PR - DEVELOPMENT OF A COST-EFFECTIVE WATER PRODUCTIVITY ACCOUNTING TOOL FOR AGRICULTURE

Abstract

Primary producers need strategies and tools to assist in monitoring water use with a view to improving physical and financial productivity. Farm accounting systems, if present, lack the sophistication to allow growers to analyse the use, loss and productivity of water to identify areas of potential water savings. Also, emerging farm technologies do not readily link to business systems to provide the optimal real-time financial decision making data. Findings of desk-based technology benchmarking suggest best-practice elements required include production ‘hotspot’ identification and real-time sensory data integration that allows for strategic allocation to all direct and indirect water use drivers. Key actor interview and producer demand surveys highlight demand exists for a cost-effective integrated water productivity tool, especially in regions where there is a large proportion of irrigated farming. The paper provides preliminary demonstration of how the crucial link can be made between producers’ business systems and resource technology.

Keywords: water accounting, water productivity, user-friendly technology, water accounting conceptual model