• Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• PrimeSafe and Agriculture Victoria Statement: Dog liver disease cluster
• Webinar shares solutions for feed and effluent after flood
• Manage animal health issues as wet conditions linger
• AgVic Talk podcast season two puts the focus on community
• Webinars for dairy farmers on new EPA regulations
• Farmer disqualified from owning livestock and handed a $25,000 fine
• Storm and flood recovery hotline
• Itching to control worms
• Victoria's game licensing system goes digital
• Australian Biosecurity Awards – nominations closing soon
• Gippsland Food and Fibre awards
• Connecting primary producers to prevent mental health risk
• Latest podcast episodes
• What's on – online and on-farm events

The Victorian Government has announced the current lockdown will be extended until 11.59 pm Tuesday 27 July and travel to Victoria using Red Zone Permits will be temporarily paused.

A range of new supports to bolster communities and businesses most affected by the current restrictions are available. See the Statement from the Minister for Industry Support and Recovery for details.

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

The PrimeSafe and Agriculture Victoria investigation into the cluster of dogs with liver disease in Gippsland has identified indospicine as the cause of liver failure.

Indospicine is a toxin found across Australia in native plants of the Indigofera species. Dogs are especially sensitive to this toxin. This is a positive step in the progress of the investigation and provides some answers to affected and concerned dog owners.

Indospicine has been previously shown to build up in some grazing animals when they continued to eat these plants. Indospicine toxicity has not previously been reported in Victoria but has been reported in northern Australia.

At this stage the investigation has no conclusive evidence of how the dogs have ingested the toxin, with pet food sources remaining a primary focus. This complex investigation is ongoing with multiple lines of inquiry across the pet meat supply chain and testing continuing at laboratories across Australia.

PrimeSafe and Agriculture Victoria advice to dog owners remains that fresh or frozen raw pet meat sourced from Gippsland between 31 May and 3 July, should not be fed to dogs. It is understood that various businesses and suppliers have implemented voluntary withdrawals and recalls of potentially affected products.

As dog owners may still have potentially contaminated pet meat we encourage you to check any fresh or raw meat stored at home. Please contact your pet food supplier if you are unsure about the origins of their pet meat.

Dog owners should seek prompt advice from their private veterinarian if their dog demonstrates any concerning signs including sudden loss of appetite, lethargy or jaundice in a previously heathy animal, especially after eating pet meat.

Veterinarians seeking to report cases or for further advice should speak with their local Agriculture Victoria Animal Health or District Veterinary Officers or call the Customer Contact Centre on 136 186.

To contact PrimeSafe, visit the PrimeSafe website.

“Then you need to consider if long-term infrastructure will provide you with flexibility and efficiency to manage livestock during or after future events such as flooding or dry seasons.

“The third step is siting, making sure feed infrastructure is placed in the optimal location, taking into account issues such as topography, neighbouring properties, property overlays, soil type and effluent management.”

Scott is one of two presenters at Agriculture Victoria’s webinar, Temporary Feeding Solutions and Managing Effluent, to be held on Wednesday 28 July. The free webinar will look at short-term and long-term infrastructure, as well as siting management.

“The challenge for farmers is to understand all the different feeding options available and then choose a solution that best suits their property and business,” Scott said.

“Success in farming is about having the flexibility in your farm and a management process where you can adapt to changed circumstances quickly.”

The webinar will also feature information on managing effluent in wet conditions, presented by Agriculture Victoria Dairy Industry Development Officer Rachael Campbell.

Rachael will discuss managing effluent ponds when they are full, assessing effluent ponds for structural damage, and how to minimise water use in the dairy.

“These are the three main things farmers need to focus on in the short term,” said Rachael, who has more than 15 years’ experience supporting farmers in the dairy industry, specialising in sustainably managing and using nutrients on-farm, especially from effluent.

“In the middle of winter, when paddocks are already wet, farmers need to be looking at where the farm is least saturated and then applying effluent as thinly as possible.

“It’s also really important to assess the structural integrity of your effluent ponds, especially in this recent flood when in some cases the water levels rose relatively quickly.”

The free webinar will run on Wednesday, 28 July from 11am to 12 midday and will include question time at the end of both presentations.

To register, visit the events page on the Agriculture Victoria website.

Farmers affected by the recent floods and storms are encouraged to monitor the health of their stock as wet conditions continue to affect parts of Victoria.

Floods and sustained wet paddocks can bring a range of animal health problems, from food shortage and plant toxicity to dehydration, infection and disease.

