• Coronavirus – (COVID-19)
• Seasonal workforce welcomes Pacific power to the team
• The Break webinars – seasonal climate updates in April
• Grants to assist seasonal workforce accommodation
• Five benefits of using eID
• Biosecurity risks at Victoria’s doorstep
• Soil Moisture Monitoring – Pastures
• Young farmer finance workshops
• Fox and wild dog bounty collections
• Recovery after fire: practical steps for farmers
• What's on

Keep up to date with all the latest restrictions and requirements at coronavirus.vic.gov.au.

Victorian farmers have received a welcome boost to their seasonal workforce with more than 200 Pacific workers starting on farms, thanks to a landmark agreement with the Tasmanian and Victorian Government.

The workforce started their first day on the job, picking and packing apples in the Yarra Valley.

The workers were among the first Pacific Islanders to fly in last month and undertake 14 days quarantine in Tasmania before arriving in Victoria over the weekend.

They have joined the workforce at Vernview Orchards at Launching Place - an apple orchard run by third and sixth-generation farmers Sue and David Finger.

Pacific workers have been part of the team at Vernview Orchards for more than eight years in a program that benefits both Victoria’s $15.9 billion agriculture industry and the economies of our Pacific Island neighbours.

Farmers and agriculture businesses have welcomed the restart of the Seasonal Worker Program and Pacific Labour Scheme.

The reintroduction of these programs is just one part of the government's comprehensive $76 million package to support the industry to find the workers it needs this season.

The government has co-contributed $7.8 million to quarantine costs for Pacific Island workers, with industry contributing $2,000 per worker.

The Victorian Government also announced a $150,000 grant to the Approved Employers of Australia (AEA), which connects permitted employers to the Pacific Mobility Schemes, supporting businesses to access these workers.

The grant is part of the government’s $1 million Seasonal Workforce Industry Support Program, which gives organisations dedicated resources to support local worker recruitment and retention in priority harvest regions.

Additional workers will join the agriculture workforce over the coming weeks as part of a planned, rolling flight schedule that will provide up to 1,500 workers. They will bolster the seasonal workforce across the state, from the Yarra Valley and Gippsland right across to Sunraysia.

These webinars with seasonal risk agronomist Dale Grey, will focus on the current seasonal climate outlook.

The outlook will be based on model projections for rainfall utilising current oceanic, atmospheric and soil moisture conditions.

These webinars are simply an online presentation which allows you to ask questions.

They will be recorded, so if you miss the live presentation you can watch it later at a time that suits you.

Victorian outlook - register here

Date and time: Thursday 15 April at 12 pm
Event number: 165 289 9402
Event password: Vicoutlook

South Australia outlook - register here

Date and time: Friday 16 April at 9.30 am ACST
Event number: 165 670 7835
Event password: SAoutlook

Note: If you need to dial into the webinar, ring (03) 9070 6482 (note charges will apply) and, if prompted, enter the event number.

To join a webinar you’ll need access to a computer that has a good internet connection, and a headset or built in computer speakers and microphone.

You can also watch via computer and phone in (if you can’t access audio on your computer), or you can watch and interact in the webinar via your smartphone or tablet.

For more information about this webinar, email the.break@agriculture.vic.gov.au

Seasonal workers in the Sunraysia and the Goulburn Valley will have access to better accommodation and transport options, thanks to two new grants.

The Victorian Government recently announced the latest recipients of the Seasonal Workforce Accommodation Program - Swan Hill Rural City Council and Fruit Growers Victoria.

Swan Hill Rural City Council will use the $500,000 grant to reform illegal and inappropriate accommodation, and facilitate the development of new COVIDSafe accommodation.

Fruit Growers Victoria’s $365,000 grant will coordinate pastoral care, accommodation and transport support for up to 1,000 seasonal workers in the Goulburn Valley.

The $6 million Seasonal Workforce Accommodation Program is part of the government’s $76 million program to support industry and farm employers as they adapt to meet the challenges bought about by the coronavirus pandemic.

The grants are helping regional organisations and communities deliver COVIDSafe accommodation, transport and support services for seasonal horticultural workers, which in turn helps employers attract and retain workers.

