• Coronavirus – (COVID-19)
• Pneumonia and pleurisy in sheep during summer
• 2022 Young Farmer and New Entrant Mentoring Program – expressions of interest extended
• Watch out for hitchhiker pests in parcels
• On the ground support for fruit fly management
• Forests are no place for dumped rubbish
• Landowners urged to get serious with bindii
• Soil Moisture Monitor cropping report for October
• Livestock Biosecurity Grants – applications extended
• eLearning with Agriculture Victoria
• My Rain Gauge is Busted podcast
• The Ag Recovery Team is here to help
• Season two of ‘AgVic Talk’ - latest episodes
• North East Victoria Rural Skills Connect program
• What's on?

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

Both pneumonia and pleurisy in sheep can prove costly for producers, from having slow growth rates, carcase trimming or even death.

Pleurisy is inflammation of the lining of the chest cavity and is seen at slaughter as translucent bands joining the lungs to the insides of the ribs.

Pleurisy typically occurs in conjunction with pneumonia, which makes sheep reasonably sick. Many sheep recover from pneumonia, so the residual pleurisy is seen at processing.

Outbreaks of pneumonia and pleurisy are caused by either environmental, animal and pathogen factors, these could include:

• dusty conditions, hot weather, and excessive crowding
• inadequate nutrition, concurrent disease (e.g. internal parasites), and stress. These all impact the animal’s immune system making them more susceptible to pneumonia
• pathogens include bacteria and viruses - primary pathogens like Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae initiates a mild pneumonia with no or mild signs – which can make the sheep more susceptible to a secondary bacterial infection which leads to severe disease
• parasitic infection from lung worm can play a role
• additionally, poor drenching technique can lead to aspiration pneumonia.

Agriculture Victoria Veterinary Officer Hayden Morrow said the severity of signs can vary greatly as some sheep will not show any respiratory signs except a reduction in weight gain, while others develop nasal discharge, coughing, laboured breathing, exhaustion, and a lack of appetite before progressing to death.

“Clinical cases of pneumonia lead to increases in mortality, increased treatment costs and a reduction in animal welfare. However, reductions in weight gain from mild cases are also likely to be significant,” Dr Morrow said.

Agriculture Victoria advises to focus on prevention and manage risk factors, which include:

• avoid handling/transporting sheep in hot dry conditions – consider impact of mixing purchased groups of lambs from different sources (stressful but also potentially exposes lambs to new pathogens)
• ensure nutrition and access to water is optimised – ensure other major animal health issues such as intestinal worms are managed, and suitable shade is available
• hosing down dusty yards and laneways before moving stock – consider impact of stocking rate on dust levels when containment feeding and avoid dusty feeds
• do not lift head above horizontal and don’t drench in cradle
• new sheep could be carriers of respiratory pathogens that are new to your flock. Clinical cases of pneumonia can be treated with consultation from a private veterinarian.

For more information, read the Pneumonia Pleurisy factsheet on the Animal Health Australia website or contact your private veterinarian for advice.

Are you a young farmer looking to take your careers to the next level?

Expressions of interest for the 2022 Young Farmer and New Entrant Mentoring Program have been extended and will now close on Sunday 31 October.

The Young Farmer and New Entrant Mentoring Program provides young farmers and new entrants the opportunity to be a paired with an experienced farmer or ‘mentor’ to assist them in:

• developing skills to better manage their farm businesses
• identifying risks
• developing strategies to build resilience and achieve their business goals.

The program will be facilitated by a farm business consultant who will pair the young farmer or ‘mentee’ with a mentor whose experience aligns with the mentee’s enterprise and personal development goals.

The program is open to young farmers and new entrants from all agricultural industries. The program has partnered with the Gardiner Foundation to support young dairy farmers participate in the program.

The program will run until 30 November 2022. During this period the mentor and mentee will work together overseen by their facilitator. All parties will work together to arrange regular catch ups to track the progress of the mentee.

The purpose of the program is to assist the mentee in building professional networks, using trusted sources of advice and information, and developing competency in setting business goals and assessing risks.

The Young Farmer and New Entrant Mentoring Program is supported by the Gardiner Foundation and the Victorian Government's Smarter, Safer Farms program.

The application period opened on Tuesday 21 September and will close at midnight on Sunday 31 October 2021.

