• Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• Take stock of your assets before the fire season arrives
• New Hendra virus genotype discovered
• Dairy Food Safety Victoria welcomes new board members
• Dairy Farm Monitor – Gippsland overview
• Strike fast against flystrike
• Fatigue on the farm safety campaign
• Farmer pleads guilty to animal cruelty charges
• Register before 31 October for the storm and flood clean-up program
• Individual support helps business workforce planning
• The Very Fast Break
• On-farm Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate Scheme
• Agriculture recovery support – we're here to help
• AgVic Talks – latest podcast episode
• eLearning with Agriculture Victoria
• What's on – online and on-farm events

Update

Restrictions are currently in place across metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria.

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

Do you have a plan to protect your dairy business from the impacts of COVID-19?

How will your business continue if you or one of your workers needs to self-isolate?

Plan ahead and protect your business and workforce by ensuring you are up to date with COVID-19 restrictions, your workforce is vaccinated and your farm has a COVIDSafe Plan in place.

For information visit the links below:

• Creating a COVIDSafe Plan
• Creating workforce bubbles
• Information about workers who are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19
• COVID-19 Business Support – Business Victoria provides information on restrictions and support to help your workplace plan and respond to COVID-19. 

Keep up to date with all the latest restrictions, permits and requirements at https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/.

A good insurance policy is important when it comes to preparing for the fire season, but just as important is knowing exactly what you have on your farm and in your shed.

Insurance and risk adviser Michael Myers said spring is the perfect time to review your insurance policies, and part of this review is making sure you have a good asset inventory.

“An asset inventory doesn’t have to be longwinded or difficult,” Mr Myers said. “It can be as simple as taking pictures or a video of your shed or house, so you have a clear record of your assets.

“Often when people experience theft, they know something is missing but they don’t know what it is. It’s the same with tools and equipment if your shed has burnt down. You won’t even know something is missing until you go to use it again.”

To help farmers prepare for the fire season, Agriculture Victoria is hosting Insuring Farm Assets, a free webinar to discuss the importance of asset inventories, getting farm fence insurance right, and insuring cattle and fodder reserves. It will also explain the concept of “self-insured” and the implications for your business.

Mr Myers, who will be presenting at the webinar, said along with a current asset inventory, it’s also important to have a clear understanding of the replacement value of the assets.

“Typically, most farmers will think about what it will cost to rebuild the fence themselves. They will calculate the material costs but won’t factor in labour costs. We try to tell them that if a fire does go through their property, the last thing they will have time for is fencing.”

Mr Myers said spring is the perfect time to review insurance policies. “Often people won’t take the time to review their insurance. They will pay it year after year, and they’ll compare the price but they need to review the details to make sure they have adequate insurance.

“Farmers need to look at things like hay value, stock value and stock numbers to make sure they are accurate.

“Farmers should make sure they are not necessarily getting the cheapest insurance but getting the cover that is going to do what they expect it to do when it comes time to put in a claim.”

The free Insuring Farm Assets webinar is on Tuesday, 19 October from 7.30 – 8.30 pm.

Register online through the Agriculture Victoria website events page.

For details contact Paul Simpson, North East Agriculture Recovery Extension Officer on 0455 750 605 or paul.simpson@agriculture.vic.gov.au

This event is provided by the Local Economic Recovery “On Farm Recovery Support Services” project which is jointly funded by the Victorian Government and Commonwealth Government under the Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.

“Seven of the 11 detections in bats are attributed to Victorian samples from grey-headed flying foxes collected for other testing, going back to 2013.

“Hendra virus remains a potentially fatal zoonotic threat and as our knowledge increases the assessment of risk may change. The risk in Victoria, though, is unchanged.” 

The recently identified genotype displays similar characteristics to the already known Hendra virus and researchers at Australia’s national science agency CSIRO said they expect the Hendra vaccine for horses should also be effective against the new virus type.

“This discovery serves as a timely reminder for horse owners to be vigilant about biosecurity on their properties. People can be infected with Hendra virus through contact with infected horses and vaccination is an effective way to prevent infection in horses.

