• Coronavirus (COVID-19) update
• Avian influenza permits still required
• Fox and wild dog bounty resumes in regional Victoria
• The Fast Break
• Primary producer fire recovery support expanded
• Hay baling - watch moisture levels
• Updated risk management advice for Septoria
• Spring 2020 edition of Sheep Notes out now
• Apply now! Young Farmers Leadership Program
• Latest AgVic Talk podcast episodes
• RuralSnapShot competition
• Farmer mental health project seeking participants
• Young farmer business network
• What's on

Safely reopening Victoria

A roadmap for reopening Victoria has been announced by the Victorian Government.

There are two separate roadmaps in Victoria: one for metropolitan Melbourne and one for regional Victoria regarding how we live and how we work.

Each roadmap outlines safe, steady and sustainable steps to COVID Normal.

The Roadmap for reopening: regional Victoria provides steps on easing restrictions, dependent on how many active coronavirus (COVID-19) cases are in the community and public health advice.

From 11.59 pm on 16 September 2020 regional Victoria moved to the Third Step on the roadmap.

From 11.59 pm on 27 September 2020 metropolitan Melbourne moved to the Second Step on the Roadmap for reopening.

This step included some small but significant changes to the planned roadmap based on current case numbers and the latest modelling and projections.

Visit Roadmap for reopening for more details.

COVIDSafe Plan now required for regional Victorian businesses

From 11:59 on 13 September 2020, it is mandatory for every Victorian business to have a COVIDSafe Plan.

To ensure compliance, random spot checks are underway in metropolitan Melbourne and commenced in regional Victoria from 29 September 2020.

Your COVIDSafe Plan must set out:

• your actions to help prevent the introduction of coronavirus (COVID-19) in your workplace
• the level of face covering or personal protective equipment (PPE) required for your workforce 
• how you will prepare for, and respond to, a suspected or confirmed case of coronavirus (COVID-19) in your workplace
• this plan must demonstrate how you will meet all the requirements set out by the Victorian Government. Some higher-risk industries or workplaces have additional requirements of employers and employees.

Businesses must review and update their COVIDSafe Plans routinely, especially when restrictions or public health advice changes.

Organisations with multiple worksites must complete a COVIDSafe Plan for each worksite.

For more information and for templates and guidance on how to create your COVIDSafe Plan, visit coronavirus.vic.gov.au

REMINDER – while the housing order in the Control Area of the Golden Plains Shire has now ended, permits are still required in Restricted and Control Areas when moving poultry, eggs or vehicles/equipment used for poultry production.

This is necessary to help keep birds free from avian influenza.

Restricted and Control Areas apply in the Golden Plains Shire, near Bairnsdale and near Kerang.

Find maps for Restricted and Control Areas on the Agriculture Victoria website and also apply for a permit online at www.agriculture.vic.gov.au/avianflu

Victorian Fox and Wild Dog Bounty collections will resume for regional Victoria from Monday 5 October.

The first collections will be in the Gippsland region at Ellinbank, Bairnsdale, Maffra and Yarram. Woori Yallock remains closed in line with current metropolitan Melbourne restrictions.

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

If you are attending a collection centre, you must comply with coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions including physical distancing, good hygiene practices and wearing a face mask (unless you have a lawful reason not to).

Due to the disruption caused by coronavirus (COVID-19), the bounty program has been extended from the end of October 2020 until the end of November 2020.

All collection sites will have at least one opening date between now and the end of the season.

Hunters are encouraged to continue to collect fox scalps and wild dog body parts, while following coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions relevant to their area.

Pieces can be frozen or air dried and submitted for reward at an alternative collection centre or when the suspended collection centres reopen, in line with bounty terms and conditions.

All hunters are reminded to use common sense when hunting and when it comes to attending bounty collections.

Stay safe by following the coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions that apply to your area and, if you feel unwell, get tested and stay home.

Reward payments can only be made by Electric Funds Transfer.

Please continue to check the Agriculture Victoria website for the latest information, as the collection schedule is subject to change in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation click here. 