For more information about seasonal workforce support for jobseekers and employers, including financial incentives and assistance finding a harvest job or workers, visit: agriculture.vic.gov.au/bigharvest

The value eID can bring to individual sheep businesses varies, but broadly includes these five benefits:

Measure the response to management
eID makes it possible to make a change and measure the difference – such as matching condition score at joining to pregnancy scanning result.

Manage individuals while also managing the mob
Use eID to monitor individual animals while running them in large mobs. The technology allows mobs of sheep to be boxed together for periods of time before drafting them back into their relevant classes, reducing labour requirements and streamlining grazing efficiency while retaining the ability to monitor individual animals.

Increase labour flexibility
Reliably condition scoring individual animals requires training – if key staff members are busy or leave, it’s not always possible to have a trained individual to complete these assessments. However, when eID equipment is set up, relatively untrained staff can collect weights – information which can be used to assess an animal’s status.

Select animals to retain
Use eID to collect data on individual animals to aid decisions such as which sheep to retain in the flock based on their performance. To do this effectively the data collection process must start as early as possible, from lamb marking.

Enhance traceability
The ability to track animals as they move through the value chain is an important feature of eID, but it’s not only useful for industry to prepare for biosecurity breaches. Consumers increasingly expect to be able to trace their food and fibre to its source and are willing to pay more for products they trust.

From the MLA Friday Feedback newsletter

Recent detections of African swine fever and foot-and-mouth disease virus fragments in pork products seized at the border highlights the real and continuous threat of exotic diseases and pests to Victoria.

Foot-and-mouth disease is Australia’s biggest agricultural biosecurity threat, affecting all cloven-hoofed animals. African swine fever is a highly contagious viral disease of pigs which can lead to mortality rates of up to 100 per cent in affected herds.

Neither disease affects humans, but an outbreak could have serious economic and animal health impacts, including the loss of important export markets.

No outbreaks of African swine fever have ever been recorded in Australia, and foot-and-mouth disease hasn’t been detected in Australia since the 1800s. Agriculture Victoria is working closely with industry to prepare for these threats.

The Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment led two collection periods over busy periods between Christmas and Chinese New Year from International mail centres at Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. Over the periods, some pork samples tested positive for fragments of African swine fever or foot-and-mouth disease virus. This builds on similar test results released in 2019.

Victoria's Acting Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Sally Salmon said the recent detections by the Commonwealth highlighted how easily diseases and pests could enter Australia and urged all Victorians to be aware of biosecurity risks.

“Whether it’s in someone’s luggage or in the mail, bringing in food, especially meat products, can also bring in diseases like African swine fever or even foot-and-mouth disease, which could devastate Australia’s agricultural industries and the broader economy for many years,” Dr Salmon said.

“It’s not enough to rely on quarantine inspections to stop potential pests and disease threats at our borders. When buying food and other goods online, always consider where they are coming from and whether they will meet biosecurity requirements before ordering them.”

“Biosecurity is everyone’s role and requires responsible actions by everyone. We all need to help protect our agriculture, our economy and our unique natural environment.”

Dr Salmon said the detection was also a timely reminder to all pig owners not to feed waste foods (swill) to pigs.

“Swill feeding or feeding ‘people food’ to pigs is prohibited in Australia. It is illegal to feed food waste containing meat, meat products and any food that was served on the same plate or that has come into contact with meat, as well as imported dairy products, to pigs,” she said.  

“Swill feeding is prohibited in Australia because of its potential to introduce serious animal diseases like African swine fever and foot-and-mouth disease. These recent findings clearly emphasise why that prohibition is so necessary.”

For more information about emergency animal diseases, visit agriculture.vic.gov.au

Issue 6 – March 2021

For much of the pasture growing areas of the state it was an extraordinary spring and summer, in an extraordinary year.  For some sites, the challenge has been to use the bank of dry grass grown in spring before the 'true' autumn break.

Recent rain has topped up many soil profiles indicating a good autumn break.

In this newsletter we look at how and where the soil profiles have filled and how quickly they depleted if the break was early. Does this help in considering the autumn break or new sowing?

In this Issue:
• A cooler wetter summer
• Autumn break?
• Central (Baynton)
• North East (Greta)
• Gippsland (Bairnsdale)
• West Gippsland (Giffard West)
• South West (Dartmoor)
• West Wimmera (Lawloit)
• South West (Pigeon Ponds/Harrow)
• Feature: Sowing new pasture?

To learn more subscribe here to our newsletter.