APPLY NOW:
For more information and to apply visit https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/support-and-resources/networks/young-farmers/young-farmer-and-new-entrant-mentoring-program

FUTHER INFORMATION:
Listen to the Ag Vic Talk Podcast episode and hear from 2021 Mentoring Program mentee Sammy Mitchell and her mentor Andrew Bell who share and reflect on their experiences, and how they have been working to increase Sammy’s confidence as she looks at employing her first staff member.

Caption: A brown marmorated stink bug Image source: Gary Bernon, USDA APHIS, Bugwood.org

In the lead up to Christmas, Victorians are being encouraged to check online shopping packaging for any hitchhiker pests.

Victoria’s Chief Plant Health Officer Rosa Crnov said the earlier the unwanted pest is reported, the better chance there is in stopping it from spreading or moving to other areas.

“Exotic plant pests such as brown marmorated stink bug, khapra beetle, exotic ants and snails, can go unnoticed due to their small size and hitch a ride in packages, especially in overseas mail.”

“Exotic electric ants and fire ants can also hitch a ride in domestic mail and are very aggressive, as opposed to common ants in Victoria that usually run away from disturbances. If undetected, these pests can threaten Victoria’s $14 billion food and fibre export market.”

Australia Post is delivering approximately 10 million parcels a week in Australia. In Victoria, online shopping has grown by 48.9 per cent in the year to 30 June 2021, exceeding the national average of 31.8 per cent.

“In the same year, Agriculture Victoria received 797 reports from the public and from industry of suspected exotic plant and bee pests which were thoroughly investigated.”

“In November last year, a Bayswater business emailed photos of a strange-looking bug to Agriculture Victoria after discovering the insect in an airfreight package.”

“The insect was confirmed as brown marmorated stink bug — a high priority for Australian biosecurity.”

“The report was referred to the federal Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE), who followed up the detection.”

“The brown marmorated stink bug can attack more than 300 types of fruit trees, ornamental trees, vegetable crops and gardens, so this was a very significant detection.”

While Australia applies strict import conditions to goods coming in from overseas through our ports and mail centres, sometimes pests can go undetected.

Australia’s farmers rely on freedom from pests and diseases to produce our food, and access both domestic and export markets.

Victoria is Australia's largest producer of food and fibre products with the gross value of agricultural production in Victoria worth nearly $16 billion.

“Everyone can play a role in protecting our farmers, environment and community from biosecurity threats by reporting anything unusual.”

For more information on priority insects and mites visit: https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/biosecurity/pest-insects-and-mites/priority-pest-insects-and-mites

The Victorian Government is supporting key fruit production regions across the state to protect their produce from the destructive impacts of Queensland fruit fly.

Minister for Agriculture Mary-Anne Thomas announced $2.9 million in Fruit Fly Strategy grants for the Greater Sunraysia, Goulburn Murray Valley and Yarra Valley regions. This funding will support fruit fly management programs, explore new ways to manage the pest and employ full-time regional coordinators.

Fruit flies can be a major pest, damaging a range of fruit and vegetable crops. Queensland fruit fly can impact production and markets for horticulture industries, which export more than $1.6 billion of produce.

Under Round One of the $5.3 million program, funding has been awarded to the following organisations to deliver region-wide programs on behalf of Regional Fruit Fly Governance groups:

Mildura Rural City Council (Greater Sunraysia) Moira Shire Council (Goulburn Murray Valley) Agribusiness Yarra Valley (Yarra Valley).

Fruit fly management programs will plan for the long term, engage local communities to help protect neighbouring horticultural production, remove unwanted fruit trees, trial new monitoring methods and apply new crop waste management techniques on farm.

The grants are a key part of the government’s Fruit Fly Strategy 2021-25 which has been developed in close consultation with industry and will deliver awareness programs that empower the community and growers to keep their crops free of damage from fruit fly.

This is part of the government’s $6.4 million investment announced in the Victorian Budget 2021/22 to manage Queensland fruit fly and protect horticultural production and jobs.

The funding is in addition to more than $2 million invested annually by the Victorian Government in fruit fly management, including research and development and certification services to enable trade.

The government’s work to manage Queensland fruit fly will protect the 14,000 jobs supported by horticulture production across the state.