A weak La Niña has just formed, how long it hangs around for remains to be seen, but most models predict at least the next three months or longer. 

La Nina’s influence tends to decrease after November but a late forming one like this could hang around into harvest.

Most of the state’s crops and pastures would welcome a good October and the higher rainfall areas would love a wet November.

Check out the weather projections in the latest Fast Break, click here

The Victorian Government is backing grape growers facing ongoing impacts from last summer’s devastating bushfires as part of joint recovery efforts with the Commonwealth Government.

Minister for Agriculture Jaclyn Symes this week announced new funding through Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements to help grape growers in local government areas outside bushfire zones who have nonetheless had their crops affected by smoke taint.

A new program provides up to $10,000 for farmers from outside defined bushfire areas who have suffered a decline in revenue or harvest of 40 per cent or more compared to the previous year because of smoke taint.

Applicants are required to provide a dollar-for-dollar co-contribution and can use the support for business recovery, growth and diversification, and improvements to make the business more resilient to future disasters.

The grant is available through Rural Finance and is open until 31 December.

For primary producers operating within areas directly affected by bushfire, the Victorian and Commonwealth governments have also expanded the Emergency Bushfire Response in Primary Industries Grant Program, meaning more primary producers will become eligible for payments of up to $75,000 helping clean-up and recovery.

This grant is for primary producers who usually earn at least 50 per cent of their income from farm production and is now open until the end of the year, giving farmers more time to apply for help in the recovery process.

The grant money can be used to cover the cost of clean-up and repairs for buildings, fencing and salvaging damaged crops.

Eligibility changes now allow those farmers whose income from farm production is less than 50 per cent due to drought, or who are still in the early phases of building up their businesses, to apply for the grant.

For these farmers, the $100,000 off-farm income threshold has been removed, and off-farm income is no longer taken into consideration.

Farmers have also been given more time to reach the point where at least 50 per cent of their income is generated from on-farm activities in recognition of long lead times required by some sectors to reach full production.

This helps farm businesses in the early years of development in industries like forestry, orchards, vineyards and nuts.

The Victorian Government is working with Wine Victoria to encourage locals to buy Victorian wine either direct from the winery or through local businesses to help boost sales and put winemakers back on the path to recovery.

Producers who have inquired or applied in the past but did not meet criteria may now be eligible and are encouraged to contact Rural Finance on 1800 260 425.

Despite farmers best efforts, sometimes hay is baled too wet, which creates a significant fire risk.

Reasons behind this can include poor curing weather; nodes and seed heads still wrapped in the flag leaf sheath not being cured enough; incorrectly calibrated or improperly used moisture meters.

Agriculture Victoria Northern Dairy Manager Brett Davidson said as a result, there is potential the forage being baled, could be two to five per cent higher in moisture than it should be for the type of bale being made.

Large rectangular bales need to be two per cent drier (12 – 14 per cent moisture) than large round bales (14 – 16 per cent) which themselves need to be two per cent drier than small square bales (16 – 18 per cent).

“This is due to their high density or large volume to surface area for the large rectangular and round bales,” Mr Davidson said.

“Leaving wide windrows behind a mower-conditioner, tedding immediately after mowing (tedders will substantially speed up curing), and using a form of hay preservative will all increase the curing rate of hay.

“While these options add to the cost of hay making, it will be well worth the additional expense for high quality forage.

“Occasionally however, some of the hay will end up in the stack that has not been cured well enough. It is vitally important to regularly monitor the stack from week one after baling, for signs of heating.”

Monitoring can include:

• Dampness on the top of bales
• Steam rising from the haystack
• Moisture build-up on roofing iron or under tarped outside stack
• Unusual odours (e.g. pipe tobacco, caramel, burning, musty)
• Sometimes the stack may slump in places.
• Corrosion on underside of tin roof.

Mr Davidson said unfortunately, much of the heating will occur in the stack centre which is difficult to pick up.   A crowbar pushed into the stack as far as possible is one strategy that can be used to monitor heat.

“After a couple of hours, remove the crowbar and feel how hot it is.”

