• Coronavirus – (COVID-19)
• Don't cross the tick: ehrlichiosis in dogs
• Investing in the future of Victoria's young farmers
• Young farmer finance workshops
• Drink Victorian: New backing for local brewers, bars
• 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 dog owners and veterinarians are reminded to be on the lookout for a new dog disease which is spread by the brown dog tick biting dogs.

Ehrlichiosis was found for the first time in Australia in the Kimberley region in mid-2020. It is now found across mainland Australia apart from Victoria and ACT, after being confirmed in South Australia in the last week.

Victoria’s Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Graeme Cooke said symptoms could include fever, lethargy, loss of appetite, weight loss, cloudy eyes or conjunctivitis, pain, stiffness, nosebleeds, bruising on the gums or belly, and enlarged lymph nodes.

To date, no dog originating from Victoria has tested positive to ehrlichiosis, also known as canine monocytic ehrlichiosis (CME), a bacterial disease caused by Ehrlichia canis (E. canis).

“With dogs travelling readily around Australia, we need to be particularly mindful of these symptoms if they have come from another state or territory with confirmed cases and brown dog ticks present.

“Reduce the risk of bringing the disease into Victoria by adopting or purchasing dogs within the state and avoid bringing dogs into Victoria,” Dr Cooke said.

“Protect your dogs from ehrlichiosis by regularly checking them for ticks, using effective tick control and seeking veterinary advice promptly if they become unwell. Be particularly vigilant if you’ve been interstate with your dog.”

Ehrlichiosis is potentially a deadly dog disease and there is no vaccine, but antibiotics may assist in managing the disease if affected dogs are treated early.

“This is a notifiable disease in Victoria, which means it must be reported to the Emergency Animal Disease Watch Hotline on 1800 675 888 when suspected,” Dr Cooke said.

“You should regularly check your dog for ticks by running your fingers through their coat, on the skin, paying attention to the head, neck, ears, chest, between their toes and around their mouth and gums.

“If your dog is unwell or you find any abnormal bumps or ticks, make sure you promptly arrange to take your dog to your vet. Discuss with your vet the testing system in place for ehrlichiosis in Victoria.

“Put a tick in a clean ziplock bag and take it to your local veterinarian to submit for identification. Freeze the bag with the tick first if you cannot take it to a vet immediately. If you are unsure about what is an appropriate tick control product to use, then consult your veterinary advisor.”

On rare occasions humans can become infected through the bite of an infected tick. Please seek medical advice if you feel unwell after being exposed to ticks.

For more information, visit the Agriculture Victoria website or call the Customer Contact Centre on 136 186.

Left to right - Theresa Star from Cudgewa, Peter Carmichael from Buffalo, Jen Smith from Tambo Crossing, Isis Jordan from Castlemaine,  Georgia Douglas from Stuart Mill,  Tamara Pabst from Lurg, Minister Mary-Anne Thomas MP, Tyr-Ryan Sturgess Myers from Shepparton, Ty Stanton from Lilliput, James Cox from Alexandra, and Elizabeth Shotter from Fulham.

The Victorian Government is continuing to support the future leaders of Victoria’s agriculture sector, with the 2021 Upskill and Invest – Young Farmers Scholarship Program.

In its seventh year, the program has awarded 76 scholarships to eligible young farmers, supporting them with up to $10,000 to boost their skills and careers.

Each year the government provides $125,000 to the program. Each scholarship recipient is eligible for up to $5,000 to upskill through study and training, followed by up to $5,000 to invest in putting new skills into practice with on-farm equipment and technology, business planning or professional development.

Among this year’s recipients was Benalla sheep farmer Tamara Pabst, who plans to use her scholarship to undertake tertiary training in agribusiness. She then plans to invest in hi-tech animal scales for her farm that measure the performance of her flock and allow her to make more informed business decisions.

Giving young farmers access to advanced agriculture technology not only improves productivity and profitability of their businesses but also ensures Victoria stays at the forefront of modern farming on a global scale.

The government continues to support the next generation of farmers through a range of initiatives and provides opportunities for young people in agriculture to have a say, boost their skills and progress their careers.

The scholarship program builds on the Agriculture Strategy commitments to grow, modernise and promote the sector – helping to deliver the agriculture skills of the future and building on the government’s goal to grow Victoria’s agriculture sector to $20 billion by 2030.

For more information on 2021 Young Farmers Scholarships and to apply visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/youngfarmers. Applications close on Sunday 6 June.

Farm business risks are inevitable, but your ability to deal with them isn’t.

