• Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• Storm and flood recovery hotline
• Genetic clues to medicinal cannabis unlocked in Victoria
• Apple and pear industry benefits from revised IPDM manual
• Workshops help growers boost their workforce plans
• Telehandler tragedy a catalyst for new guidance
• New survey explores quadbike spraying on farms
• Encouraging kids to get creative about farm safety
• Have your say on climate change adaptation
• Celebrating the best in rural and regional media
• Food and Fibre Gippsland awards now open
• Connecting primary producers to prevent mental health risk
• Latest podcast episodes
• What's on – online and on-farm events

At 11:59 pm Thursday 15 July, Victoria will go into lockdown and new restrictions will be in place. See the Statement from the Premier for details..

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

The Storm and Flood Recovery Hotline is a single state-wide number that Victorians impacted by the June 2021 storms and floods can call for help or assistance.

Operators can assist you with registering for Clean-Up of structures on private property or accessing your own Recovery Support Worker, mental health and wellbeing support, financial counselling and information on available payments.

The Recovery Hotline is open from 8 am to 7 pm Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays) and 9 am to 1 pm on weekends.

Advanced DNA analysis has allowed Victorian scientists to unlock the genetic code of medicinal cannabis, creating the world’s most complete genomic reference.

Minister for Agriculture Mary-Anne Thomas has congratulated scientists at Agriculture Victoria who have paved the way for faster precision breeding of medical cannabis, highlighting the importance of scientific research.

Laboratories have been fitted with state-of-the-art technology that can precisely measure and quantify cannabinoids, and are being used by Victorian scientists to quickly and accurately identify the cannabis varieties with the best medicinal properties.

It aims to improve outcomes from plant breeding programs.

In 2016, Victoria became the first state to legalise the use of medicinal cannabis. Since then safe and secure trials have allowed scientists to breed improved strains of the plant which in turn has made better health products available to patients.

Every plant and animal has a unique set of DNA including genes, and this is referred to as its genome.

Understanding the genome of medicinal cannabis is important because it allows scientists to select the best traits to make the most effective health products for people suffering from health conditions such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and cancer.

Scientists at Agriculture Victoria have been at the forefront of genomic analysis and DNA testing for agriculture in Australia for more than two decades.

Over the past four years, the research team used their expertise in genomic DNA testing to create new tools which made extracting genetic information from strains of medicinal cannabis from across the world possible. This information was then able to be put into a database.

This means scientists can link millions of DNA markers with traits such as growth rate, bud size and disease resistance, and quickly and cost-effectively test plants to meet compliance and regulatory requirements.

In 2018-19, Agriculture Victoria scientists sequenced 50 trillion bases of DNA. Advances in technology mean the same amount can today be done in just three weeks, which is equivalent to 60,000 cannabis genomes or 66,000 chickpea genomes.

The Victorian Government’s 10-year strategy for agriculture in Victoria highlights the ongoing importance of investing in research and innovation.

The strategy also outlines the need to maximise the growth potential of key emerging industries in order to grow the value and output of the agriculture sector.

The Integrated Pest Disease and Weed Management (IPDM) manual for Australian Apple and Pears has been newly revised and is now available online.

This practical manual is in large part due to the depth of knowledge and efforts of Agriculture Victoria Entomologist David Williams and Plant Pathologist Oscar Villalta, who are both retiring in the near future.

The manual includes useful information on how to develop an IPDM plan, key pests and diseases, integrated weed management, how to optimise the effectiveness of mating disruption, in addition to tables showing the toxicity of pesticides on beneficial species.

Apple and Pear Australia Ltd (APAL) Technical Manager Rosalie Daniels said the manual is a comprehensive resource for those interested in IPDM.

“It contains not only information about how to manage local pests and diseases using an integrated approach for Australian orchards and conditions, but it also provides details about unwanted pests that are not present in Australia and what to look out for,” Ms Daniels said.

“One of the most valuable and rare things about this manual is the local information that has been included by the two authors through working in different regions with growers and advisors, which ensures the information is relevant, topical and applicable,” she said.

The Integrated Pest Disease and Weed Management manual for Australian Apples and Pears is available online at extensionaus.

This project has been funded by Hort Innovation, using the Hort Innovation apple and pear research and development levy and contributions from the Victorian government.

Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture.

Horticulture growers are well equipped at juggling workloads, but during the last season many have found they are having to add Human Resource Manager to their title as they tackle the current workforce shortage and try to attract and retain a new workforce.