An approximate guide for a haystack temperature includes:

• < 50o Can handle the bar without discomfort. Check temperature daily
• 50 – 60o Can handle the bar for a short time. Check temperature twice daily
• 60 – 70o Can touch bar only briefly. Check temperature every two hours. Move hay from top layers to improve air flow
• >70o Bar too hot to hold. Potential for fire. Avoid walking on top of stack. Put safety precautions in place. Call 000

Mr Davidson said an alternative monitoring method can be achieved by using thermal couplings, which can be placed into various areas of the haystack at stacking and monitored simply and regularly.

For more information head to agriculture.vic.gov.au

Growers in the high rainfall zones of southern Australia have a new resource to help guide their management when it comes to the serious wheat disease Septoria tritici blotch (STB).

The Grains Research and Development Corporation’s STB fact sheet, available at https://grdc.com.au/septoria-tritici-blotch-in-wheat, provides growers with up-to-date information on the disease as well as guidance on fungicide use to avoid promoting fungicide resistance.

STB is the most significant disease of wheat in the high rainfall zone (HRZ) and has also made its way into parts of the medium rainfall zone (MRZ).

Agriculture Victoria Senior Plant Pathologist Grant Hollaway says opportunities to control STB in the MRZ have all but passed as harvest approaches.

“Growers who have identified STB in this year’s crop should be planning their disease management strategy for next season, starting with paddock selection,” he says.

“Avoiding wheat on wheat rotations and early planting of susceptible varieties will reduce the infection risk.

“STB is a stubble-borne disease so anything which accelerates stubble decomposition over summer is also beneficial.”

The new fact sheet details the agronomic and fungicide usage practices required to manage STB without promoting fungicide resistance.

Growers in the HRZ who may still need fungicide to control outbreaks in their crop are reminded to rotate fungicide mode of action (MoA) groups to avoid over-exposing the pathogen to any one chemistry.

Foundation For Arable Research Australia (FAR Australia) Managing Director, Nick Poole, who also contributed to the new fact sheet, says fungicide resistance in STB is a significant threat.

“Repeated use of the same fungicide MoA promotes resistance and we only have Group 3, Group 7 and Group 11 fungicides available for controlling STB,” he says.

“Losing one of those through over-use will limit our ability to rotate the remaining MoAs, causing a domino effect.”

Both Mr Poole and Dr Hollaway are contributors to the GRDC-supported Australian Fungicide Resistance Extension Network (AFREN), which is focused on improving grower knowledge and management of fungicide resistance issues.

More information is available at https://afren.com.au/.

Dr Hollaway also discusses the latest insights on STB in a GRDC podcast, available here. 

Our spring 2020 edition of Sheep Notes is online now and full of a diverse range of articles to keep you and your flock up to date.

This edition you’ll also notice we have included some guest authors on topics like summer drenching, farmer and animal health.

You can find it on our website and while you’re there – if you haven’t already – make sure you subscribe agriculture.vic.gov.au/support-and-resources/newsletters/sheep-notes-newsletter

For more information contact jane.court@agriculture.vic.gov.au

Agriculture Victoria has a fantastic new opportunity for young farmers!

We are partnering with Regional Leadership to offer a fully funded place in each of their ten regional leadership programs for 2021.
Are you keen to:

• connect with other people within your community who are interested in improving their leadership skills?
• deepen your understanding of where your agriculture business sits within your region?
• identify and develop your leadership style and identify your strengths?
• gain support in improving your management and resilience skills?
• participate in study tours in multiple different businesses across the region?

This is a fantastic opportunity for any young agriculture professionals or farmers looking to get more involved in community leadership.

Read further about the opportunities and benefits of the 2021 program and find out which region-specific program you are eligible for on the Regional Leadership website.

Applications for the Alpine Valleys Community Leadership program and Great South Coast Leadership program are now open.

All other programs will open soon so keep an eye out on the Young Business Network Facebook group or on the Regional Leadership website.

Applicants are required to be 18 to 40 years of age, residing in regional or rural Victoria, and involved in agriculture or the agriculture supply chain.

You may be eligible to claim some out of pocket expenses, so please contact your program for more information.