Agriculture Victoria Veterinary Officer Dr Jeff Cave said pasture and crops damaged by flooding may leave farmers needing to find alternative feed for stock over the coming months.

“In particular, mould growth on water-damaged feed reduces the nutritive value and palatability of both standing and stored feed, with some mould toxicity causing death or longer-term health problems such as liver damage,” Dr Cave said.

“Surprisingly, dehydration can also be a problem with stock often refusing to drink flood water if it is polluted or tastes different from their normal supply.

“Farmers and producers in flood-affected areas should watch their stock carefully to ensure they are drinking adequately and monitor them for any signs of illness and infection.”

Lameness is another concern with all stock breeds susceptible after long periods of immersion in water or standing on wet, muddy ground.

Abscesses and other foot problems will be common where an animal’s feet are constantly wet.

Most bacteria thrive and multiply in a moist environment, so bacterial diseases could become a real problem after heavy rain.

Pneumonia and diarrhoea are also likely to occur in flood-affected stock due to stress and exposure to prolonged cold.

Mastitis is a problem as a result of the combined effects of udder abrasions and poor hygiene associated with muddy conditions.

Vaccinating with 5-in-1 after floods is important as the sudden flush of feed can make stock susceptible to pulpy kidney.

Bloat in cattle or redgut in sheep could occur, especially on lush clover or lucerne.

Worm larvae survive much longer on pasture in moist conditions and parasite burdens may increase rapidly.

Establishing a stock containment area with adequate shelter, feed and water supply will be beneficial in maintaining the heath of your stock.

If your stock are experiencing health issues seek professional help, either from your private veterinarian, or local Agriculture Victoria Animal Health Officer or District Veterinary Officer.

Fresh new voices from rural and regional communities across Victoria are bringing their personal stories of passion and endeavour to season two of AgVic Talk, Agriculture Victoria’s popular podcast channel.

With a special introduction from Minister for Agriculture Mary-Anne Thomas, season two turns its focus to the many voices shaping the resilient agricultural industry including native foods entrepreneurs, rural women and young and immigrant farmers.

This season, episodes cover topics from farm safety and career diversity in agriculture to leadership, advocacy and farm management and explore how rural communities are preparing for the challenges of climate change.

In the first episode - set to air during National Farm Safety Week - Chair of the Young Farmer Advisory Council and Purnim farmer, Dr Sarah McLean, discusses how a near-miss while working alone was the catalyst that encouraged her family to recognise that their own health and safety was their most important business asset.

"We’re always conscious of safety with everything we do, but we've had to think outside the box to make things safer for ourselves and our kids. That’s the key message, safety improvements don’t have to be expensive,” Dr McLean said.

The follow-up episode features Jess Knight a young dairy farmer from Stratford in central Gippsland.

Ms Knight discusses her unconventional pathway into farming and how a passion for agriculture and a can-do attitude have resulted in her transformation into a confident young farm business manager and community leader.

“I’m continuing to work towards building my skills to manage the business side of the farm, by completing a Masters in Agribusiness so that I can continue to develop personally and professionally,” Ms Knight said.

Subscribe and listen to 'AgVic Talk’ wherever you get your podcasts or listen online agriculture.vic.gov.au/agvictalk.

AgVic Talk season two is part of the Victorian Government’s commitment to recognising agriculture as a career of choice and building its reputation for workplace excellence.

Season two is funded through the $20 million Smarter, Safer Farms initiative to improve skills and safety outcomes for Victorian agricultural communities.

’AgVic Talk’ is one of many ways the Victorian Government is continuing to support farm businesses during COVID-19. Many previously held face-to-face events continue to be offered as online workshops and webinars.

For more information on webinars and other virtual services, visit agriculture.vic.gov.au

A new Victorian Environment Protection Act and regulations came into effect on 1 July 2021.

Dairy Australia, in partnership with the UDV and EPA Victoria, invites dairy farmers to a series of online webinars for dairy farm businesses on what the changes mean for their day-to-day business operations.

The new Act and regulations represent a significant change in environmental management across Victoria, with a move from prosecution to prevention of environmental damage.

There will be six webinar times to choose from throughout July and August. Each webinar will be the same, however the ‘Large Herd’ webinar, held on Thursday, July 29, will also include information specific to farmers with larger herds who are managing larger volumes of wastes and other materials.

All sessions will include time for questions, and a recording of the presentation will be available afterwards, along with supporting documents to assist farmers with their understanding of the changes.