“Horse owners should always adopt caution when a horse is unwell and report any signs of illness early. Avoid contact with a sick horse that is showing clinical signs when Hendra virus is a possible diagnosis. Strict infection control measures should be implemented under veterinary supervision.”

Horse owners can take steps to protect their animals from Hendra virus including:

• moving feed and water away from trees where bats may roost
• discussing Hendra vaccination options with their vet
• early isolation of a sick horse while waiting veterinary attention
• good hygiene and cleaning practices
• isolating new horses to their property, especially if they have travelled or co-mingled at events with horses from areas where Hendra cases have been previously detected (NSW or QLD).

Horse owners and veterinarians are reminded to remain vigilant for diseases such as Hendra virus and should report any unusual illness to the Emergency Animal Disease Watch Hotline on 1800 675 888.

Flying foxes are protected species that are critical to our environment because they pollinate native trees and spread seeds. Biosecurity measures will help to minimise the risk of Hendra virus transmission, while protecting these important species and their role in maintaining a healthy environment.

For more information about Hendra visit the Agriculture Victoria website.

New board members have been appointed to the state’s dairy food safety regulator.

The Dairy Food Safety Victoria (DFSV) board comprises seven members led by Chair Dr Anne Astin who are responsible for maintaining regulatory oversight of the dairy food industry.

Victoria is a leading contributor to Australia’s dairy industry with annual exports valued at $2.1 billion – 77 per cent of the national total – and more than 20,000 people are employed in the sector.

The gross value of milk produced on dairy farms across the state is $3 billion (2019–20).

The new DFSV board members are:

• Mr Nicholas Renyard – also a Corangamite Catchment Management Authority board member
• Ms Peta Slack-Smith – a director of the Cotton Research and Development Corporation
• Ms Tania Luckin – a director of the Dairy Australia board
• Dr Tracey Marsden – a director of the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions.

Each new member has been appointed for three years following a competitive process. They will join returning board members Dr Astin, Dr Joanna Wriedt and Dr Michele Allan.

DFSV plays a vital role in safeguarding the state’s valuable dairy food industry – which accounts for 77 per cent of national dairy exports – by ensuring products are safe for consumers in Victoria and overseas.

The dairy regulator licenses more than 3800 Victorian businesses, including cow, sheep, goat and camel milk manufacturers and farms, and supports them to understand and adopt proactive food safety practices.

Agriculture Victoria acknowledged outgoing board members Mr Peter Moloney, Mr Noel Campbell, Dr Julie Johnson and Dr Julie Simons for their service and commitment to the dairy food industry.

For more information, visit dairysafe.vic.gov.au.

The Dairy Farm Monitor Project is a comprehensive financial and production analysis using 80 Victorian dairy farms spread evenly across three dairy regions:

• south-western Victoria
• Gippsland
• northern Victoria.

Now in its fifteenth year, the project is a joint initiative between Agriculture Victoria and Dairy Australia.

Reports inform government and industry decision-makers on the farm-level factors that contribute to profit and the information helps shape policy design, research themes and extension programs.

The results and trends reported need to be interpreted carefully as participant farms might not be representative of the industry or region and participant farms differ every year.

The positive financial returns in 2020–21 are welcome across the sector after the challenging seasonal conditions and financial pressures experienced over the past decade.

In 2020–21, average farm earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) rose to $422,000 ($1.86 per kilogram of milk solids [kg MS]).

Livestock trading profit increased, fodder inventory increased, and costs decreased.

Gippsland and the south west recorded close to long-term average in 2020–21, with the North offering its best result in 15 years.

A decline in milk price did not deter 75 of the 80 farms recording a positive performance.

The full 2020–21 Dairy Farm Monitor report is now available on the Agriculture Victoria website, including regional breakdowns.

Join a webinar outlining the Gippsland highlights from the report on Thursday 28 October, 11 am to 12 noon. Register for the webinar with GippsDairy.