Compiled by Agriculture Victoria seasonal risk agronomist Dale Boyd, knowledge broker (sheep) Jane Court and livestock extension officer Raquel Waller.

How’s your farm cashflow budget looking?

Are you accounting for everything coming in and going out?

Is it helping you understand your potential sales income and to plan ahead with your spending?

If you think you could be getting more from your cashflow budgeting, then why not sign up to our next ‘Farm Finance – Getting Prepared’ workshop ‘Creating the Cashflow Budget’ today.

Victorian fox and wild dog bounty collections resumed on Monday 1 March, in line with current COVIDSafe requirements.

Agriculture Victoria has a COVIDSafe Plan for each bounty collection centre.

Electronic funds transfer (EFT) is the preferred method of payment so please bring your EFT details to the collection centre.

Acceptable entire fox scalps and entire wild dog body parts will be collected from eligible members of the public at specific dates and times, and from sites scheduled as collection centres.

Please note that no entire-fox scalps or entire wild dog body parts will be accepted at any public counter or state government office.

Collections will only be accepted at the designated times.

The 2021 bounty collections will run until the end of October.

Benalla collections - Fox only
Depot, 89 Sydney Rd, Benalla
10 am – noon
Dates for April – June:

• Wednesday, 28 April
• Wednesday, 26 May
• Wednesday, 23 June

Broadford collections - Fox only
5 Mollinson St, Broadford
10.30 am – 12.30 pm
Dates for April – June:

• Thursday, 29 April
• Thursday, 27 May
• Thursday, 24 June

Ovens collections – Fox and wild dog
5338 Great Alpine Rd, Ovens
1.30 – 3.30 pm
Dates for April – June:

• Tuesday, 27 April
• Tuesday, 25 May
• Tuesday, 22 June

Mansfield collections – Fox and wild dog
Depot, 128 Highett St, Mansfield
2 – 4 pm
Dates for April – June:

• Wednesday, 28 April 
• Wednesday, 26 May 
• Wednesday, 23 June 

Tatura collections – Fox only
Depot, 255 Ferguson Rd, Tatura
11.30 am – 1.30 pm
Dates April – June:

• Monday, 26 April 
• Monday, 24 May 
• Monday, 21 June 

Wodonga collections - Fox and wild dog
14 Moorefield Park Drive, Wodonga
9 – 11 am
Dates April– June:

• Tuesday, 27 April 
• Tuesday, 25 May 
• Tuesday, 22 June 

Visit www.agriculture.vic.gov.au/bounty to find out more or call the Customer Service Centre on 136 186.

Victorian Government is working to bolster the state’s agri-food supply chains to create new job opportunities in food manufacturing, grow exports and build the resilience of the sector.

Read the full media release here

Details about Agriculture Victoria events can now be found in one spot on our website. Log on to agriculture.vic.gov.au/events to find out what's on.

Friday 30 April, 10 - 11 am

Register here

Agriculture Victoria is delivering interactive online training sessions for livestock producers using the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) database. There are four events for you to choose from, between March and June.

Participants will learn about the Victorian traceability system, tour the NLIS database features and how to complete a Property to Property (P2P) transfer.

For more information, or if you have trouble registering online, please call (03) 5761 1647.

Numbers are limited to allow for an interactive session, so be quick to secure a spot!

Dairy farmers know that pasture is an excellent source of high quality, low-cost feed.

How the available pasture is used can make a big difference to the bottom line.

Agriculture Victoria’s Senior research scientist Dr Liz Morse-McNabb has been leading the Pasture Smarts program in partnership with Dairy Australia.

Tune in to Dairy Australia’s Ask the Researcher virtual forum on 21 April to hear Dr Morse-McNabb and GippsDairy research extension officer Donna Gibson share the key findings from their research including the PastureSmarts app which has been developed to help farmers track and measure their pasture utilisation.

You can also read about the PastureSmarts project in the latest edition the Dairy Innovation News.

Genetic selection can play a powerful role within the sheep industry but how can it work best for you?

Dr Mark Ferguson. who is the Chief Executive Officer of NextGen Agri in New Zealand, will present about the power of genes and how producers can capitalise on incorporating genetic selection in their enterprise.

When: Thursday 15 April
Where: Online webinar
Time: 1 pm

Click here for more information or to register for the event.

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