To sign up to a session visit the Dairy Australia website.

For more information on the new regulations and what it might mean for you, visit Government Regulations.

A Springbank farmer, Peter Toohey, received a lifetime disqualification order from being the owner or person in charge of any farm animal following a guilty plea in the Ballarat Magistrates Court recently.

Mr Toohey pleaded guilty to two charges of animal cruelty and a charge of aggravated cruelty leading to the serious disablement of two cows.

The accused owned five cattle confined to yards on his property, which were observed in poor condition and without access to water or adequate food which resulted in dehydration. The accused also failed to obtain veterinary care for two sick cows.

Mr Toohey had been subject to criminal proceedings previously for very similar offending, at which time he had a conditional Control Order imposed for a period of two years under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986.

In addition to the lifetime disqualification order, Mr Toohey was fined $25,000 and costs were awarded to the department for the amount of $149.

The Magistrate said as a repeat offender for similar offences in the past and in respect to this offending that a term of imprisonment must be considered. He further said if Mr Toohey had not pleaded guilty, he would have imposed a term of imprisonment.

The Magistrate stated the sentence must reflect to the accused and the whole community that animals are to be protected in our justice system and those who put animals at risk must face serious consequences.

Agriculture Victoria Compliance Manager, Daniel Bode, said the importance of a lifetime disqualification order is significant and will ensure that animals are protected from further pain and suffering at the hand of the accused.

“It sends a very clear message that those who continually commit offences against animals should not have the privilege and opportunity to care for them in the future,” Mr Bode said.

Mr Bode added that apart from the obvious pain and suffering of the animals, animal welfare breaches can jeopardise Victoria’s reputation as a humane and responsible producer of food, which can in turn 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.”

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

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.

The importance of worm control can sometimes be underestimated, but worms can be a significant problem in weaners and lambing ewes struggling with limited feed and the cold stress of winter.

This can be due to a variety of factors including declining immunity in weakened stock, management changes, and localised weather events such as short/sharp showers that can produce run-off and a fresh batch of infective larvae and green pick over parts of a paddock.

Remember, worm levels can increase rapidly in a short time.

Worms should be thought of in all ill-thrifty or scouring sheep, regardless of when the sheep were last drenched.

To help establish whether worms are the cause of ill-thrift or scouring, consider the following:

• The nutrition of the sheep including the feed availability, supplemental feeding and stocking rates.
• The class and condition of the sheep including their body condition score.
• The drench program including the product/s used and date/s drenched, especially the time since the last treatment.

To know for sure faecal samples from at least five affected and five non-affected sheep should be submitted for worm egg counts. To help manage worms in sheep during winter:

• Provide adequate feed for weaners and lambing ewes on low worm pastures such as those prepared by smart grazing over summer, those previously grazed by cattle, or those used for cropping.
• Weaners and lambing ewes need to be in a condition score around 2.5. If lighter, they will need preferential treatment and feeding.
• Check worm egg counts by Wormtest (samples from 10 representative sheep) every four to six weeks through winter.
• Confirm that the drench worked by Wormtest at the time of drenching and 10 to14 days later.
• Check worm egg counts in lambing ewes about four weeks before lambing.

It is costly to feed animals, so don't feed worms as well.

For further information please contact your local veterinarian or Agriculture Victoria Veterinary or Animal Health Officer, or use WormBoss at www.wormboss.com.au

Victoria’s new online game licensing system, My Game Licence (MyGL), is now available to all new, existing and prospective game hunters in Victoria.

MyGL is compatible with mobile devices, allowing people to easily apply for a Game Licence, update personal details, renew their Game Licence, book hound hunting and waterfowl identification tests, apply for Hog Deer tags, and transfer hound ownership.

Victoria has recently recorded more than 60,000 Game Licence holders, up from nearly 52,000 this time last year.

GMA CEO Graeme Ford said all of Victoria’s Game Licence holders will benefit from the new online system, which provides education materials including eLearning modules for hunters, helping to ensure game hunting is conducted in a safe and sustainable way.

“MyGL will also be used to communicate important information to licensed hunters on changes to game hunting laws and regulations, including season arrangements.”

“The new online game licensing system is a modern approach to game licensing in Victoria, replacing the previous system where hunters were required to mail in their licence application and renewal requests,” Mr Ford said.

The new online game licensing system is a key deliverable in the Victorian Government’s $5.3 million Sustainable Hunting Action Plan 2016-2020, which aims for all Victorians to gain from growing the economic, environmental and social benefits of responsible, sustainable and safe hunting, now and into the future.

