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Grampians Ag news
 
Thursday, 22 October 2020
In this edition:
Coronavirus (COVID-19) update

Safely reopening Victoria

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

From 11:59pm on 18 October 2020, restrictions are easing in both metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria. Read the Statement from the Premier or visit coronavirus.vic.gov.au for more details.

Information for the agriculture industry

The Victorian Government continues to recognise the critical importance of the agriculture and food sector and will ensure our farms and agribusinesses can keep operating – to keep supermarket shelves stocked and food on Victorian tables.

Business and industry must operate in Victoria based on the following six COVIDSafe principles to ensure reopening is safe, steady and sustainable:

  • ensure physical distancing (1.5 metres)
  • wear a mask or face covering
  • practise good hygiene
  • keep good records and act quickly if staff become unwell
  • avoid interactions in close spaces
  • create workforce bubbles

COVIDSafe Plans are required for regional Victorian businesses

From 11:59pm 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 regional Victoria.

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.

If you own a business in a high-risk industry, you must have a High Risk COVIDSafe plan.

High-risk industries include: construction, warehousing and distribution, supermarket and medical distribution centres, abattoirs and meat processing facilities.

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

Latest News
Housing order ends in the Golden Plains Shire
Chickens and map of Golden Plains shire

The housing order in place in the Restricted Area of the Golden Plains Shire to help manage detections of avian influenza ended at 11.59 pm on Monday, 19 October.

Victoria’s Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Graeme Cooke said the end of thehousing order will coincide with a reduction in the size of the Control Area to reflect the progression of the response to eradicate avian influenza detections in the Shire.

“While this is another step in the right direction I strongly encourage bird owners in the Golden Plains Shire to continue to practise good biosecurity and take steps tostop their poultry mixing with wild birds.

“The endof the housing order and the refining of the Control Area reflects the progression in the management of this outbreakand therefore a reduction in restrictions placed on bird owners.

“As we have said throughout this response we are taking an incremental approach toour management to be confident that the threat of avian influenza has been eliminatedand that if the situation changes we can respond quickly.

“Information and intelligence gathered so far, along with no new detections means we are able to take this step.“Our surveillance operations, including swabbing and testing birds, will also continue to monitor the viral load of avian influenza in the area.

“Other measures will remain in place however until the end of the outbreak,so please check the Agriculture Victoria website to understand what those are,” he said.

“We are grateful for the efforts of both industry and the community for their assistance with this response, whether it has been supporting our ongoing surveillance efforts or reporting dead or sick birds to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline.”

Dr Cooke said all poultry and captive bird owners mustcontinue to follow good biosecurity practices in order to prevent a recurrence of the disease at any time.

These include:

  • keep drinking water and feed away from wild birds, pets and vermin
  • ensure birds’ feed and water is clean from droppings or animal waste
  • keep domestic birds away from potentially contaminated water sources such as streams, dams, ponds
  • feed your birds good quality feed from a reputable feed-mill
  • regularly clean your chicken coop, including feeders, drinkers and equipment
  • frequently replace nesting materials.

Report sick or dead birds to the all hours Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.

For more information about maintaining good biosecurity practices go to the Agriculture Victoria website agriculture.vic.gov.au/avianflu.

Boost your farm business skills with a mentor
Two people in paddock being harvested

Agriculture Victoria has an exciting new mentoring program for young farmers. There will be 10 available places in the 2021 program.

Agriculture Victoria Young Farmer Coordinator Sarah Wallis said this pilot program is designed to build a mentoring relationship between a young or new entrant farmer and an experienced farmer, which will be facilitated by a private consultant.

'This program offers young or inexperienced farmers an opportunity to build their professional support networks and learn one-on-one from a farmer who has years of farming experience and industry knowledge behind them,' Ms Wallis said.

'Mentee’s, with the benefit of their mentor’s knowledge and experience, will make better decisions, and thrive in their pursuit to be a successful farmer. In this way, mentors can ensure their knowledge, skills, and wisdom are passed on to the next generation of farmers.'

The young farmer mentee will be supported by their mentor to develop their skills in:

  • managing their farm business
  • identifying risks
  • developing strategies to build resilience and achieve their business goals.

Applications must be submitted by Thursday 5 November 2020.

The Young Farmer Mentoring Program will be facilitated by private consultants who will match young farmers with a suitable, experienced farmer.

More information on the Young Farmer Program and the application process.