The grants also support the government’s Agriculture Strategy and will help to ensure Victorian growers are well placed to respond to biosecurity risks, while promoting and building confidence in the sector for international markets and the community.

For more information visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/qff.

Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMVic) and the Conservation Regulator (CR) are urging the community to report information on illegally dumped rubbish in State Forests and National Parks.

“Last year alone almost 22 tonnes of illegally dumped rubbish was removed from the Mt Disappointment State Forest and surrounding area,” Tom Goldstraw, Acting Murrindindi District Manager, FFMVic said.

“This included household whitegoods, old tyres, and material containing asbestos.

“The total clean-up bill exceeded $13,000, which doesn’t include our staff or equipment costs to undertake the removal and disposal of the rubbish.

“This is money that would otherwise be spent on maintaining and upgrading recreational facilities.

“Our forests and parks are there to be enjoyed by everyone, and dumping rubbish has significant impacts on the environment and people’s health,” Mr Goldstraw said.

Greg Chant, Regional Manager, Conservation Regulator said: “We are urging members of the public to report anything they know about dumped rubbish activities.

“The Conservation Regulator takes environmental vandalism seriously and information from the community may support our efforts to identify offenders.

“If you do see or know of any dumping of rubbish, we are asking that you note the date, time and location of the incident. Take a photograph, if safe to do so, and report it in the first instance by calling 136 186. All information will be treated as confidential.” Mr Chant said.

For general littering on Crown Land fines of up to $3,635 can be issued. If the material is deemed to be hazardous or dangerous, fines of up to $10,904 can be issued.

The onset of summer and associated warmer temperatures will see the emergence of Caltrop, also known as bindii or cat’s head.

Agriculture Victoria is encouraging landowners in the Mansfield area and across Goulburn Broken region to begin their seasonal planning for treatment of this herbaceous annual weed.

Infestations of Caltrop can have far-reaching consequences such as reduction in pasture productivity through competition, contamination of food and fibre products as well as significant impacts on livestock such as damage to feet, mouth and stomach and in extreme cases death if grazed due to its toxicity.

Caltrop (Tribulus terrestris L.) germinates in summer when soil temperatures rise and throughout the warmer weather after rainfall events.

Leading Biosecurity Officer Kate Cunnew said the fruit of caltrop is the most well-known feature of the plant – a woody burr with sharp, hard spines that imbed in footwear and vehicle tyres, and can easily attach to animals’ feet and in the fleece of sheep.

“The ability of the weed to disperse great distances as a contaminant on vehicles, people and animals can create new infestations in previously clean areas,” Ms Cunnew said.

Caltrop is a declared noxious weed in Victoria under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 and is classified as Regionally Controlled in the Goulburn Broken Catchment.

Landowners in this area have an obligation to control the growth and spread of the weed on their property.

Caltrop is more likely to occur where competition is minimal, such as overgrazed pastures, fallow areas, stock yards, roadsides and waste lands. Management of the weed can include the complete physical removal of small infestations or the appropriate application of a registered herbicide.

Ms Cunnew said landowners are advised to seek professional advice from their local agronomist or chemical retailer when undertaking chemical treatment of any weed to ensure they have the most up to date information on products and application methods.

“Cultivation as a method of control should only be used for juvenile plants before flowering and in combination with other methods of control, as burial of the seed can increase the longevity of the seedbank.

“Multiple treatments may need to occur throughout the growing season, as new plants can germinate with each rainfall event and quickly mature in the warmer weather. In suitable conditions germination to seed set can occur within a month.

“Timing of grazing and removal of stock to increase summer ground cover or germination of pasture species at key periods can also assist in increasing competition against the weed.”

For further information on caltrop visit agriculture.vic.gov.au or contact the Customer Contact Centre on 136 186.

Agriculture Victoria's soil moisture monitoring project, with the use of underground probes, provides real-time soil water content data to Victoria’s farmers.

Monitoring sites have been set up in cropping regions throughout the state by Agriculture Victoria.

The sites record soil water content at one source point from 30 centimetres down to one metre as a reference point for a paddock.

Speedo assessments
Soil moisture measurements collected by the Agriculture Victoria monitoring network indicate very few monitoring sites increased their deep soil moisture levels in the past three weeks despite rain in late September and early October.