MyGL has been developed by the Game Management Authority (GMA). The GMA works with the community as an independent regulator overseeing game hunting in Victoria through education, research and enforcement.

For more information and to access MyGL, visit gma.vic.gov.au

Australians can now nominate individuals and businesses who have made outstanding contributions to the protection of our $66* billion agricultural industries and the health of our animals, plant and people through the 2021 Australian Biosecurity Awards.

The Australian Biosecurity Awards highlight the important role that everyone plays in keeping Australia safe from biosecurity risks.

Australia’s strong biosecurity system protects $50 billion in direct tourism, $51 billion in agricultural, forestry and fisheries exports and 1.6 million Australian jobs across the supply chain.

Australia’s Biosecurity System safeguards our human, animal and plant health against potentially devastating exotic pests and diseases like African Swine Fever, foot-and-mouth disease and Khapra beetle among many others.

The Australian Biosecurity Awards acknowledge and recognise individuals and groups that show a commitment to supporting and promoting Australia's biosecurity and the systems upholding it.

There will be eight award categories in the 2021 Australian Biosecurity Awards including the:

• Dr David Banks Biosecurity Lifetime Achievement Award
• Dr Kim Ritman Award for Science and Innovation
• Farm Biosecurity Producer of The Year Award — jointly presented with Animal Health Australia and Plant Health Australia.
• Industry Award
• Government Award
• Environmental Biosecurity Award
• Community Award
• Education Award.

Nominations for the 2021 Australian Biosecurity Awards are open until 30 July 2021

For more information on the Australian Biosecurity Awards, including the nomination form, visit: awe.gov.au/ABA

This year’s biosecurity champions will be announced at the Australian Biosecurity Awards dinner in November 2021.

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.

PROGRAM:

Temporary feeding solutions (with Scott McDonald)

• Temporary cattle feeding solutions
• Long-term permanent options for feeding
• Siting infrastructure on-farm.

Managing dairy effluent in wet conditions (with Rachael Campbell)

• Assessing for structural damage
• What to do if your pond/s are full
• Minimising water use in the dairy.

PRESENTERS:

• Scott McDonald, Dairy and Livestock Development Specialist, discussing temporary feeding solutions
• Rachael Campbell, Dairy Industry Development Officer, discussing managing dairy effluent in wet conditions

REGISTER online here

ENQUIRIES: Contact Del Delpitiya on 0436 649 860 or at del.delpitiya@agriculture.vic.gov.au

Dairy Australia, in partnership with the UDV and EPA Victoria, invites dairy farmers to a series of online webinars for dairy farm businesses on what the upcoming changes mean for their day-to-day business operations.

There will be six webinar times to choose from throughout July and August, including a session for large herds.

• 26 July, 12–1.30 pm and 7–8.30 pm
• 29 July, 12–1.30 pm
• 30 July, 12–1.30 pm
• 4 August, 12–1.30 pm
• 9 August, 12–1.30 pm

All sessions will include time for questions, and a recording of the presentation will be available afterwards, along with supporting documents to assist farmers with their understanding of the changes.

For more information and to sign up visit dairyaustralia.com.au/VicEPAWebinars.

DAYS: Tuesdays and Thursdays

TIME: 10 am to 12 pm

DATES: 11 sessions from:

• 24 August – 14 September 2021
• 8 February – 22 February 2022

ONLINE: Delivered via Zoom

TOPICS TO BE DISCUSSED:

• Computer farm mapping
• Soils and land classing
• Farm design and layout
• Farm water supply and emergency preparedness
• Pasture and grazing management
• Biodiversity and shelterbelts
• Climate, vision, and goals
• Farm Biosecurity

COST: Free – This course is sponsored by the Local Economic Recovery (LER) program.

RSVP: By COB 5pm Friday 6 August 2021. Numbers are limited so book early.

INFORMATION / BOOKINGS: Tim O’Donnell, M: 0448 540 741, E: tim.o’donnell@agriculture.vic.gov.au

“Attending the FarmPlan21 course and developing a whole farm plan will lead to an increase in the farm’s productivity, profitability and sustainability. I would strongly recommend this course to other farmers.” Troy Smith, Manager, “Mawallock”, Stockyard Hill

“Regardless of the scale of your farming operation FarmPlan21 will be of great value. It has given us a blueprint of how we manage water on our property, and specifically helped design a stock water reticulation system.” Mick and Susan Davis, Moyston

Supported 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 (DRFA).

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