• Coronavirus (COVID-19) update
• Warm humid conditions are ideal for flystrike
• Boost your farm business skills with a mentor
• Optimistic results from intercropping project
• Do you need seasonal workforce assistance?
• Top tips for selling and transporting livestock
• Have your say on a new animal welfare act
• Helping mobile exhibitors care for their animals
• Celebrate your big crop
• Epic journey of bees secures Victorian almond season
• Collection dates for fox and wild dog bounty
• Primary producers bushfire support programs
• What's on – webinars

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 11:59 pm 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 11:59 pm 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.

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, in NSW your Local Land Services, or visit www.wool.com/flystrikelatest or www.flyboss.org.au.

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 program and the application process is available at
www.agriculture.vic.gov.au/young-farmer-mentoring-program.

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

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.

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

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 Agriculture Victoria website, or click ‘Transporting livestock responsibilities and recommendations’ or contact Kirstie Anderson on 0437 990 967.

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.

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.

A $1 million support package announced recently 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.

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.

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 recently 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.

Victorian Fox and Wild Dog Bounty collections have resumed for regional Victoria.

Agriculture Victoria has a COVIDSafe Plan in place for each bounty collection centre.

If you are attending a collection centre, you must comply with coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions including physical distancing, good hygiene practices and wearing a face mask (unless you have a lawful reason not to).

Benalla collections (fox only)
Address: Depot, 89 Sydney Rd, Benalla

• Wednesday, 11 November, 10 am – noon

Broadford collections (fox only)
Address: 5 Mollinson St, Broadford

• Thursday, 12 November, 10.30 am – 12.30 pm

Ovens collections (fox and wild dog)
Address: 5338 Great Alpine Rd, Ovens

• Tuesday, 10 November, 1.30 – 3.30 pm

Mansfield collections (fox and wild dog)
Address: Depot, 128 Highett St, Mansfield

• Wednesday, 11 November, 2 – 4 pm

Tatura collections (fox only)
Address: Depot, 255 Ferguson Rd, Tatura

• Monday, 9 November, 11.30 am – 1.30 pm

Wodonga collections (fox and wild dog)
Address: 14 Moorefield Park Drive, Wodonga

• Tuesday, 1 November, 9 – 11 am

Please continue to check the Agriculture Victoria website for the latest information, as the collection schedule is subject to change in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation: visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/bounty

The Victorian and Commonwealth Governments are continuing to support the agriculture business recovery from the 2019–20 bushfires, with additional support for both inside and outside the fire-affected areas.

The Smoke Taint Grant provides up to $10,000 for business recovery and growth, improvements to make the business more resilient to future disasters, and marketing activities.

It is available to farmers outside the local government areas that are currently eligible for the Emergency Bushfire Response in Primary Industries Grant and the Small Business Bushfire Support Grant.

For details of the grant and a list of the eligible local government areas, contact Rural Finance on 1800 260 425.

The new $10,000 Small Business Bushfire Support Grants are open.

• it's easy to apply
• you aren't required to upload any financial documents if you don't have them right now
• you can apply if your business was indirectly affected by the bushfires.

The grant is available for small businesses and primary producers in East Gippsland, Towong, Alpine, Indigo, Wangaratta, Mansfield and Wellington shires who have experienced significant income loss as a result the 2019–20 bushfires.

Eligible activities include meeting standard business costs, seeking financial advice, adjusting the business to be viable in the changed local context following bushfire and improvements to make the business more resilient to future disasters.

The grants are available to eligible small businesses that have suffered a decline in revenue of 40 per cent or more in a relevant three-month period.

Businesses can apply for this grant in addition to other bushfire grants.

For more information contact Rural Finance 1800 260 425 or www.ruralfinance.com.au.

Find out more at www.vic.gov.au/bushfire-recovery-victoria.

Concessional loans of up to $500,000 are available to support small business, primary producers and non-profit organisations impacted by the Victorian bushfires that began on 21 November 2019.

The loans are for restoring and/or replacing damaged assets and/or to meet working capital expenses.

They are available for eligible wine grape growers in Ararat, Alpine, Ballarat, East Gippsland, Glenelg, Golden Plains, Greater Bendigo, Indigo, Mansfield, Moyne, Northern Grampians, Pyrenees, Southern Grampians, Strathbogie, Towong, Wangaratta, Wellington and Wodonga.

For further information contact Rural Finance 1800 260 425 or www.ruralfinance.com.au.

Grants of up to $75,000 to assist primary producers directly affected by the 2019–2020 bushfire with recovery costs. Eligible activities include rebuilding or replacing damaged or destroyed on-farm infrastructure, including fencing and trellises.

Wine grape growers who are located in eligible fire affected local government areas and have had crops affected by smoke taint may be able to claim for costs associated with the salvage, harvest and disposal of the smoke taint affected crops. Where no fire has occurred on the property, evidence of smoke impact, such as smoke taint testing results are required.

Available in eligible fire affected local government areas across Victoria. In the areas of Ararat, Alpine, Ballarat, East Gippsland, Glenelg, Golden Plains, Greater Bendigo, Indigo, Mansfield, Moyne, Northern Grampians, Pyrenees, Southern Grampians, Strathbogie, Towong, Wangaratta, Wellington and Wodonga, and the alpine areas of Falls Creek, Mount Buller, Mount Hotham and Mount Stirling.

For further information contact Rural Finance 1800 260 425 or www.ruralfinance.com.au.

The Victorian Government is helping regional Victorians who lost critical household water infrastructure in the 2019-20 bushfires with up to $20,000 available to replace rainwater and septic tanks.

Rebates, of up to $15,000 for septic tanks and $3,000 for household rainwater tanks, are available to cover up to half of the costs of the purchase and installation of new primary use tank systems to residents rebuilding homes.

To assist with the installation process, up to $1,500 funding is available for any combination of assessments required to get council approval to install or alter a septic system including condition reports undertaken by a qualified plumber and Land Capability Assessments.

Further funding of up to $500 is available to cover the initial refill of a rainwater tank installed as part of the program.

Rebates of up to $2,500 are also available for minor repairs or reconnections required for undamaged tank systems that comply with current standards.

The program is available to households in Alpine, Towong and East Gippsland shires, not connected to reticulated urban water systems, for the replacement, minor repairs or reconnection of primary use rainwater and septic tanks at their primary place of residence.

Rebates are available for works completed since 21 November 2019 and until 31 May 2023.

To apply for the rebates contact your local Bushfire Recovery Victoria hub or visit melbournewater.com.au/RaSTRprogram.

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.

Join Ag Vic's Specialist Farm Business Economist Claire Waterman, Dairy Australia's Industry Insights and Analysis Manager John Droppert in a discussion about the northern dairy industry on Tuesday, 27 October from midday to 1 pm.

Claire will take you through the 2019-20 Dairy Farm Monitor Project results. Focusing on the Murray Dairy region and contexting last year against 13 years of historic performance data.

John will discuss how Dairy Australia's Analysis Team are seeing the dairy industry on farm, regionally, nationally and internationally. What are the current influences and what affect they might have on the dairy industry in the coming months?

Click here to register.

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.

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 free 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.

The free course will run over two days from 11 am to noon:

Monday 26 October

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

Wednesday 28 October

• 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 at greg.ferrier@agriculture.vic.gov.au or call 0438 738 634.

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