The water deficit during mid-September was large and required 50 millimetres plus to allow water to infiltrate to the first soil moisture sensor at 30 centimetres. Rainfalls of 60 - 70 millimetres had greater impact, moving down to 30 - 50 centimetres.

The rain was welcome in all districts and has provided some freely available water to crops, although more rain was required in the Mallee. Generally, in the Wimmera, the rain was enough to maintain crop production but not enough to bank that moisture and build reserves for the next season’s crop (at this stage).

There is still a range of low to low/moderate soil moisture conditions in the Mallee and patches of the Wimmera.  There is evidence of high yielding crops in the regions due to isolated storms during the growing season and more recently in the past three weeks. Southern parts of the Wimmera have moderate to high potential.

North Central region crops were starting to be impacted through September with three weeks of dry weather.

Fortunately, rain received at the critical period of flowering for crops will pick up yield potential and follow up rain will provide moisture to progress through the grain-fill period.  Conditions like this last year produced exceptional grain quality.

North East districts still have medium to high deep soil moisture levels and the high yield potential crops were supported by good rain during September and early October that has provided freely available water.

South West Victoria still have wet sub-soil but high yielding crops are using water and the Gippsland monitoring site is still very wet.

Eligible Victorian organisations in the cattle, sheep, goat, swine and honey bee industries now have until Friday 26 November to apply for funding through the Livestock Biosecurity Funds – Grant Program.

Grants are available to fund projects that prevent, monitor, and control diseases, thereby enhancing animal health, biosecurity and market access for the benefit of Victoria’s livestock industries.

Applications are invited from private sector businesses, universities and research institutions, co-operatives, government agencies and local government, and incorporated associations.

Any organisation looking to apply should consider the guidelines and eligibility criteria, review the relevant Statement of Strategic Intent, and complete the online application form.

NEW CLOSING DATE: Applications will close 11.59 pm on Friday 26 November.

For more information, visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/livestockbiosecurityfunds or call our Customer Contact Centre on 136 186.

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

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 stock containment area short course provides Victorian farmers with key information to help them better prepare and respond to dry seasonal conditions and other emergencies before critical decisions need to be made. 

Topics include:

• What is a stock containment area?
• Why use a stock containment area?
• Other uses of a stock containment area
• Are you up for the task?
• Site selection
• Design
• Water
• Feeding
• Shade and shelter
• Management.

The course takes about 30 minutes to complete.

Seasonal forecast models can be tricky and confusing at times, coming in all different shapes and sizes.

That’s why we recently asked seasonal risk agronomist Dale Grey to take us through the different models he’s analysed over the years.

To listen search 'My Rain Gauge is Busted' wherever you usually get your podcasts or listen here: https://go.vic.gov.au/31cuNY

Agriculture Victoria’s Ag Recovery Team is here to support growers in the horticulture industry affected by the June storms and floods across Victoria.

Phone 0427 694 185 or email recovery@agriculture.vic.gov.au or visit the Agriculture Victoria website agriculture.vic.gov.au

The new season of the ‘AgVic Talk’ podcast series highlights personal stories of people who have overcome daily challenges.

You’ll hear from a diverse range of people, including rural women and young farmers about how they recover, grow, modernise, protect and promote Victorian agriculture.

Subscribe to AgVic Talk

You can subscribe and listen to AgVic Talk wherever you get your podcasts.

Contact us to learn more about this no-cost program.

• Phone: 1300 834 775
• Web: www.agbizassist.org.au
• Email: info@agbizassist.org.au

AgBiz Assist Ltd t/as Rural Financial Counselling Service Victoria-North East is supported by the Victorian Government.

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.

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

Do you want to hear about what other horticultural businesses are doing to improve energy efficiency?

Our next energy webinar, on Thursday 28 October at 12 pm, will be a panel discussion with three managers from horticultural businesses who will share their experiences in implementing sustainable energy technologies, improving energy efficiency and generating renewable energy.

Register now at https://bit.ly/3aNdU3i or for any assistance or information 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/

If you are a landholder in North East Victoria and would like to learn more about high threat weeds and different control methods, Trust for Nature are hosting a webinar on Thursday 28 October 12 - 1pm where you can learn and share your knowledge.

The webinar is part of the $14M Landcare Led Bushfire Recovery Grants Program.

Scan the QR code or click here to join the webinar: https://zoom.us/j/95244506813

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