For more information please contact Sarah Wallis, Young Farmer Project Coordinator at sarah.wallis@agriculture.vic.gov.au

Have you listened to the new AgVic Talk podcast yet?

We have several episodes out now, including:

• Spring pasture management of fire affected pastures with Fiona Baker
• Getting a foot in the door using drones on-farm with Clay-Gowers
• Balancing wet winters and dairy farming with Craig Dwyer
• Managing a dairy farm in a variable climate with Kevin Fitzsimons
• Using soil moisture monitoring to help manage seasonal risk with Dale Boyd.

Listen here

The National Centre for Farmer Health is turning to social media to connect farmers, creators, thinkers and makers from all over the state. 

While we might be distanced socially, they want to repair these connections using the universal platform of social media. From photos to memes, Tik Tok’s and haiku’s, they want you to embrace your creativity and in the hopes of making another person laugh, cry or cringe in solidarity. 

Your imagination will be rewarded with a weekly prize, with the winner chosen by your peers.

The campaign runs from August to October, with submissions being featured daily on their Instagram and Facebook, as well as in the National Centre for Farmer Health eNews and website. 

Find out more here

Are you interested in improving the mental wellbeing of farmers and people in farming communities?

Are you a member of a farming community OR a service provider/stakeholder providing support for farming communities in the Great South Coast region?

Have you experienced depression or psychological/situational distress OR have you cared for or provided support (formal or informal) to someone who has?

The National Centre for Farmer Health are seeking farmers and service providers/stakeholders for a number of exciting new project roles:

1.  Community Working Group for guidance on project development, participant recruitment and development of new mental wellbeing resources (Expected commitment required: monthly meetings over an eight-month period)
2. Co-design participants to help inform the development of a new way of delivering peer-supported mental health support. (Expected commitment: 1–2 online workshops for 2–3 hours, one follow-up online survey for 30 minutes).

Financial reimbursement for your time is available for farmers and self-employed farming community members.

For more information or to express your interest in participating, please contact Alison Kennedy via a.kennedy@deakin.edu.au or phone (03) 5551 8587 or visit the Farmer Health website.

Young Farmers of Victoria – this is your network to talk about farm business management with other like-minded young farmers through social media, articles, online and face to face forums.

Click here to join and learn more about the Young Farmer Business Network Facebook group.

Details about Agriculture Victoria events can now be found in one spot on our website.

Abbey’s Run Equestrian are pleased to bring you this webinar on Thursday 8 October from 7 – 9 pm.  The aim of this webinar is to help you get organised and plan for any fire or emergency event that may impact you, your property and horses.

Our presenters include Dr Lee Manning (Agriculture Victoria Veterinary Officer), April Padbury (CFA) and Moyna Smeaton who will share her personal story of living through the 19/20 fires with her horses.

Topics covered in the presentation include:

• Fire behaviour (hills, wind changes etc.)
• Warnings and information
• Preparing your property
• Why have an emergency plan?
• Equine behaviour in fires
• Preparing your horses to stay
• Leaving early with horses
• After the fire and basic first aid.

There will be time for Q&A’s at the end of the presentations.

This ticketed event will be held on Zoom. Abbey’s Run Equestrian will contact all ticketholders via email in the 24 hours prior to the event with the web link and access code for the presentation.

While we welcome attendees from anywhere, this webinar is relative to a south-eastern Australian context.

Attendees must be over 18 years old or have parental supervision while watching.

For more information on the event and presenters, or to register, click here.

WHEN

6 - 8 Oct

Are you buying and selling rams this season? Do you know the NLIS requirements for sheep sold at public and online auctions?

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

Topics include:

• Overview of the Victorian traceability system
• Setting up, navigating and using the NLIS database
• Completing Property to Property (P2P) transfers on the NLIS database.

You can register for the day session or for the two evening sessions.  Participants registering for the evening sessions must register for both parts 1 and 2.

