Published Tuesday, 06 March, 2007 at 11:48 AM
Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries
The Honourable Tim Mulherin
RAINMAN PROVES TO BE POPULAR TOOL FOR DROUGHT
The on-going drought has pushed demand sky high for a climate management software program developed by the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries.
Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries Tim Mulherin said Rainman was a CD-based software package of rainfall information designed to assist in the management of rainfall variability.
“Rainman contains historical monthly and daily rainfall data for about 3800 locations and monthly and daily stream flows for 400 locations throughout Australia, plus monthly rainfall records for 9500 locations throughout the world,” Mr Mulherin said.
“What this means for farmers is they can calculate chances of monthly and seasonal rain, display historical data as tables or graphs, and forecast seasonal rain, dry periods and effective rain for their own location.
“This software is the first of its kind anywhere in the world and can help primary producers develop their own profitable and sustainable enterprise management systems.”
Mr Mulherin said 100 copies of the Rainman 4.3 software, had been sold so far this fiscal year.
“Rainman’s sales since its inception in 1991 have totalled more than 3000 copies, placing it amongst the nation’s best selling agricultural software packages,” he said.
“The popularity of the software is a testament to how useful it is to farmers.”
Rainman sells nationally to farmers, graziers, bankers, consultants, insurance companies, schools, universities and other government departments.
DPI&F senior industry development officer, Ian Partridge, was part of the team of departmental agricultural specialists, led by Dr Jeffery Clewett, who started developing climate management software programs in 1991 with funding support from the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation and other agencies.
“Dr Clewett and the team of agriculturalists who developed Rainman wanted a program that would answer farmer’s questions about rainfall and rainfall variability,” he said.
“We realised there was all this data from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology but farmers had no way of interpreting what it meant for them on their property.”
Mr Partridge said Rainman came in Standard, Educational and Professional editions, at a cost of $125 for the Rainman Standard edition (version 4).
“An international version of Rainman with special data is used by all national meteorological services in the 10 ASEAN countries,” Mr Partridge said.
“Rainman can forecast seasonal rainfall based on the Southern Oscillation Index, can group locations for spatial analysis, import monthly and daily rainfall and stream flow data, and print results as tables, graphs, or maps.”
“Rainman enables farmers and graziers to take ownership of their climate-related decisions by having access to all the relevant local information rather than a broad-brush regional forecast.
“Primary producers can see what chances they have of getting the rainfall they need in the coming season or whether an El Nino will influence this and so make appropriate management decisions.”
Mr Partridge provides technical and sales support for the product and can be contacted by telephoning (07) 4688 1375, or by email (ian.partridge@dpi.qld.gov.au).
Media: 323 96530
Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries Tim Mulherin said Rainman was a CD-based software package of rainfall information designed to assist in the management of rainfall variability.
“Rainman contains historical monthly and daily rainfall data for about 3800 locations and monthly and daily stream flows for 400 locations throughout Australia, plus monthly rainfall records for 9500 locations throughout the world,” Mr Mulherin said.
“What this means for farmers is they can calculate chances of monthly and seasonal rain, display historical data as tables or graphs, and forecast seasonal rain, dry periods and effective rain for their own location.
“This software is the first of its kind anywhere in the world and can help primary producers develop their own profitable and sustainable enterprise management systems.”
Mr Mulherin said 100 copies of the Rainman 4.3 software, had been sold so far this fiscal year.
“Rainman’s sales since its inception in 1991 have totalled more than 3000 copies, placing it amongst the nation’s best selling agricultural software packages,” he said.
“The popularity of the software is a testament to how useful it is to farmers.”
Rainman sells nationally to farmers, graziers, bankers, consultants, insurance companies, schools, universities and other government departments.
DPI&F senior industry development officer, Ian Partridge, was part of the team of departmental agricultural specialists, led by Dr Jeffery Clewett, who started developing climate management software programs in 1991 with funding support from the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation and other agencies.
“Dr Clewett and the team of agriculturalists who developed Rainman wanted a program that would answer farmer’s questions about rainfall and rainfall variability,” he said.
“We realised there was all this data from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology but farmers had no way of interpreting what it meant for them on their property.”
Mr Partridge said Rainman came in Standard, Educational and Professional editions, at a cost of $125 for the Rainman Standard edition (version 4).
“An international version of Rainman with special data is used by all national meteorological services in the 10 ASEAN countries,” Mr Partridge said.
“Rainman can forecast seasonal rainfall based on the Southern Oscillation Index, can group locations for spatial analysis, import monthly and daily rainfall and stream flow data, and print results as tables, graphs, or maps.”
“Rainman enables farmers and graziers to take ownership of their climate-related decisions by having access to all the relevant local information rather than a broad-brush regional forecast.
“Primary producers can see what chances they have of getting the rainfall they need in the coming season or whether an El Nino will influence this and so make appropriate management decisions.”
Mr Partridge provides technical and sales support for the product and can be contacted by telephoning (07) 4688 1375, or by email (ian.partridge@dpi.qld.gov.au).
Media: 323 96530