New Zealand's farmers have always had to cope with a varying climate - warmer, cooler, wetter and drier than normal seasons are a fact of life. These changes place more demands on farm management in some parts of the country than in others. This paper first discusses some of the variations in climate to date, examines the question of whether they include some long-term trends, and considers likely causes. The paper then examines what is expected in the future, due to both natural factors and to projected changes of greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of potential impacts on the pastoral sector, and of adaptation options.