Dr Jeff Cave, Senior Veterinary Officer

With warmer weather around the corner combined with recent rain events, sheep producers need to be prepared for humid spring conditions that are ideal for flystrike.

Flystrike is a condition that costs the Australian sheep industry approximately $173 million annually, as a result of lost production, treatment costs and deaths.

Reducing the risk of flystrike has immense benefits to the health and wellbeing of sheep and their productivity.

The major fly responsible for flystrike in sheep is the green blowfly, Lucilia cuprina, which is believed to be the cause of 90 per cent of flystrike cases.

Lucilia cuprina begins to become active when temperatures are above 15°C and is most active when temperatures are between 26 – 36°C, and conditions are calm.

Each female fly can have up to 300 viable offspring and with a 21-day life cycle when conditions are optimal, fly numbers can increase rapidly.

The fly is attracted to odour and moisture, so the risk of flystrike increases when there is regular consistent rainfall that keeps the sheep’s skin moist.

Sheep most susceptible to flystrike are those with breech wrinkles, long wool, dags, urine stain, fleece rot, dermatitis and / or wounds. Sheep that have been previously fly-struck have a relatively higher likelihood of being re-struck.

The prevention of flystrike requires an integrated plan and includes the following:

• the selection of sheep and marking of lambs to produce a flock with relatively low susceptibility to flystrike
• shearing and crutching timed before the peak flystrike risk period
• the correct use of preventative chemicals timed to give protection during the peak flystrike risk period
• worm control and dietary management to help reduce the prevalence of dags
• the selection of relatively open, windy, dry paddocks
• the removal of infective material and carcasses that may attract flies.

As conditions become more conducive to flystrike, sheep should be monitored more regularly for flystrike.

If a fly-struck sheep is found, the affected area should be clipped close to the skin, dressed to prevent reinfection, and the sheep should be moved to a hospital paddock to reduce the risk of infecting the rest of the flock. Any maggots should be collected and killed to help reduce the build-up of fly populations.

For further advice please contact your local veterinarian, rural merchandise reseller or Agriculture Victoria veterinary or animal health officer or visit the Flyboss website and the Australian Wool Innovation website flystrike page.

With the busy hay and harvest seasons approaching, considering your farm’s loading zones as part of your farm planning could save lives.

Is there an alternate site and route for trucks, hay forks to unload/load, and machinery to travel, that’s away from powerlines?

Look up and live, and check for powerlines before any work begins

Tips for reducing the risk with overhead powerlines include:

1. Stack hay and other materials well away from powerlines.
2. Park oversized machinery away from powerlines.
3. Rethink your loading zones on the farm – you don’t need to touch a powerline for it to arc.
4. Talk with workers and contractors about how to work safely around powerlines, and what to do if they hit a powerline. 
5. Remember powerlines can sag in hot weather, which means there may be less distance between yourself and the powerlines than you think.

What to do if you or someone else hits a powerline

If you’re in a vehicle that hits or arcs a powerline, stay in the vehicle and call for help.

If you see someone hit a powerline, stay at least eight metres away and call 000.

For more information contact WorkSafe.

Jancourt East farmer Alexander Watson pleaded guilty to a charge of aggravated cruelty resulting in the serious disablement of a steer at the Warrnambool Online Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 11 October.

Mr Watson was the owner of a number of cattle in Jancourt East in February 2020.

Following a report, Agriculture Victoria officers attended and observed a steer that was suffering from an eye cancer growth, 14 cm in diameter, with no evidence of any veterinary treatment provided and no notification given to Agriculture Victoria.

The steer was subsequently euthanised on humane grounds following the officers’ attendance.

Mr Watson pleaded guilty to one charge of aggravated cruelty resulting in the serious disablement of the animal and one charge of failing to notify an inspector of the disease in accordance with the Livestock Disease Control Act (LDCA).

The Magistrate took into account the accused’s early plea, remorse and lack of priors.