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

Share photos of your big crop!
Large wheat with an oversize sign in front

To celebrate the upcoming bumper harvest in Victoria, we want you share photos of your big crop on social media.

If you’re growing some whopper wheat, bonza barley, large lentils, colossal canola, plentiful peas or big beans, then we want to see them!

Share your photo on Twitter or Facebook and make sure you tag @AgricultureVictoria #BigCropVic on Facebook and @AgVicGov and #BigCropVic on Twitter.

Do you need seasonal workforce assistance?

If you’re a vegetable, fruit, berry, grape or grains producer, the Victorian Government can provide you with the support you need to find workers for this season’s harvest.

The Victorian Government can connect you with jobseekers, provide assistance with worker accommodation and transport, as well as support you to help make your business COVIDSafe.

Seasonal Workforce Coordinators and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) Engagement Officers are available in horticulture production areas, working on the ground with farmers, employers and labour-hire companies to help address workforce needs.

Farmers can register their Business workforce requirements at the Victorian Government’s Working for Victoria - the online platform which matches jobseekers with employers. Visit vic.gov.au/workingforvictoria

To support Victorian agribusinesses through the upcoming summer harvest, applications for Business Adaptation Grants, and support for worker induction and retraining are open until the end of 2020.

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

Optimistic results from intercropping project
an aerial view of green and yellow crops

Intercropping is commonly used in backyard gardening, with the benefits well recognised, for example growing basil with your tomatoes.

To determine the potential of intercropping in broadacre systems, a state-wide project has been established.

Agriculture Victoria senior research scientist Meredith Mitchell said the project will determine if intercropping of two crop species when sown together within one space, could increase production and profits.

“Four species mixtures are being evaluated: field pea/canola, faba bean/wheat, faba bean/canola and barley/canola,” Dr Mitchell said. 

These mixtures have been sown in different densities, ranging from a 50:50 mix where each species is sown at half its normal rate to 25:75 where one species is sown at a quarter and the second at three quarters of their normal rates. These are then compared with ‘monocultures’ where each species is sown at their full rate with no companion. 

Dr Mitchell said the crops have been sown in combinations to provide a mixture of functional groups – oilseeds, cereals and legumes. They are sown together to complement their use of nutrients, light and water. 

“This can be achieved via different root systems that access different spaces in the soil profile; different canopy structures that can maximise light capture and provide physical support; and utilisation of nitrogen fixed by the legume component. It is about synergy and the value of plants working together. 

“In the second year of our research the experiment is showing intercropping has the potential to increase yield, value and profitability in cropping regions of southern Australia. 

“In 2019, six out of eight mixes evaluated had a small, but positive yield advantage, up to 20 per cent, over the monocultures.”

In Australia, intercropping is not widely adopted due to perceived additional labour requirements and the added complexity of managing and harvesting mixed species. 

Dr Mitchell said new herbicide options available for a range of crops make intercropping systems a possibility for broadacre cropping. 

“Experimental plots were harvested with a conventional header and then the grains separated post-harvest. Further research is being undertaken to examine profitability and risk in a whole-farm context.”
                                                                  
The project is part of the Victorian Grains Innovation Partnership between the Victorian Government and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), which aims to increase the profitability of southern grain growers through world-class research. This research is part of a project that has core experimental sites at Rutherglen, Hamilton and Horsham. 

In 2020, in addition to the core experimental sites there are also six satellite sites. The ‘Intercropping to exploit rainfall for profit’ project is a three-year investment. 

More information about the project is available in two GRDC podcasts featuring Agriculture Victoria researchers at https://bit.ly/36ZaLNd and https://bit.ly/30ZXYGA.

New training supports grains industry workers

Workers joining the grains industry for this season’s harvest will be quickly brought up to speed with necessary skills and knowledge, thanks to an online training package supported by the Victorian Government.

Minister for Agriculture Jaclyn Symes last week announced $175,000 in funding from the Agriculture Workforce Plan for the Grains Industry Skills Development and Induction Program, which will be developed by Grain Producers Australia.

The training focuses on creating a safe and efficient workforce as peak harvest season arrives given that the availability of regular seasonal workers from overseas and interstate has been affected by border restrictions to slow the spread of coronavirus.

New workers will complete comprehensive online courses covering farm safety, new hygiene and distancing practices and a thorough induction of what to expect during harvest. This includes understanding the main aspects of grain harvesting such as the operation of harvesters and chaser bins, grain handling and grain transportation.