To help horticulture businesses adapt to this new challenge, Agriculture Victoria is hosting a series of workshops run by agriculture workforce recruiting and HR specialists, providing the chance for growers to reflect on the previous season and to prepare their business for the season ahead.

Agriculture Victoria Director Horticulture Services Sze Flett said the Business Workforce Planning workshops are a practical way for people running businesses to understand how they can improve their workforce and worker recruitment skills, and adapt their business to the new situation.

“We have spoken to hundreds of growers and employers over the past 12 months and one of the biggest challenges they have faced is suddenly having to be HR managers as well as farm managers,” Dr Flett said.

“These workshops will provide the opportunity for growers to learn from the experience of the previous season, identify ways they can improve their human resource management skills, and prepare their businesses for the future.”

The Business Workforce Planning workshops will be run by consulting firm Meridian Agriculture, which has a history of supporting agricultural businesses to recruit, manage and retain workforces.

Meridian Agriculture’s HR consultant Ben Reeve says the workshops will help growers identify ways they can manage their specific workforce issues.

“It’s about helping people to understand human resource management fundamentals,” Mr Reeve said.

“We will help employers identify what drives job satisfaction and what they can do to improve worker satisfaction, which in turn can lead to improved business outcomes.

“Growers will have the opportunity to share their experiences and to learn what worked for other businesses in the effort to find new workers and adapt to the situation.

“Participants will also be encouraged to think about what they can do differently when it comes to managing their workforce for the coming season and for the years ahead.”

The free, three-hour workshops will be held throughout Victoria’s key horticulture regions including Gippsland (28 July), Swan Hill (30 July), Cobram (2 August), Shepparton (2 August), Mildura (5 August) and the Yarra Valley (9 August).

Following on from these workshops, there will also be the opportunity for individual businesses to develop targeted business action plans through one on one sessions.

The workshops are free, but registration is essential. Visit forms.office.com/r/5L6VVBpu6s

A tragic incident at a Wimmera feedlot in November 2020 was the catalyst for a new Telehandler Safety handbook for Victorian farmers.

Twenty per cent of on-farm injuries are caused by farm machinery, including telehandlers. Key risks include tipping by over-balancing the load, failing to see workers while reversing, creating a blind spot by not lowering the boom, and touching high voltage power lines.

The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) Farm Safety Team partnered with the TeleScopic Handler Association to develop the Telehandler Safety handbook – a practical guide for farmers that highlights key safety considerations.

A two-page flyer is also available that can be printed for employees, posted on noticeboards or made available in machinery sheds and tea rooms.

Key messages for telehandler users:

• Make sure that the view from the cab is not obstructed by the boom, cab pillars or other parts of the machine
• Lower the boom during travel to lower the centre of gravity and maximise stability and avoid contacting overhead powerlines
• High Risk Work Licences are required for operators of telehandlers with a load capacity over three tonnes. For telehandlers with a load capacity under three tonnes, the TSHA Operator Gold Card training is strongly recommended.

In addition to this guidance document, two safety advisors are available to provide advice and support to all Victorian farmers, free of charge.

The safety advisors spend three to four days a week visiting farms all over Victoria, undertaking safety audits and consulting with farmers.

The VFF Making Our Farms Safer Project is funded to deliver this work by the Victorian Government through the Growing Victoria’s Agriculture election commitment and Smarter Safer Farms program.

To contact the VFF Farm Safety Team, phone Farm Safety Advisors John Darcy on 0432 156 223 or Richard Versteegen on 0499 772 472.

You can also visit the Making our Farms Safer page on Facebook or Twitter.

National Centre for Farmer Health (NCFH) student researcher Jordan Walker wants to understand the use of quadbikes for spraying on the farm.

The rise in quadbike related fatalities in Australia last year, combined with minimal quadbike spraying research in Australia, makes this new research particularly vital.

For many Victorian farmers, the quadbike is vital to everyday farm operations, with their use in tasks such as mustering, transport, hunting and spraying. However, whilst quadbikes can be incredibly helpful on the farm, they can also be a dangerous vehicle that has the potential to cause injury.

NCFH is seeking farmers and agricultural workers around Victoria to participate in an online survey. The survey will only take 5 – 10 minutes, with questions about your farm, quadbike use and agrichemical use.