His Honour nevertheless noted the court must condemn this type of offending, in particular the fact that his approach to basic animal husbandry fell way short of the requisite behaviour required and a sentence should reflect the seriousness in respect to general deterrence.

As a result, Mr Watson was fined $2,500 without conviction with costs awarded to the department in the amount of $351.

The Magistrate also issued a Conditional Control Order for a period of five years, ensuring all animals in his care are provided for with a monitoring order imposed.

Agriculture Victoria Compliance Manager Daniel Bode said bovine eye cancer is a common condition in Hereford cattle. The severity of eye cancers can be reduced by the early identification of growths and prompt action by either seeking veterinary treatment or culling.

“Owners who fail to take reasonable action to prevent suffering in their animals will be considered for prosecution under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986.

“Apart from the obvious pain and suffering of the animal, animal welfare breaches can jeopardise Victoria’s reputation as a humane and responsible producer of food, which can affect all producers.

“This is a reminder to all livestock producers that animal cruelty will not be tolerated by the Victorian Government or the community.”

From July 2020 to June 2021, Agriculture Victoria received and assessed 953 animal welfare reports of which 309 were found to be substantiated. Agriculture Victoria assesses each animal cruelty investigation for the most appropriate regulatory outcome, ranging from voluntary compliance and education to warning and infringement notices and finally prosecutions for serious matters.

Anyone wishing to make a specific complaint in regard to livestock welfare can contact Agriculture Victoria on 136 186 or aw.complaint@agriculture.vic.gov.au

Registrations for Bushfire Recovery Victoria's Residential Storm and Flood Clean-up program will be closing from 11.59 pm on Sunday 31 October.

If you were impacted by the June storms and floods and your property is eligible for our clean-up program, make sure you register now so you don’t miss out.

The cut-off date is for new registrations only – it does not affect those who are already registered and are waiting for a call-back, site assessment or works to begin.

To find out more and register your property, call 1800 560 760 (available Monday – Friday, 9 am – 5 pm) or go online at www.brv.vic.gov.au/cleanup.

Horticulture businesses across Victoria are preparing for the upcoming harvest and, for many, managing the workforce will be crucial as they find new ways to attract and retain workers.

To support business to manage this challenge, Agriculture Victoria is providing free, one-on-one Horticulture Workforce Planning sessions with workforce recruitment and HR specialists Meridian Agriculture.

The sessions are part of Agriculture Victoria’s Horticulture Business Workforce Planning Program, which has included a review of the 2020-21 harvest season, and several industry workshops.

To take part in an individual session, managers or business owners need to register their interest online.

The individual business will have a two-hour session with a Meridian Agriculture HR consultant, with a one-hour follow-up session to check progress and gain additional support.

Register for a session in October. 

For more information on Seasonal Workforce business support visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/bigharvest

The latest edition of the "Very Fast Break" seasonal climate update video clips are now available.

We are partnering with the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) to bring you these short summaries for South Australia and Victoria and – for the first time this year – Southern New South Wales.

If you have comments, questions or feedback address them to Dale Grey at the.break@agriculture.vic.gov.au

The Very Fast Break is produced by Agriculture Victoria as part of the GRDC (Southern and Northern Region) "Increasing grower and advisor capacity and confidence in seasonal forecasting – Southern region and SNSW" project.

If you’re a drought-affected farmer living in the East Gippsland and Wellington local government areas, you may be eligible to apply for the On-Farm Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate Scheme.

The $1.7 million Scheme is funded by the Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment and Agriculture Victoria, and provides a one-off 25 per cent rebate for the cost of purchase, delivery and/or professional installation of on-farm water infrastructure.

A rebate of up to $25,000 (GST exclusive) is available per farm business.  

The scheme is open until the funds are fully allocated during the 2021–22 financial year.  

Apply for the On-Farm Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate Scheme via the Rural Finance website.

Agriculture Victoria’s Ag Recovery Team is here to support producers affected by the June storm and flood event across Victoria.