An important part of the training will lay out for farm managers and centres how to effectively induct employees and how to provide a safe work environment. There will also be a section to support existing workers to get up to speed on best-practice farm safety.

The online training will be provided free of charge for Victorian businesses. The Agriculture Workforce Plan is also supporting other industry-led training programs including the Dairy Passport and Horticulture Farm Worker Induction Program.

In addition to targeted skills development, the plan is supporting businesses in key agriculture and food processing industries through adaptation grants, job-matching, worker accommodation and relocation support and initiatives to help Victorian producers connect into new markets.

For more details on the Agriculture Workforce Plan visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/agworkforceplan.

Warm humid conditions are ideal for flystrike

Dr Jeff Cave
District Veterinary Officer

With the warm, humid weather we are currently experiencing, conditions are ideal for flystrike. Flystrike is a significant cause of lost production and welfare concerns in sheep.

Flystrike costs the Australian sheep industry approximately $173 million annually, due to lost production, treatment costs and deaths. Reducing the risk of flystrike has immense benefits to the health and wellbeing of the sheep and productivity.

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

This fly has a well-developed sense of smell and is attracted to odour, moisture, blood, rain affected wool, fleece rot and daggy wool, and it becomes more active with increasing temperature and humidity.

The other primary cause of flystrike in Australia is the common brown blowfly.

This is a bigger and slower blowfly, which is not as active, but can cause just as much damage as Lucilia cuprina. Other species of flies can also be present in a fly struck sheep.

The timely use of appropriate preventive treatments is essential to limit the severity of flies and flystrike.

Sheep producers are encouraged to carefully watch weather conditions, and for the presence of flies.  They must also consider the type of sheep they have and any conditions that may lead to the opportunity for flystrike to occur.

Sheep should be monitored more regularly and more closely during danger periods.

There are a number of treatment options available and the proper application and choice of treatment will depend on the length of wool, time off shears and the future of the sheep.

Careful consideration of product choice is essential, and producers should take into consideration the relevant Withholding Periods (WHP) and Export Slaughter Interval (ESI) of any product used, and ensure they follow the product label directions and record the usage of all products.

For information on these different treatments and applications contact your local veterinarian, Agriculture Victoria veterinarian or animal health officer or visit www.wool.com/flystrikelatest or www.flyboss.org.au.

Top tips for selling and transporting animal
infographic on transporting livestock

Agriculture Victoria has created a livestock transport checklist to help farmers prepare and plan their trips.

Agriculture Victoria technical specialist Kirstie Anderson said the transport of cattle, sheep or goats involves rules and regulations across a number of agencies.

“The new ‘Transporting livestock responsibilities and recommendations’ webpage provides everything farmers need to be across from market expectations to curfews, animals being fit to load, planning the journey and getting the paperwork right,” she said.

“If you’re selling livestock, either for slaughter over the hooks, to the saleyard or in a private sale, it’s important to consider whether the stock meet your customer’s requirements.”

“Meeting market specifications can lead to higher prices compared to selling stock that is outside the specifications and can help to create a good relationship with your supply chain,” Ms Anderson said.

“The page provides a checklist of everything you need to be ready for market, to plan your journey and to get the paperwork right.”

The checklist includes links to resources relating to market specifications such as age or dentition, weight, fat or condition scores, withholding periods, Livestock Production Assurance (LPA), Meat Standards Australia (MSA) or other quality assurance program information.

Producers, stock agents and transporters can access curfew advice and information as well as links to MSA handling requirements and standards to better understand specific supply chains. 

The page has links to Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines, including the handy and easy to use booklet ‘Is the animal fit to load?’. 

“Good preparation can ensure better animal welfare, minimize transport-related losses and can support better eating quality outcomes,” Ms Anderson said.

“We’ve included reminders about ‘spelling periods’ for livestock if a journey is going to take longer than the maximum time allowed, as well as maximum times off feed and water to help producers put their best plan forward.”

For more information visit the ‘Transporting livestock responsibilities and recommendations’ web page or contact Kirstie Anderson on 0437 990 967.

Have your say on a new Animal Welfare Act

Victorians have the chance to help improve animal welfare in Victoria by shaping new legislation, with a Directions Paper setting out key proposals and options for a new Animal Welfare Act now available for public comment.

