by 27,940 hectares (68%) over the twelve year period from 1997 to 2009, and then decreased by 930 hectares between 2009 and 2015. Development between 1997 and 2009 was driven by a 10,000 hectare increase in the area planted to wine grapes and 18,000 hectares of almond tree plantings. The area of irrigated seasonal cropping (yellow line Figure 1) was greater than the area of permanent plantings until 2003. By 2006, seasonal cropping had dropped to under 40,000 hectares and then to just 10,000 hectares in the middle of the drought in 2009 (Figure 4). Seasonal cropping returned to pre-drought areas of just under 40,000 hectares by 2012, but not to areas irrigated pre-winegrape/almond development. 80,000 60,000 40,000 hectares 20,000 Permanent crops Seasonal crops 0 1997 2003 2006 2009 2012 2015 Figure 1: Summary of irrigated permanent and seasonal cropping 1997 to 2015 Trends shown in Figure 1 were influenced by a wine grape boom, almond plantings and an extended drought period from 2006 to 2010 that resulted in low water allocations and high water prices in the 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 irrigation seasons. Temporary water trades were needed to sustain crops, but with prices reaching $1,100/ML many areas were dried off. The drought period included an excess of wine grapes, poor commodity prices (in particular wine grapes and citrus), and a global financial crisis. In 2003, 46% of irrigation properties had some or all of their irrigable area planted to wine grapes and/or citrus. The ensuing conditions through to 2011 impacted financially on these and other properties, bringing development to a halt and leaving many unable to finance replanting of dried off areas. Over 6,000 hectares of permanent plantings dried off in the drought period remain vacant in 2015. Also exacerbating recovery from the drought was a severe La Nina event that flooded vast areas in February 2011; drowning almond trees and prohibiting access to spray for mildew in vineyards. Abnormally large crop losses were experienced in orchards and vineyards from this event. Other influences on irrigation development in the 1997 to 2015 period included water trade, government water recovery and buy-back initiatives, the Basin Plan (came into effect November 2012), and, on the up- side, opening of Asian markets. These export markets gave impetus to the table grape industry in particular. Signing of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) in June 2015 may further stimulate food production in the LMD. SunRISE Mapping & Research Summary 2015 Crop Report Page 6 of 21 Summary Irrigation methods Permanent crops (Figure 7): Drip irrigation has been the dominant irrigation method for permanent plantings since 2003. By 2015, 78% of permanent plantings were drip irrigated. Only 2% of plantings were surface irrigated in 2015. Seasonal crops (Figure 8): Seasonal crops are predominantly surface irrigated. An exception to this was in 2009 when 68% of seasonal crops were irrigated with pressurised systems. This was during the 2007–2010 drought when scarcity of water saw the area of surface irrigated seasonal cropping greatly reduced. In 1997, 85% of seasonal crops were surface irrigated and only 15% were irrigated with pressurised systems. By 2015, 65% were surface irrigated and 35% irrigated with pressurised systems. Drip irrigation increased by 1,745 hectares (346%) between 1997 and 2015. More vegetable crops are now drip irrigated, and there have been recent installations of subsurface drip for broad-acre field crops. Grapevines Grapevines remain the dominant permanent crop (46%) irrigated in the LMD study area, followed by nut trees (32%). The area planted to grapevines peaked around 2006, but the drought period, 2006 to 2009, saw dried, table and wine grape plantings decline by a total of 4,190 hectares (Figure 9). The net expansion between 1997 and 2015 was 3,185 hectares (12%). Wine grapes plantings peaked around 2006 but decreased by 25% (6,010 hectares) between 2006 and 2015, with a net expansion of 28% (3,940 hectares) between 1997 and 2015. Table grape plantings expanded by 65% (3,620 hectares) between 1997 and 2015, and have dominated vineyard development since 2009.