The Quadbike spraying and injury surveillance project (QuadSIS) aims to help researchers understand:

• the extent to which quadbikes are used for spraying on the farm
• the types of agrichemicals applied using quadbikes
• whether spraying on a quadbike creates increased risks that may lead to injury.

Participation in the QuadSIS project will help inform more targeted education into how farmers can use their quadbike to safely apply agrichemicals without putting their health and safety at risk.

Click here to participate in the survey. 

The Victorian Government is working with Kidsafe Victoria to deliver farm safety education to early learning centres and primary schools across the state.

Minister for Agriculture Mary-Anne Thomas launched the second annual Kidsafe Victoria Farm Safety Creative Competition recently, with an aim to encourage kids to think about solutions to farm safety issues.

The theme for this year’s competition ‘Think Farm Safe, Be Farm Safe,’ is about teaching children to stop and think about the potential injury risks on farms and to ensure that safety is always front of mind in the farm environment.

The competition provides children with the opportunity to take an active role in investigating farm safety issues, empowering them to become part of the solution. Participants can submit a video they have created, an illustrated story, poster or collage, a radio advertisement, or an invention.

The winning entries will feature in a statewide farm safety education campaign designed to increase farm safety awareness among Victorian parents and carers.

According to the Victorian Injury Surveillance Unit, children under the age of 15 in Victoria’s outer regional areas are four times more likely to die due to injury than children in major cities.

In 2019-20, almost 400 Victorian children under the age of 15 were treated in hospital as a result of an injury on farm. 

Common injury hazards for children on farms include vehicles such as quad bikes, motorbikes and tractors, accidents involving animals, water hazards, machinery and poisons.

The Farm Safety in Schools Campaign and Creative Competition is funded by Smarter, Safer Farms, a $20 million state government initiative to improve safety outcomes for Victorian farmers, their families, farm workers and visitors.

For more information on the Kidsafe Victoria’s Farm Safety Creative Competition and other learning resources, visit the Kidsafe Victoria website, with entries open until 5 November 2021.

The Victorian Government is inviting all Victorians to have a say on how to make key sectors of the economy and environment more resilient to the impacts of climate change as the state moves to reach its ambitious climate change targets.

Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio announced consultation is under way on seven draft Climate Change Adaptation Actions Plans.

The plans focus on seven sectors regarded as vulnerable to climate change or having an important role in adapting to further change:

• Primary Production – agriculture, productive fisheries and plantation forestry
• Built Environment – cities, buildings, urban spaces, and infrastructure
• Education and Training – education, training and workplace skills
• Health and Human Services – disease prevention, physical and mental health care
• Transport – passenger and freight movement, transport networks and vehicles
• Natural Environment – land, water bodies, coastal waters, biodiversity and ecological processes
• Water Cycle – water supply, wastewater, drainage and flood management.

The government is seeking input from the community to shape the plans which will set a solid foundation for a climate-resilient Victoria.

The plans respond to priorities in Victoria’s Climate Change Strategy, address current impacts and the systematic changes needed to prepare key sectors for the future climate.

Each plan is different because each sector has its own unique climate change risks and opportunities. They also address common challenges, such as sea-level rise, emergency management and energy resilience.

The plans are due to be completed by the end of 2021 and will guide adaptation efforts over the next five years, laying the foundations for dealing with climate change.

You can have your say at https://engage.vic.gov.au/aaps

Entries are open for the Rural Press Club of Victoria 2021 Rural and Regional Journalism and Photography Awards.

This annual competition celebrates quality rural and regional media by showcasing the best journalism and photography from across Victoria and Tasmania.

To celebrate the past year, award winners will be announced at a formal function at the Showtime Events Centre, South Wharf on Friday 27 August.

RPCV Vice President Bryce Eishold said it had been a huge 12 months for rural and regional media.

“Despite the challenges of a shrinking media landscape and COVID-19, our journalist and photography members continued to shine a light on the important issues affecting our communities,” he said.

“This year, the awards will be extra special because we want to recognise the individuals and media outlets that worked so hard, while also bringing our industry together to celebrate for the first time since 2019.”

To enter the awards, journalists and photographers must be members of the RPCV. Membership is available through the new RPCV website.

Work eligible for the awards must have been published or broadcast from 1 July 1, 2020, to 30 June, 2021.

Entries close Friday 6 August at 5 pm.

The prestigious titles of Journalist and Photographer of the Year will be up for grabs, while all newspapers, radio and television stations can compete for the hotly contested Media Outlet of the Year.

