• Coronavirus (COVID-19) update
• Pain-relief required when mulesing sheep
• Yersiniosis – a possible cause of ill-thrift and scouring in your herd
• Online training brings irrigator savings
• Protecting Victorian horticulture from fruit fly impacts
• Soil moisture monitoring cropping report
• The Fast Break
• Improving digital literacy and connectivity on-farm
• Fox and wild dog bounty collection details
• Milking the Weather – winter edition now available
• Energy efficiency grants for dairy farmers
• PhD fellowships in the dairy industry – apply now
• Primary producers bushfire support programs
• Drought and dry seasons support services and information
• Upcoming webinars
• Ellinbank Seminar Series 2020

The Victorian Government has announced further restrictions to help slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

From 11:59pm on 1 July, the following restricted postcodes moved to Stage 3 stay at home restrictions until at least 29 July:

• 3012 -Brooklyn, Kingsville, Maidstone, Tottenham, West Footscray
• 3021 - Albanvale, Kealba, Kings Park, St Albans
• 3032 - Ascot Vale, Highpoint City, Maribyrnong, Travancore
• 3038 - Keilor Downs, Keilor Lodge, Taylors Lakes, Watergardens
• 3042 - Airport West, Keilor Park, Niddrie
• 3046 - Glenroy, Hadfield, Oak Park
• 3047 - Broadmeadows, Dallas , Jacana
• 3055 - Brunswick south, Brunswick west, Moonee vale, Moreland west
• 3060 - Fawkner
• 3064 - Craigieburn, Donnybrook, Mickelham, Roxburgh Park, Kalkallo

If you live outside these locations, there are only four reasons to come in:

• shopping for food and supplies
• care and caregiving
• exercise, and
• study or work – if you can’t do it from home

In all activities, farmers are asked to be considerate. Be cautious. Use your common sense. And if you don’t have to do it – don’t.

Stay safe by maintaining good hygiene, keeping your distance from others and if you feel unwell stay home.

If you have symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) you should get tested.

More details about these restrictions is available at the Department of Health and Human Services coronavirus (COVID-19) website.

More information is also available on the Agriculture Victoria website.

Victorian producers are now required to administer a registered pain-relieving product if mulesing sheep.

The new provisions, which came into effect this month, have been introduced as part of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (POCTA) Regulations 2019.

The new requirement will ensure better animal welfare outcomes for Victorian sheep and will enhance the reputation of Victoria’s sheep industry.

Agriculture Victoria Program Manager Livestock Welfare Compliance, Rachael Holmes said only pain relief products that are registered for use on sheep by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) can be used when mulesing.

“Sheep producers are encouraged to seek advice from a veterinarian or animal health consultant regarding available treatment options for their own situation,” she said.

From yesterday (1 July), infringement notices and fines can be issued to anyone mulesing a sheep without providing pain relief.

Dr Holmes said as with any agricultural or veterinary chemicals used on farm, producers should keep records of the pain-relieving products used.

“Full records of any pain relief products used must be kept,” she said.

“Details should include the product trade name, species/location of animals, identification numbers/description, the date the treatment has been applied and the dose rate used.”

More information about farm chemical record keeping requirements can be found by searching the Agriculture Victoria website.

Dr Holmes said Victoria’s Code of Accepted Farming Practice for the Welfare of Sheep (Revision Number 2) was also available to provide a technical guide for those using mulesing as part of a flystrike management program.

“If undertaken, mulesing should only be done as part of an integrated approach to flystrike management including crutching and shearing, good worm control, strategic use of chemicals, genetic selection of sheep and paddock grazing management,” she said.

Details about the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Regulations 2019 are available from Agriculture Victoria – agriculture.vic.gov.au/animalwelfare

Dr Jeff Cave,
District Veterinary Officer

As we move into the winter months, ill-thrift and scouring in herds occurs relatively commonly, and multiple causes should to be considered. One possible cause of these signs is yersiniosis.

Yersiniosis is a bacterial infection that can infect cattle, sheep and goats.

This infection does not usually cause ill-health in livestock and may go unrecognised.

However, Yersinia bacteria can cause clinical problems if livestock are under stress or if there is damage to the gut wall due to other factors, such as a large worm burden.

