• Coronavirus (COVID-19) update
• Standing with farmers against biosecurity threats
• Discover a new soil moisture monitoring platform
• The Very Fast Break - June
• Support for growers eager to capture crop yield potential
• FarmBusiness Resilience Webinar Series
• New green roof for saleyards
• Livestock Biosecurity Funds grant program
• PhD fellowships in the dairy industry – apply now
• Young farmer business network
• Weeds and rabbits project
• What's on

The Victorian Government is gradually easing restrictions currently in place to help slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

In all activities, farmers are asked to be considered. Be cautious. Use your common sense. And if you don’t have to do it – don’t.

Stay safe by maintaining good hygiene, keeping your distance from others and if you feel unwell stay home.

If you have symptoms of coronavirus you should get tested.

The situation continues to change rapidly so please regularly check the Department of Health and Human Services website for the latest update: coronavirus.vic.gov.au.

More information is also available on the Agriculture Victoria website.

The Victorian Government will continue to back farmers and protect our biosecurity with strict enforcement of on-the-spot fines for those caught trespassing onto farms in the name of animal activism.

Minister for Agriculture Jaclyn Symes tabled the government’s response to the Inquiry into the Impact of Animal Rights Activism on Victorian Agriculture in parliament recently, after considering the recommendations published in February.

The Inquiry’s findings identified ways to further strengthen approaches to animal welfare and biosecurity, to build and maintain public confidence in agriculture.

The government’s response supports 13 of the 15 recommendations in full, one in principle and did not support one recommendation.

Recommendations supported include incorporating on-the-spot fines for biosecurity breaches caused by trespassers in legislation. The government will introduce this legislation with a view to making fines for this behaviour among the heaviest in Australia.

Other supported recommendations include working with farmers in developing biosecurity management plans and actions on animal welfare complaints for better public education, and the consideration of implementing closed-circuit cameras in abattoirs.

The government is already acting to strengthen animal welfare in Victoria through several initiatives, including the modernisation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (POCTA) regulations.

The Inquiry was conducted by the Victorian Parliament’s Legislative Council Economy and Infrastructure Committee in 2019 following several illegal activities in the name of animal activism.

It was informed by 506 submissions, seven days of hearings held across country Victoria and Melbourne, and three site visits by committee members.

The government is committed to maintaining Victoria’s high level of biosecurity. The 2019/20 Victorian Budget included a $142.5 million boost to the biosecurity system.

The Victorian Government thanks the committee chair Nazih Elasmar MP, committee members and acknowledges the contributions of the many Victorians who made a submission to the inquiry or appeared as a witness.

The government’s full response is available on the Committee’s page of the Parliament of Victoria’s website.

Farmers, advisors and researchers are invited to explore the new Agriculture Victoria Soil Moisture Monitoring website in a 'walk-through webinar'.

The new Soil Moisture Monitoring website - launched by Agriculture Minister Jaclyn Symes recently - showcases Agriculture Victoria's highly regarded soil moisture probe network.

The new website replaces the previous soil moisture data dashboard with a detailed page dedicated to each of the 36 soil moisture monitoring sites across the state.

New tools featured on the website can translate soil moisture data into meaningful, real time, local information.

"My favourite tool is the 'speedo' graph showing change in overall soil moisture at a particular site," Agriculture Victoria seasonal risk agronomist, and project co-ordinator, Dale Boyd said.

"It's a simple way to represent how the soil moisture profile has changed over the last year, in other words how full the ‘tank’ is.”

The overall soil moisture 'speedo' tool is just one of the innovative features of the new website that will be explored during the walk-through webinar.

"Previously, we could only show soil moisture data, without any real interpretation.

“The new website takes this data and adds value to it, with tools that are easy to use such as a temperature gauge, current soil moisture profile and a one to three-month rainfall outlook for the state," Mr Boyd said.

The webinar – scheduled for Wednesday 17 June at 12 pm (AEST) - will be recorded and made available on the Agriculture Victoria website.

For more information about Agriculture Victoria’s soil probe network and the new Soil Moisture Monitoring website, email soil.moisture@agriculture.vic.gov.au or contact Dale Boyd on dale.boyd@agriculture.vic.gov.au

To register for the webinar, click here. The Soil Moisture Monitoring website can be found at: agriculture.vic.gov.au/soilmoisturemonitoring

For more information about joining webinars email climate.webinars@agriculture.vic.gov.au or contact Alice Ritchie alice.ritchie@agriculture.vic.gov.au

The webinar is delivered by Agriculture Victoria and funded by the Victorian Government’s 2019–20 Drought Support Package.

Welcome to The Very Fast Break seasonal climate outlook for Victoria for June.

Find out about where the autumn rains fell, the current outlook for winter and what’s causing crazy things to happen in the Indian Ocean.

Watch The Very Fast Break to find out what it all means.

The manual was collated by a team from the University of Adelaide, University of New England, the University of Melbourne and advisers as part of a GRDC-invested project. It outlines key N fertiliser decision points for cereal crops, including:

• Tillering – re-assess soil moisture and yield potential, check tiller number in relation to current estimate of yield potential, and apply N to increase tiller number if required

• Stem elongation – re-assess soil moisture, tiller number and yield potential based on seasonal rainfall and outlook, apply fertiliser N if required to match potential yield and grain protein target
• Booting – if yield potential has increased significantly, additional N may be needed to maintain desirable protein levels.

Project leader Associate Professor Matthew Denton, from the University of Adelaide, said it is important for growers to make proactive assessments in-season and add N if it is needed, especially in good seasons.