In our new ‘Farm Finance – Getting Prepared’ program for young farmers we’ll show you how to analyse a range or risks and develop ways to manage them.

From developing your own risk assessment to using the latest risk management software, you’ll come away from the online ‘Farm business risks’ workshop feeling better prepared.

Sign up today.

The ‘Farm Finance – Getting Prepared’ webinar series breaks down every aspect of farm finance and runs from 7 - 8.30 pm on the following dates:

•     Farm business risks – 29 April
•     Business risks impact on cashflow – 13 May
•     Putting the plan into actions – 27 May.

The sessions are being delivered by ORM Agribusiness Consultant Jane Foster, supported by Ms Wallis and participants will have opportunities to ask questions.

The Farm Finance – Getting Prepared series is supported by Agriculture Victoria’s Smarter, Safer Farms program.

Find out more from sarah.wallis@agriculture.vic.gov.au

The Victorian Government is getting behind Victoria’s brewers, winemakers and distillers with a new program aimed at getting more locally produced drinks into bars and restaurants.

It was announced $1.5 million of funding for the Drink Victorian program at the official opening of the Australian Craft Beer Centre of Excellence in Ballarat.

The Victorian Drinks Alliance – a collaboration between Victorian beverage producers and Food and Drink Victoria – developed the program to build domestic demand for locally produced drinks, in response to the challenges faced during the pandemic.

Initially targeting 100 hospitality and retail venues across metropolitan Melbourne, the Drink Victorian pilot program will lead regional visits, host Melbourne-based ‘super tastings’, deliver training and offer marketing support to encourage venues to include more Victorian-produced drinks on their menus.

The Food to Market grant program is one of the key initiatives being rolled out as part of the government’s transformative Agriculture Strategy, demonstrating a commitment to supporting small-scale and craft businesses.

The newly opened Australian Craft Beer Centre of Excellence builds on a rapidly growing interest in brewing beer. The centre includes a craft brewery, a beer tasting and bar area, teaching space and a function area.

Working closely with Federation University in Ballarat, the centre’s ‘brew space’ will provide an opportunity for small brewers to hone their craft and to also receive advice on how to develop their businesses.

The centre will create more than 25 new jobs and cater for a broad range of visitors.

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 Contact Centre on 136 186.

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!

Are you wanting to reduce energy costs on farm? Do you want to increase farm energy efficiency? Want to know more about renewable options?

Agriculture Victoria is hosting a webinar series exploring energy options on farm from understanding electricity bills to energy efficiency and renewable energy.

The second webinar of the series will focus on energy efficiency on dairy farms.

During this webinar Gabriel Hakim will lead us through:

• where energy is used on dairy farms
• what can be done to improve energy efficiency in dairy farm systems
• myths, magic and misconceptions
• assistance and resources available.

Gabriel has a wealth of knowledge and experience working with dairy farmers and in the industry implementing energy efficiency and sustainable energy solutions on farm for more than 30 years.

Date: Tuesday, 4 May
Time:  12 to 1 pm
Where: Online using Webex

Register or join the webinar here: https://bit.ly/3ag9NwW
If you have not previously used Webex please join the webinar five to 10 minutes early to set up.

If you need assistance registering or would like more information please contact Sarah Clack on 0417 316 345 or sarah.clack@agriculture.vic.gov.au

For information on other webinars in this series or other energy events please visit: https://extensionaus.com.au/energysmartfarming/events/

Navigating climate change projections just got a whole lot easier: A look inside the refreshed Climate Change in Australia website.

Date: Thursday 6 May
Time: 12 - 1 pm
Cost: FREE

Register here

Originally launched in 2015/16, the Climate Change in Australia website, Australia’s national climate change projections website, has recently been refreshed to improve accessibility and searchability of the climate projections information within the website.

Based on user feedback, the website now has new content, including pages on interpreting the future climate by the level of global warming. It also has a new look, better navigation menus, and an improved search function; making content much easier to find.

The refresh aims to ensure the climate change projections information, data and tools are more easily accessible to help decision-makers better understand their current and future climate risks.

In this webinar, presenters John Clarke and Michael Grose from the Earth Systems and Climate Change Hub (CSIRO) will walk through the refreshed website, highlighting improvements and new content as well as touching on popular tools and content within the website.

You can join our webinars via your web browser, the WebEx app on your phone, tablet or iPad or by dialling in.

For more information about these webinars, including assistance joining the webinar climate.webinars@agriculture.vic.gov.au

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