In these situations, signs of ill-health are most commonly seen in younger livestock. Typically, there may be a history of ill-thrift and ongoing scouring that has not responded to drenching.

The good news is most stock recover from infection and become immune to this disease. Death can occur but treatment with antibiotics is often successful.

Steps can be taken to prevent losses from yersiniosis and other similar diseases.

Simply optimising pasture utilisation during these colder months, practicing good parasite control, and minimising stress will help protect livestock.

It is important to remember that other causes of ill-thrift and scouring can look like yersiniosis, so it is best to contact your veterinarian to investigate these cases.

For further information contact your local veterinarian or Agriculture Victoria animal health staff on 136 186.

Agriculture Victoria’s Mallee Irrigation team recently delivered a live online training session with farmers using the IrriSAT program.

IrriSAT is a satellite-based decision support tool providing farmers with access to satellite imagery of their property.

The live online training format, piloted for the first time in partnership with Dried Fruits Australia, has enabled 11 farmers to use the farm management tool from their home computers at no cost.

Agriculture Victoria Irrigation Extension Officer Maxine Schache said the satellite imagery could be used to create maps demonstrating how healthy crops were or how well they were growing.

“Unhealthy portions of the property are easily highlighted which may then guide field investigations to determine the cause.”
“The service can also assist farmers in estimating crop water requirements.”

Agriculture Victoria can now offer ongoing training to farmers wanting to access and understand the components of the system free of charge.

“Any farmer who wants to learn about problem spots on their property or access a free irrigation scheduling and recording service can now do so using this technology,” Ms Schache said.

She said while pilot training took place in the Mallee’s Sunraysia irrigation district, the technology could benefit irrigators and dryland farmers across the state.

For more information about IrriSAT or to sign up to the next online training on 16 July contact Maxine Schache on 0428 507 855 or maxine.schache@agriculture.vic.gov.au or Natalie Mason on 0427 516 984 or natalie.mason@agriculture.vic.gov.au

IrriSAT was developed by the CSIRO’s Dr John Hornbuckle. To create an IrriSAT account, visit https://irrisat-cloud.appspot.com/

Victoria’s key fruit production regions will continue to be protected from the destructive impacts of Queensland fruit fly with an extension of funding from the Victorian Government.

The government has announced a further $1.72 million in grants in a one-year extension of the Managing Fruit Fly in Victoria Action Plan 2015-20, allowing regional groups to continue the successful implementation of their area wide management programs.

Moira Shire will receive $522,800, Agribusiness Yarra Valley $178,840 and Mildura Rural City Council $511,900 to implement regional action plans for 2020-21 on behalf of Regional Governance groups, while also receiving funding for regional coordinators.

Queensland fruit fly is present in Victoria and poses a significant threat to our horticulture industries – however populations of the pest have been decreasing since work began on delivering the action plan.

The Managing Fruit Fly in Victoria Action Plan is a collaborative effort between industry, community and government to improve fruit fly management.

It improves productivity to ensure the high quality produce Victoria is famous for and benefits the economy with better market access and trade opportunities which protect people and jobs.

Through the action plan, regional groups have been taking part in preventative activities that include the removal of thousands of unwanted host trees and the regular monitoring and control of fruit fly hot spots.

Industry and regional groups will be involved in reviewing the future strategic direction of fruit fly management in Victoria.

This builds on the Government’s commitment to grow Victoria’s food and fibre exports to $20 billion by 2030, through ensuring Victoria’s reputation for safe, premium quality produce and investing in our biosecurity system.

The Fast Break for June gives you all your seasonal climate risk information in one hit.

As well as rainfall and soil moisture, The Fast Break also provides a snapshot of how ocean temperatures and pressure patterns will impact your patch.

Subscribe or download now here.

Overview

Soil moisture measurements on the Agriculture Victoria monitoring network show that in the Mallee, sites are generally similar to this time last year (24 June 2019) while the Wimmera sites are slightly drier after hay and up to 50 per cent drier following high yielding grain crops.

North Central and North East Victoria are still wet after summer rains and well above average April rainfall. These sites are wetter than a year ago and currently conditions in those areas range from excellent to wet, with some low-lying areas waterlogged. High soil moisture could be problematic with further rain and low evaporation in winter.

Increases to soil moisture stagnated during June with generally lower rainfall than normal. Some crops and pastures with high growth from early sowing (particularly vetch/cereal mixes and canola), used soil moisture throughout the month.