Contact the Ag Recovery Team on 0427 694 185 or recovery@agriculture.vic.gov.au or visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/floodrecovery

A selection of online courses that can be undertaken at your own pace, at any time and from anywhere with an internet connection.

The Victorian Government understands that life can get busy and it isn’t always possible to attend courses in person.

eLearning provides an accessible and flexible option for learning and expanding your knowledge.

It enables you to enhance your skills without having to attend an event or workshop in person which could be a significant distance from home, or difficult to complete due to time constraints.

To access courses, you will need to create an account.

This will allow you full access to the courses and it will track your progress as you move through them.

Browse the range of courses that can be undertaken at your own pace, at any time and from anywhere with an internet connection.

This week’s eLearn in profile is: Understanding the weather forecast. What does it all mean?

Weather directly influences the world we live and work in. This course will help you correctly interpret weather information within an eight-day forecast.

The course focuses on understanding how forecast information is developed and reported, including probabilities of forecast outcomes and explores where you can access reliable and credible weather information and the questions to ask when evaluating the wide range of forecasting apps and websites available.

This eLearn from Agriculture Victoria will take approximately 15 minutes to complete.

The Partners in Wellbeing Helpline offers free and confidential one-on-one access to wellbeing coaches, financial counsellors and business advisors.

Small business owners can call the Partners in Wellbeing Helpline on 1300 375 330 seven days a week.

Alternately, a live chat function is available on Business Victoria website here.

Wellbeing coaches are available from 9 am to 10 pm on weekdays and from 9 am to 5 pm on weekends.

Details about Agriculture Victoria events can be found in one spot on our website. Log on to the Events page to keep in touch with upcoming events.

Knowing what assets you have on your property is essential when it comes to managing a major disruption to your business, whether it’s a fire, flood or storms. It’s impossible to recall everything you have stored in that now burnt down shed.

Agriculture Victoria’s Insuring Farm Assets webinar will discuss the importance of asset inventories, and the things you need to consider when it comes to insuring fences, fodder and stock.

Presenter:

Michael Myers (Adroit Insurance and Risk) – Michael has 35 years’ experience in the insurance industry and provides insights on how to approach insurance, what you need and what your insurance will cover. 

Topics:

• The importance of asset inventories
• Creating simple and easy asset inventories
• How to get your farm fence insurance right
• How to insure your cattle and fodder reserves
• What is ‘self-insured’ and what are the implications for your business.

Date:    Tuesday, 19 October 
Time:    7.30 – 8.30pm
Cost:    Free
RSVP:  Register for this online webinar by 5 pm on Tuesday 19 October via EventBrite

Contact: Paul Simpson, Agriculture Recovery Extension Officer on 0455 750 605 or paul.simpson@agriculture.vic.gov.au

The Local Economic Recovery “On Farm Recovery Support Services” project is jointly funded by the Victorian Government and Commonwealth Government under the Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

Do you buy or sell livestock privately, online or through saleyards?

Do you know the NLIS requirements for livestock movements?

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

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

SESSION PLAN

Part 1: Overview of the Victorian traceability system

• Self-paced online learning (30 minutes)
• Part 2: Navigating and using the NLIS database. Zoom meeting (1.5 hours).
• Watch a live demonstration of the NLIS database over a Zoom meeting.
• Access the training NLIS database to practise completing Property-to-Property (P2P) transfers.
• Question and answer session.

Monthly webinars – date and time (Part 2: Zoom meeting)

Wednesday 27 October, 11 am – 12.30 pm
Click here to register

Wednesday 24 November, 9 – 10.30 am
Click here to register

Book your free tickets by clicking on the links above or online agriculturevictoriaevents.eventbrite.com

For more information or if you have trouble registering online, please call 0427 681 714.

Numbers will be limited to allow for an interactive session.

OTHER INFORMATION
Participants are encouraged to set up their NLIS account prior to attending the webinar.

Access the NLIS database at www.nlis.com.au

For more NLIS information click here.

Enjoying the Gippsland Ag News? Then why not forward to a friend or subscribe yourself.

It's easy – simply click this link.