Victorians are encouraged to have their say on the options for the new laws, which will help keep a high standard of animal welfare and support Victorian farmers to maintain access to important export markets.

A new Act will deliver on the Government’s election commitment to replace the current Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986 – which is more than 30 years old.

The Directions Paper sets out several proposals for the new Act which aim to strengthen Victoria’s reputation as a humane and responsible producer of food, and to maintain public confidence in our agriculture industry, research institutions, and many other animal sectors.

Among the proposals put forward for comment are setting minimum standards of care people must provide for animals.  This would mean people caring for animals must meet basic needs of the animal – such as providing adequate food and water, and veterinary treatment for an injury or illness – rather than simply outlawing cruelty. 

Other options being considered are how best to deliver on the Government’s commitment to recognise animal sentience – meaning they feel pleasure, comfort, discomfort, fear and pain – in the legislation and how to ensure regulators are better able to drive behavioural change, monitor compliance, and undertake enforcement.

This would further protect the welfare of animals, with penalties better aligned with the seriousness of the offence and authorised officers able to better ensure animal carers are doing the right thing. Recognising animal sentience would also bring Victoria in line with other Australian and international jurisdictions.

The Directions Paper was developed following extensive consultation with key industry and community stakeholders about our existing laws and opportunities for improvement.

The Government has already made reforms to improve animal welfare including mandatory pain relief when mulesing sheep, regulating appropriate fruit tree netting to protect wildlife and introducing the Pet Exchange Register to improve the traceability of cats and dogs.

The Government is also investing $3 million to support not-for-profit and community vet clinics, animal shelters and foster carers to purchase equipment and improve their services.

The Directions Paper and survey on the proposals for the new Act are available at engage.vic.gov.au. The survey closes on Monday 14 December 2020.

Helping mobile exhibitors care for their animals

Animal exhibitors who have been impacted by coronavirus restrictions will get help to cover the costs of food and care for their animals, thanks to support from the Victorian Government.

Minister for Agriculture Jaclyn Symes last week announced a $1 million support package that will help animal exhibitors such as mobile petting zoos and travelling reptile exhibitors to ensure their animals are looked after while their businesses remain unable to operate.

The Support Package for Animal Exhibitors will provide funding to purchase feed and to cover the specialised costs associated with housing and caring for exhibit animals.

Animal exhibitors play an important role in the community, letting people get up close to native wildlife and other animals, raise awareness about Australian native animals, and learn where our food and fibre comes from.

Restrictions that have been put in place to protect Victorians during the global pandemic have significantly limited the ability of animal exhibitors to operate as they normally would through school visits, field days, corporate events, and being open to the public.

The funding recognises the impact of the restrictions on animal exhibitors and the ongoing need to provide food, housing and other essential welfare requirements.

Animal exhibitors can apply for support online at Agriculture Victoria’s website.

Young farmers regional wellbeing survey
farmer on mobile phone

Victorian young farmers it’s time have a go and share your thoughts and concerns in the 2020 Regional Wellbeing Survey.

Please jump online and do the survey at www.regionalwellbeing.org.au

You could win one of 29 prizes worth a total of $9,200*.  You can do a short or long version of the survey, depending on how much time you have available.

The Regional Wellbeing Survey’s mission is to support research that improves the wellbeing, resilience and quality of life of people living in rural and regional Australia. This is done by asking thousands of people across Australia to do the survey.

Since the start of the survey in 2013, young farmers have been significantly underrepresented. Now is the time to change that statistic and ensure your voice is heard.

Agriculture Victoria supports the Regional Wellbeing Survey (conducted by the University of Canberra) and regularly uses the data and information to understand the needs of Victorian communities and to inform program design and delivery.

This year there is a special focus on understanding how events including COVID-19, drought, bushfire and floods are affecting people and communities across Australia (as well as asking some of our usual questions).

Find out more at www.regionalwellbeing.org.au.  Call 1800 981 499 if you’d like a paper survey, or for help with the survey.

The survey is voluntary, confidential and anonymous, and closes at midnight on 30 October 2020. Thank you for taking the time to participate and share your valuable insights.

Aphids wanted: researchers call out to growers and agronomists
aphids on a green crop

Growers and agronomists are asked to help in the collection of aphids as part of a research project aimed at improving pest management in the grains industry.