In South-West Victoria, the moisture improvements have been moderate during the past three months, but in recent weeks some districts have built up a solid moisture profile with more than 50 millimetres of rain for the month.

Find more details or subscribe to the SMM e-newsletter here.

Want to know more about improving your digital literacy and connectivity? Need confidence to access technology to improve your on-farm decision making?

CONNECTIVITY WEBINARS

Join extensionAUS and Agriculture Victoria for a series of webinars which will provide a unique opportunity for you to address on-farm connectivity issues and help you to understand available digital technology - how to measure it and how to make it work as best as possible for you and your business.

WEBINAR DATES AND TIMES

Webinar 1 – On-farm connectivity
Tuesday 21 July
1.30 – 2.30 pm
Register or join at: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89710895573

Webinar 2 - Getting the most out of video
meeting software
Tuesday 28 July
1.30 – 2.30 pm
Register or join at: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86270444624

Webinar 3 - Internet of Things (IoT)
Tuesday 4 August
1.30 – 2.30 pm
Register or join at: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89327853496

Webinar 4 – Online networking to better
communicate on-farm and service farm
businesses
Tuesday 11 August
1.30 – 2.30 pm
Register or join at: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84433966881

Contact: If you need help registering please contact
Gavin Beever, Cumbre Consultants on 0438 234 886 or gavin@cumbre.com.au

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY AUDIT

An opportunity exists to participate in an on-farm digital technology audit conducted by phone by Agriculture Victoria, to understand the technology you already have available on-farm and how you can improve its efficiency.

Participants will be asked to identify what type of internet connectivity they have, where they have access to WiFi and how they use technology on their farm.

Participants will have time to prepare for the audit and will receive a property map and report of results.

REGISTRATION
To register for the audit please book a time at https://bit.ly/2VbBXBK

Contact: If you need help registering or would like more information please contact Andy Clark,
Agriculture Victoria, on 0436 804 656 or andy.clark@agriculture.vic.gov.au

For more information about drought and dry
seasonal conditions support call 136 186 or visit
agriculture.vic.gov.au/dryseasons

This project is supported by the 2019-20 Drought Support Package.

Preference will be given to participants from Central and East Gippsland, the GMID and the Millewa region of North-West Victoria.

Hunters are encouraged to refresh their knowledge of the terms and conditions of the bounty to ensure what they submit is acceptable.

Participants can submit entire fox scalps for a $10 reward and entire wild dog body parts for a $120 reward during scheduled collection times.

2020 Benalla collections (fox only)
Address: Depot, 89 Sydney Rd, Benalla
Collection type: Fox only
Time: 10 am – noon

Dates:

Wednesday, 22 July
Wednesday, 19 August
Wednesday, 16 September
Wednesday, 14 October

2020 Broadford collections (fox only)
Address: 5 Mollinson St, Broadford
Collection type: Fox only
Time: 10.30 am – 12.30 pm

Dates:

Thursday, 23 July
Thursday, 20 August
Thursday, 17 September
Thursday, 15 October

2020 Ovens collections (fox and wild dog)
Address: 5338 Great Alpine Rd, Ovens
Collection type: Fox and wild dog
Time: 1.30 – 3.30 pm

Dates:

Tuesday, 21 July
Tuesday, 18 August
Tuesday, 15 September
Tuesday, 13 October

2020 Mansfield collections (fox and wild dog)
Address: Depot, 128 Highett St, Mansfield
Collection type: Fox and wild dog
Time: 2 – 4 pm

Dates:

Wednesday, 22 July
Wednesday, 19 August
Wednesday, 16 September
Wednesday, 14 October

2020 Tatura collections (fox only)
Address: Depot, 255 Ferguson Rd, Tatura
Collection type: Fox only
Time: 11.30 am – 1.30 pm

Dates:

Monday, 20 July
Monday, 17 August
Monday, 14 September
Monday, 12 October

2020 Wodonga collections (fox and wild dog)
Address: 14 Moorefield Park Drive, Wodonga
Collection type: Fox and wild dog
Time: 9 – 11 am

Dates:

Tuesday, 21 July
Tuesday, 18 August
Tuesday, 15 September
Tuesday, 13 October

The winter edition of Milking the Weather is now out. 