NLIS database training webinar — evening session (part 1):

6 October, 8 — 9 pm

NLIS database training webinar — evening session (part 2):

8 October, 8 — 9 pm

For both events, register here

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

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

Other information

Participants are required to set up their NLIS account prior to attending the webinar, further information on how to do this and how to join the webinar will be provided at registration.​

When: Tuesday 6 October 10 am – 12 pm

Want to know more about biological control and get a hands on, positive community perspective, then this is the workshop for you!

Join the 'Biological control – a powerful weed management tool explained' to learn how biological control provide a reliable, cost effective and well researched method of managing some of Victoria's most environmentally destructive weeds.

Dr Raelene Kwong and Greg Lefoe, senior research scientists from Agriculture Victoria’s research division will explain the ins and outs of what is involved with biocontrol and how you can be involved in your patch.

Another special guest, Lee Mead, President of the Tarrangower Cactus Control Group will provide an exciting community case study of the use of biological control on Wheel cactus (Opuntia robusta) in north central Victoria.

The Department, Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP), Natural Environment Programs team is proud to host the Loddon Mallee event for the Connecting Communities series.

This event is proudly supported by DELWP’s statewide Weeds at the Early Stage of Invasion (WESI) project, Connecting Country and Weeds Society of Victoria.

An optional addition to this event is at 11.30 am, where you are welcome to join in the Weed Society of Victoria’s Annual General Meeting.

Register for this event here.

Do you know if preferential feeding of ewes delivers reproductive and economic benefits for your business?

Have you considered calculating the Standard Reference Weight (SRW) of your ewes?

Is there benefit to being able to record individual performance of ewes?

Agriculture Victoria is partnering with the Mackinnon Project and Sheep Data Management to discuss the benefits and opportunities of monitoring your ewes body condition score and weight.

We will explore how you can use the data to make management decisions such as preferential feeding and classing. You will hear from the researchers and consultants plus the livestock managers of the host farms. 

Date: Wednesday 7 October 

Time: 1 – 2 pm

Register and watch with: Zoom®
Register at https://bit.ly/3kkyDOV 

For more information, or if you need assistance registering or joining the webinar contact the organiser Kirstie Anderson 0437 990 967  or email Kirstie.anderson@agriculture.vic.gov.au 

GUEST PRESENTERS

Bea Kirk - Mackinnon Project will provide an overview of the “Using EID to aid monitoring of ewes in western Victoria” Producer Demonstration Site funded by Meat and Livestock Australia. The managers of the three host sites will also share insights on the data collection systems they use, what worked, what didn’t, and what their future plans may be after the trial. 

Elise Bowen – Sheep Data Management will demonstrate the calculation and use of SRW for ewes of different shapes, sizes, ages and genotypes. She will be joined by Andrew Hunter, owner/manager of “Hills Park” Yerong Creek to discuss why he was first interested in SRWs, how he and Elise have approached its assessment and what they have learnt over a number of years collecting data, performing calculations and making decisions. 

* A recording of the event will be available to all registered attendees.

Title: Using climate data for insights on future production

Date: 8 October

Time: 12 – 1 pm.

The relationship between climate and agriculture is complex with the degree of dependency being variable across different landscapes and management practices.

In this webinar, Dr Craig Beverly will summarise the source of available climate data (including historical, seasonal projections and future climate scenarios) and share examples of how to use these data sets to support insights for future agricultural production.

Dr Craig Beverly is a Senior Research Scientist with Agriculture Victoria and has 20 years experience in the formulation, development and application of numerical models to simulate natural resource systems. In his current role, Craig is developing a range of biophysical models to support economic and policy analysis of landscape systems including an integrated biophysical catchment model capable of assessing the impacts of land management on surface hydrology, groundwater, nutrient dynamics, sediment transport and vegetation dynamics under current and future climates.

Register here. 

Agriculture Victoria is delivering a webinar for livestock producers with a focus on interpreting soil tests.

Thursday 15 October 12.30 – 1.30pm.

Online via Zoom® - Register here.

Topics covered:

• Why soil test?
• What do the numbers mean?
• Trace mineral deficiencies
• When should I soil test?

For more information, or if you need assistance registering or joining the webinar contact the event organiser Tess McDougall on 0409 841 492 or at tess.mcdougall@agriculture.vic.gov.au

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