“Adjusting in-season inputs to the estimated yield potential helps minimise seasonal and economic risks,” Assoc Prof Denton said.

“However, waiting for visual signs of nitrogen deficiency, such as pale leaves and low tiller numbers, will mean yield potential will have already been compromised.

“While there are some useful rules of thumb that can help growers with their nitrogen decisions, nitrogen budgeting approaches that are timely and take into account nitrogen supply from fertiliser, soil mineral nitrogen and the likely mineralisation of organic matter are needed for more accurate nitrogen management,” Assoc Prof Denton said.

“Monitoring soil moisture and nitrogen and careful management of nitrogen inputs is vital to ongoing productivity.”
The manual includes information about the various N decision support tools available to growers and advisers.

The GRDC has invested in a preliminary assessment of tools for estimating N mineralisation during crop growth in the southern cropping region.

GRDC Manager Soils and Nutrition – South, Stephen Loss, said insufficient supplies of N from the soil and fertiliser inputs are important factors in the difference between yield achieved by growers and their crop’s water-limited yield potential.

“Over recent decades, cropping rotations have intensified, pasture production has declined, and crop yield potential and nitrogen requirements have increased,” Dr Loss said.

“Data indicates soil organic matter contents are declining in most cases and the nitrogen being removed from the system is not being adequately replaced by fertiliser applications or fixed by legumes in rotation.”

Dr Loss said a separate GRDC investment had recently monitored some 200 paddocks across Australia for three seasons and while most crops did not have a major yield gap, many in high rainfall conditions were not achieving yield potential largely because N supplies were insufficient for their demands.

Agriculture Victoria is delivering a series of four webinars to improve farm business resilience, hosted by ORM managing consultant Matt McCarthy. Farmers and farm business managers should register for the webinars to identify how to safeguard their core business operations when unexpected situations occur. Register for each of the webinars below to attend or receive a link of the recorded event.

Webinar 2: Your Financials

Thursday 18 June, 1.30 pm

Our expert guest will be Jane Foster, Agribusiness Consultant, ORM. Jane has more than 15 years’ experience in agri banking and industry before joining ORM. In this webinar, Jane will provide tips on how to work with the ‘new norms’ around accessing and extending bank finance and discuss the use of other financial buffers.

Register here

Webinar 3: Your Resources

Thursday 2 July, 1.30 pm

In this webinar, participants will be shown how to identify critical work flows, exposures and vulnerabilities, set priorities and access potential impacts using a risk matrix.

Register here

Webinar 4: Your Plan

Thursday 16 July, 1.30 pm

In this webinar, an expert panel from across agriculture will discuss how farmers have successfully built business resilience over the last decade, where are the main gaps, and how can farms build resilience into the future.

Register here

A new green roof for Warrnambool’s South West Victorian Livestock Exchange will save potable water and help the business attract nationwide trading.

Member for Western Victoria, Gayle Tierney recently announced the Victorian Government will fund nearly $430,000 towards the $969,581 project that will meet enhanced environmental and welfare standards.

The new roof will be installed over dirt pens and will use organic soft stand flooring to enable separation of stormwater rainfall from cattle waste, generating clean water that can be reused on site and reduce the use of potable water.

The livestock exchange in Warrnambool generates approximately $34.1 million each year for the regional economy and is currently the largest stock selling centre in south-west Victoria.

Investing in the design and construction of a new roof shelter will support the region by driving business and employment in the agricultural sector and cement its status as a leader in livestock exchange by placing a greater emphasis on quality and export control action provisions.

The Livestock Biosecurity Funds Grant Program is now open for applications.

Apply now for support for projects or programs that prevent, monitor and control diseases in Victorian cattle, sheep, goat, swine or honeybee industries.

Go to: agriculture.vic.gov.au/livestockbiosecurityfunds.

In partnership with The University of Melbourne, Agriculture Victoria is offering 17 PhD research fellowships in the dairy industry.

Based at our world-renowned research centres at Ellinbank and Hamilton, successful applicants will be rewarded with a $33,000 per annum scholarship, access to state-of-the-art facilities and opportunities for professional development and overseas travel.

To find out more visit https://go.vic.gov.au/wyePVD

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. Log on to agriculture.vic.gov.au/events to find out what's on.

The Weeds and Rabbits Project is seeking support from private and public land managers to help combat pests and weeds which cost Victoria more than $1 billion a year.

Landholders are being invited to take part in a statewide survey about how they manage weeds and rabbits on their property.

The results will provide a better understanding of the barriers people face with implementing weed and rabbit management practices.

Agriculture Victoria is the lead agency in the delivery of programs to combat established invasive species, which is underpinned by the Commonwealth Government-funded Weeds and Rabbits Project.

Complete the survey at weedsandrabbits.com/survey/

The survey closes Sunday 24 June.

ARE YOU ASF READY?

Webinar 1 – AFRICAN SWINE FEVER

Date: 2 pm 16 June

Current Global ASF Pandemic - Dr David Williams CSIRO

Economic Impact of ASF - Dr Lechelle van Breda APL.

Webinar 2 – ON FARM BIOSECURITY

Date - 2 pm 23 June

Biosecurity Best Practice Protocols

Dr Chris Richards and Dr Bri Fredrich  Apiam animal health

Webinar 3 – ASF IN AUSTRALIA

Date: 2 pm 30 June

To register follow the link: 
https://login.redbackconferencing.com.au/landers/page/6dd71f
pigs@vff.org.au 

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