The research being undertaken as part of the Australian Grains Pest Innovation Program (AGPIP) – a Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and University of Melbourne co-investment – is examining options for manipulating tiny micro-organisms (called endosymbionts), that live inside pest insects, to reduce the risk of crop damage and plant virus transmission.

Endosymbionts are bacteria that live within the cells of other organisms – such as insects – in a symbiotic relationship. Co-evolving over thousands or millions of years, endosymbionts can become crucial to certain survival processes in the insect host. These processes may include nutrition, reproduction and resistance to external pressures, such as insecticides or climatic variations, as well as impact upon the ability to transmit viruses and an insect’s susceptibility to predators.

“By manipulating endosymbionts within the insect, it is possible to disrupt these processes and reduce pest impacts,” says Professor Ary Hoffmann, whose Pest and Environmental Adaptation Research Group (PEARG) is leading AGPIP’s endosymbiont research at the University of Melbourne.

“We are looking to use this method in pest aphids to reduce the impacts of direct feeding damage and aphid-to-plant virus transmission,” Professor Hoffman said.

The research involves endosymbionts being transferred from one aphid species into another, as well as the suppression of endosymbionts in pest species through the application of heat and chemical treatments.

The success of this work is dependent on culturing live pest populations collected from the field.

“Currently, due to COVID-19-related restrictions here in Victoria, we are hampered in our ability to undertake field collections of pest species,” says AGPIP co-lead Associate Professor Paul Umina, of the University of Melbourne.

“Therefore, we are asking for help from the grains community in collecting aphids.”

The research team is seeking live aphids collected from locations around Australia, with a particular emphasis on collections from non-crop habitats such as roadsides and pastures. The researchers are specifically interested in receiving specimens of:

  • Russian wheat aphids (Diuraphis noxia)
  • Oat aphids (Rhopalosiphum padi)
  • Green peach aphids (Myzus persicae)
  • Pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum)

Russian wheat aphids and oat aphids are commonly found in cereals and grasses. Green peach aphids inhabit a variety of plants such as canola, vegetables, pulse crops and brassica weeds. Pea aphids are often found in lucerne, pulses and pasture legumes.

For more information and advice on submitting collected specimens, contact Associate Professor Umina on 0405 464 259 or via email at pumina@unimelb.edu.au.

AGPIP is a collaboration between the PEARG at the University of Melbourne and cesar. The program is a co-investment by the GRDC and the University of Melbourne, together with in-kind contributions from all program partners.

Epic journey of bees secures Victorian almond season
bee hives

Victoria’s almond harvest has thrived for another year, with a bumper crop expected to be harvested this season despite dry seasonal conditions and difficulties with border movements due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Minister for Agriculture Jaclyn Symes yesterday visited Cowanna Almonds near Mildura to see the orchards as they develop and contribute to a Victorian crop worth more than an estimated $500 million and representing around 65 per cent of Australia’s total almond export production value.

Without the efforts of the Victorian Government and industry bodies, this season’s pollination might not have happened at the required scale.

Each year, about 140,000 beehives are transported in an epic journey between Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria to pollinate the country’s 15 million almond trees, 6.6 million of which are in Victoria.

In 2020, interstate border controls across Australia threatened to stop the bee movement. 

Agriculture Victoria hosted a series of meetings with beekeepers, the almond industry and relevant state governments who worked together to find solutions to safe entry and exit from orchards in a rapidly changing environment.

Almond pollination provides significant economic benefit to the apiary industry as well as the local community who rely on the annual crop.

The cooperation of industry and government has enabled the continued growth and harvest of the high-quality Victorian produce that people enjoy world-wide and brought assurance to the communities that financially rely on this crop.

The work which ensured the 2020 almond pollination season went ahead is particularly pertinent with 2020 as the International Year of Plant Health with the theme “protecting plants, protecting life.”

Support is available for Victorian producers to make the operational changes necessary to continue to operate in a COVIDSafe way. For more information visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/agworkforceplan.

Latest AgVic Talk podcast episodes
Podcast logo

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.

What's On

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

Subscribe now for upcoming series of climate and agriculture science webinars

Agriculture Victoria will host a number of climate and agriculture science talks in its latest lunchtime webinar series.

Having proved popular the first time around, the lunchtime webinars are designed for busy people chasing fast facts about climate and agriculture research.

Participants will hear from a broad range of expert speakers from Agriculture Victoria, North East Catchment Management Authority (NECMA), University of Tasmania and other agencies.

