Farmers have no defences left against 'extraordinary' weather events that have become all too common | Pete Mailler

As our leaders feign shock at its severity, the weather continues to undermine even best management practice on the landSign up for the Rural Network email newsletterJoin the Rural Network group on Facebook to be part of the communityAs the rainfall started in northern New South Wales last week, I received a survey from the NSW Farmers Association about the big issues in agriculture.It asked me to rate the issues in agriculture, which it listed as biosecurity, road and rail infrastructure, workforce, land use pressures and farm productivity, all of which are big. But there was not a mention of the biggest issue of all: extreme weather events exacerbated by climate change.Sign up to receive Guardian Australia's fortnightly Rural Network email newsletter Continue reading...