This edition features:

• Victorian seasonal climate summary (autumn 2020) and outlook (winter 2020)
• Farmers managing seasonal risk successfully – hearing from Kevin Fitzsimmons at Merrigum in the Northern Irrigation Region, Craig Dwyer at Bullaharre in South-West Victoria, and Brett Findlay at Towong Upper, near Corryong in North-East Victoria
• Managing the winter ahead
• Seasonal soil moisture condition assessment – autumn review/winter update 2020 for Victorian dairying areas

Download the latest edition here

Dairy farmers across Australia can now apply for Dairy Farming Business grants that will support them to make their energy use more efficient and to reduce their power bills through the Australian Government’s Energy Efficient Communities Program.

Grants of up to $20,000 will be available for a dairy farming business to upgrade equipment to reduce energy consumption, invest in monitoring systems to better manage energy use, and conduct energy audits to investigate other opportunities for energy efficient activities.

More information is available at Energy Efficient Communities Program and business.gov.au.

In partnership with the University of Melbourne, Agriculture Victoria is offering 17 PhD research fellowships in the dairy industry.

Based at our world-renowned research centres at Ellinbank and Hamilton, successful applicants will be rewarded with a $33,000 per annum scholarship, access to state-of-the-art facilities and opportunities for professional development and overseas travel.

To find out more visit https://go.vic.gov.au/wyePVD

Victorian winemakers and wine grape growers affected by the recent summer bushfires now have access to expert support and technical advice to help them make decisions about their current vintage.

The program includes online technical workshops on recognising and addressing the effects of smoke exposure, evaluation of 2020 wines by expert sensory panels, support to produce test batches for evaluation and access to a benchmarking kit to help winemakers assess their own wines.

The program will also include winemaking trials to evaluate techniques for treating smoke-affected wines and research activities to better characterise the impacts of smoke on a range of locally important varieties.

The Wine Grape Testing Rebate Program, provides growers with up to $1200 for smoke-exposure testing. The rebate program remains open to eligible growers through Rural Finance.

For more information on support for the wine industry after the bushfires visit agriculture.vic.gov.au or call 136 186.

Producers in fire-affected regions can access up to three free one-on-one Back to Business sessions with a local farm management consultant to help put their business back on track.

All red-meat producers, including sheep, cattle and goat, who have been affected by the recent bushfires are eligible to apply.

The Back to Business program in Victoria is being coordinated by Agriculture Victoria. For more information or to register, contact:

• Lyndon Kubeil on 0418 532 085 or at lyndon.kubeil@agriculture.vic.gov.au
• Jo Cameron on 0419 832 704 or at jo.cameron@agriculture.vic.gov.au
• MLA at backtobusiness@mla.com.au

Online registration is also available here.

For more info visit mla.com.au/bushfire-recovery.

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 continuing to support farmers impacted by drought and dry seasonal conditions with funding and support programs that have moved online so they are accessible by more people.

The Business Planning and Management Support for Farmers program is part of the Government’s $31 million support package for areas affected by drought and dry conditions announced last October.

The shift to making support available online acknowledges the challenges that farmers are facing as they deal with drought, bushfires and coronavirus (COVID-19). As part of the program, lessons in computer literacy are being offered to ensure everyone who wants to access support can take part.

Other initiatives being delivered to farmers across the Millewa region, Goulburn Murray Irrigation District and East Gippsland include computer literacy, to improve confidence and decision-making skills and online financial literacy workshops.

Farmers can also access other programs offered online by Agriculture Victoria such as learning modules on soil and irrigation management, and a water calculator to help make important decisions on water requirements.

The Government is also continuing to refine drought support to ensure it targets those most in need.

Farms and related small businesses in affected areas can access free and independent financial counselling from the Rural Financial Counselling Service (RFCS), with $640,000 allocated from the program to provide small business financial counsellors in each of the North West, North East, Gippsland and South West regions.

Funding to the RFCS has also been made available to support farm recovery efforts, including $80,000 for Gippsland, $640,000 for the North East and $400,000 for the North West service.

The Dedicated Dairy Support Program has also been extended for another year with $320,000 to help farmers in northern Victoria scale up, scale back or transition out of the industry.

Meanwhile, the Catchment Management Authority Drought Employment program in the Millewa and the Goulburn Murray Irrigation District has been extended until September thanks to $500,000 in funding.