Scheduled to speak this series, are:

  • Dr Rebecca Harris from University of Tasmania: will share Australia’s Wine Future: A Wine Climate Atlas which shows how wine-region climates have changed, with more to come
  • Agriculture Victoria, Climate Specialist, Graeme Anderson: will talk about using seasonal forecasts and share new tools developed with a GRDC project for south eastern Australia.

Land managers, service providers, researchers and educators are encouraged to subscribe to our climate updates and newsletters.

Any queries can be directed to Climate Development Officer Heather Field at heather.field@agriculture.vic.gov.au

For more information and to subscribe to stay up to date with these upcoming climate webinars visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/climate

Farm Cash Flow 101 - Managing cash flow budgets with confidence
cows in a paddock

Managing and forecasting cash flow is essential for any business. For farmers it’s particularly important given the highly variable income that comes with seasonal conditions, market fluctuations and unforeseen circumstances such as fire or floods.

Being prepared, both on the farm and on the books, will assist in preparing for and managing challenging situations.

Farm Cash Flow 101 is a two-session course designed to help farmers understand cash flow budgets, and develop confidence using spreadsheets for cash flow management.

Using case study figures from a farming operation, Farm Cash Flow 101 presenter farm business specialist Jim Moll, from AgBiz Assist, will show you how to develop a simple cashflow budget for your farm business, to get a better handle on managing income and expenditure over the next 12 months.

Once mastered, these simple Excel® spreadsheets can become an integral part of farm financial planning and management, revised regularly to reflect current circumstances.

Monday, 26 October, 11 am - 12 pm

  • Why cash flow budgets are important and how they assist farm businesses
  • Introduction to cash flow budgeting and spreadsheet basics

Wednesday, 28 October, 11 am - 12 pm

  • Adapting cash flow budgets to different production systems
  • Refining the spreadsheet

Register on Eventbrite: https://farm-cash-flow-budgets.eventbrite.com.au/

Join-in information and an Excel® spreadsheet template will be provided prior to the sessions.

For more information: contact Greg Ferrier on greg.ferrier@agriculture.vic.gov.au or 0438 738 634.

The webinar is provided in partnership with AgBiz Assist and the Rural Financial Counselling Service, through the support of the Victorian and Federal Governments.

Focus on stock containment areas
sheep in a stock containment yard

Agriculture Victoria is delivering a webinar for livestock producers with a focus on stock containment areas.

Topics covered:

  • Placement
  • Design
  • Management
  • Agriculture Victoria's Stock Containment e-Learning tool ​

Thursday 5 November 12:30 – 1:30 pm

Register here.

Contact: Tess McDougall
0409 841 492
tess.mcdougall@agriculture.vic.gov.au

The THRIVE AUSTRALIA Challenge

The THRIVE AUSTRALIA Challenge, in partnership with CSIRO, the Victorian Government, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the U.S. Department of State, aims to enable the needed transformations in Australia’s food value chain as highlighted in the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals.

The Challenge will accomplish this by identifying, promoting, accelerating, and investing in innovative early-stage Australian start-ups that are creating new and alternative paths for a more efficient and sustainable global food system.

Five to ten start-ups will be selected from the pool of applicants to present their ideas at THRIVE AUSTRALIA’s Pitch Challenge before an audience of top agricultural leaders, investors, and entrepreneurs.

One winning start-up will receive the THRIVE AUSTRALIA Challenge Award, brand exposure, access to the THRIVE ecosystem, and a spot at pitch finals for the award-winning THRIVE VII Accelerator Program (March-June 2021).

Learn more and apply here https://thriveagrifood.com/australia-challenge/ by November 6, 2020.

Lamb marketing masterclass

Agriculture Victoria is partnering with guest speakers from across the lamb industry to deliver a four-part webinar series focused on mastering your lamb marketing.

When:  Every Thursday, 5 November to 26 November

Where: Online webinar series

Time: 7.30 - 8.30 pm

Topics covered:

  • Part 1: Know your business
  • Part 2: Know your customer
  • Part 3: Know your product
  • Part 4: Know your value chain


Visit Webex to register for this event.

You only need to register once for the series. Recordings will be available for each session. For more information, or if you need assistance registering or joining the webinar please email Alice Ritchie or call 0429 386 781.

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All contact points can be found at: agriculture.vic.gov.au/about/contact-us

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