Australia’s drought planning should begin now, not when the rain dries up | Gabrielle Chan

The country is on track for a record $90bn agricultural production year but forecasts indicate drier times ahead

• Sign up for the Rural Network email newsletter
• Join the Rural Network group on Facebook to be part of the community

It is a truth universally acknowledged that we rarely talk about drought when we are not in drought. You could loosely call it the hydro-illogical cycle".

For a dry continent such as ours, how we manage rain and its deficit is a big piece of both agricultural and environmental policy.

Sign up to receive Guardian Australia's fortnightly Rural Network email newsletter