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13-Nov-09 By Heidi Pozzan
Guests attending the Rural Press Club Christmas Luncheon enjoyed an informative lecture on hydrology and how this relates to the peanut industry by the outgoing CEO and Managing Director of the Peanut Company of Australia, Bob Hansen.
Mr Hansen stressed the importance of water and explained the likely climatic conditions that will ensure the future for peanut growing in north Australia.
 “Northern Australian opportunities include increasing rainfall trends, increasing river flows and potential new markets developing due to climate change.”
Mr Hansen explained that a significant increase in river flows meant an exponential increase in rainfall, however, the inverse would result in significantly less rainfall.
“Water is Australia’s most precious and valuable resource and we haven’t nurtured it.” Mr Hansen said.
Whilst there is increased rainfall predicted, Mr Hansen said this also came with its own unique pitfalls.
“Increased rainfall can affect poor infrastructure, few tropically adapted crops, however, peanuts, sugar cane, cassava and corn are fine and no large contiguous soil types are suitable to agriculture”
Another major downside to the added rain is the erosion that can occur from the impact of raindrops and the amount falling.
Erosion, not flooding is a very real and major concern Mr Hansen stressed.
Hence he said there was a need for a long term plan with a vision to succeed so that the people, the crops and the dollar will be well resourced for the future.
Pictured above is guest speaker Bob Hansen.
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