Australia is the driest inhabited continent in the world, yet its farmers have achieved great success in wheat production in recent years. Since the 1980s, the country’s wheat exports have doubled. This has been made possible by deep soil restructuring, climate-adapted varieties, and new technologies that maximize water use.
For example, in 2023, Western Australian farmer Curtis Libek harvested 1 ton of wheat per hectare despite the lowest rainfall in the past 50 years. In earlier times, such weather would have been considered a disaster.
Australian farmers are adapting to climate change through approaches such as no-till farming, deep soil loosening, and soil regeneration using compost, gypsum, and clay.
Thanks to new seed varieties, earlier planting, and research focused on water efficiency, wheat production has significantly increased. Experts say this experience could also benefit other drought-prone countries.
“Less rain is not a problem for us — it’s an opportunity,” says farmer Libek.
Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!