More details about the awards presentation will be available in coming weeks when the event tickets go on sale.

For more information contact Simone Smith on 0438 847742 or simone@freerangeag.com.au.

The National Centre for Farmer Health announced that the innovative and exciting new chat-based platform ‘Campfire’ is now live as part of the Primary Producer Knowledge Network.

Campfire provides an engaging, solution-focused community for farmers and fishers to proactively improve their systems of work in support of mentally healthy workplaces via:

• practical tools and resources,
• solution-focused stories that address work related challenges,
• interaction with experts and peer networks.

Online Campfires will be lit at each Tuesday – Thursday evening from 7:30pm, where primary producers can discuss work-related challenges.

Bonfires will be held fortnightly (Wednesday evenings from 7.30pm) where primary producers will hear from topic experts and participate in Q&A.

Register today to join the conversation, receive information about upcoming events and access topic blogs and podcasts by clicking here.

Upcoming bonfire event dates:

• 28 July – Communication – it's more than your words
• 11 Aug – Planning for Success(ion)

Season two of ‘AgVic Talk’ is now live!

This season of the ‘AgVic Talk’ podcast series will highlight 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.

Listen to 'AgVic Talk' wherever you usually get your podcasts or listen in 🎧 on the Agriculture Victoria website.

My Rain Gauge is Busted

n the latest episode of My Rain Gauge is Busted, Agriculture Victoria soil moisture expert Dale Boyd explains the benefits of soil moisture monitoring in cropping systems and how our soil moisture probe network has expanded to also include pasture paddocks.

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

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.

Over the last few months, the WGCMA has been working with farmers in the Newry area to make the most of a new pipeline upgrade that is coming their way.

It’ll help them be more efficient and also help reduce runoff into the local rivers and the Gippsland Lakes. The CMA is hosting a field day in conjunction with Agriculture Victoria for farmers to meet with suppliers of pipe and riser irrigation systems. 

Suppliers/contractors interested in attending are requested to please contact Agriculture Victoria Senior Irrigation Extension Officer Billy Marshall on 0418 718 527 or via email at billy.marshall@agriculture.vic.gov.au

COVID-19 restrictions in force on the day will be applied. 

The draft Primary Production Adaptation Action Plan (AAP) is one of seven plans being developed by the Victorian Government to ensure Victoria is climate resilient now and in the future.

At this webinar you will learn about the draft Primary Production Adaptation Action Plan (AAP) and what it means for Victoria’s primary industries and how to provide feedback. You will also hear about the Water Cycle AAP.

Why is the Victorian Government preparing a Primary Production AAP?

• Adaptation will reduce climate change risks, build resilience and harness adaptation opportunities of primary industries.
• Primary industries are already adapting to climate change, but more action is needed. The draft Primary Production AAP seeks to build on the work that primary industries are already doing to adapt to climate change.

Communities, businesses and governments are working together to lay a solid foundation for a climate-resilient Victoria for the long term and tackle the impacts of climate change.

The draft Primary Production AAP and the other six plans are open for consultation until Friday 6 August and can be found at https://engage.vic.gov.au/aaps-primaryproduction

Presenters:

• Professor Lauren Rickards, RMIT
• Julie Webb, Primary Production AAP Lead, DJPR
• Laura Downes, Water Cycle AAP Lead, DELWP

DATE: Wednesday 21 July, 12 - 1 pm
COST: Free

Register here.

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

During this webinar:

Stephan Tait, Scolexia will explore anaerobic digestion including:

• What is anaerobic digestion?
• How does an anaerobic digester operate?
• The application, opportunities and benefits of anaerobic digestion in agriculture
• Potential risks and barriers.

Sohum Gandhi, Enriva will explain thermal bioenergy including:

• How does thermal bioenergy technologies operate?
• The application, opportunities and benefits of thermal bioenergy in agriculture
• Common risks and barriers.

Kelly Wickham, Agriculture Victoria will give a broad overview of the bioenergy sector in Victoria.

There will be an opportunity for questions after the presentations.

DATE: Thursday, 22 July

TIME:  12 to 1 pm

WHERE: Online using Zoom or call in

Register or join the webinar here.

If you have not previously used Zoom please join the webinar five 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/

This initiative is part of the Victorian Government’s Agriculture Energy Investment Plan, which is supporting producers to improve energy usage on-farm.

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