For more information about drought and dry seasonal conditions support and practical advice, visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/dryseasons.

The Victorian Government is waiving the $235 application fee for new domestic and stock bore construction licences (BCL) for landholders in eligible areas of Victoria.

This initiative will help landholders secure their domestic and stock water supply needs in areas experiencing drought and dry conditions.

Apply online at the Victorian Water Register waterregister.vic.gov.au/water-trading/my-water#Online_BCLs

The CWA of Victoria’s Drought Relief program has been provided a funding boost by the Victorian Government for the provision of household financial relief

The program can provide up to $3000 to eligible farming families, farm workers and farm dependent contractors to reimburse them for household expenses like school costs, utilities, food and medical bills.

For more about the program and other available drought support visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/dryseasons or call 136 186.

For anyone seeking a copy of the application form or requiring assistance to complete the application, please contact Agriculture Victoria on 136 186 or email the CWA on drought@cwaofvic.org.au

The maximum value of the On-Farm Drought Resilience Grants has increased from $5,000 to $10,000 to boost farmers’ access to professional services whilst still enabling farmers to invest in drought preparedness infrastructure.

Eligible farm businesses can now apply for:

• up to $5000 for business decision making activities (with no-contribution required)
• up to $5000 for infrastructure investments (with at least 50 per cent co-contribution required).

There are three new eligible infrastructure investments under the resilience grants:

• technologies to improve mobile phone connectivity
• weed control (e.g. purchase of registered herbicide)
• soil moisture probes (as an explicit investment under soil moisture monitoring activities).

For more information and to access the On-Farm Drought Resilience Grants program, call Rural Finance on 1800 260 425 or visit ruralfinance.com.au.

Farmers are encouraged to apply early to ensure they do not miss out on funding.

Andrew will take you through the range of different products available how to use them and when to use them?

WHAT: Pain Relief in Livestock. What's the best fit for my operation?

WHEN: Thursday 9 July

TIME: 8 - 9 pm

WHERE: Online

COST: Free

To register follow the link: https://bit.ly/2BHMfm0

Fertility is a significant driver of profitability in beef breeding enterprises.

Join us for a discussion on how bulls can be the missing link in herd fertility and how management decisions can ramp up fertility to the next level and improve profitability.

PRESENTER AND TOPIC:

Dr Shane Thomson, Holbrook Veterinary Centre

Shane is a veterinarian and partner at the Holbrook Veterinary Centre which specialises in production and breeding services to the beef industry.

Successful fertility in your herd is all about identifying and mitigating common risks.

Shane will highlight the correct management practices for optimal bull management and reproductive performance.

Shane will also discuss the cost structure of the bull team and how to get the most out of this important farm asset.

At the conclusion of the presentation participants will have the opportunity to ask questions.

DATE: Wednesday 15 July
TIME: 7.30 to 9 pm
VENUE: Online or via phone

For those unable to join the webinar platform, a phone service is available, the details are on the registration page.

A recording of this event will be available afterwards.

REGISTER ONLINE:

Click the link to register: https://login.redbackconferencing.com.au/landers/page/6ea123

Click the above link to also register for the post event recording.

For further information or if you have any problems registering please contact Cathy Mulligan at cathy.mulligan@agriculture.vic.gov.au or 0438 341 970

Agriculture Victoria is delivering a series of four webinars to improve farm business resilience, hosted by ORM managing consultant Matt McCarthy. Farmers and farm business managers should register for the webinars to identify how to safeguard their core business operations when unexpected situations occur.

Register for each of the webinars below to attend or receive a link of the recorded event.

Grassland is a crucial resource for the ruminant livestock industries within the agricultural sector. In most temperate regions globally, this land is predominantly sown with ryegrass: a high yielding species that can provide good quality forage but is reliant upon the application of sufficient nitrogen fertiliser, and susceptible to drought.

Nitrogen fertiliser is expensive and has a high carbon and nitrogen footprint. Therefore, multiple research projects in recent years have investigated the replacement of monoculture pastures with mixed-species leys. Their aim has been to achieve acceptable yields of good quality forage for livestock production whilst having a positive and long term impact on the environment.

In this webinar, Anna Thomson, who previously worked at the University of Reading (UK) before joining the Ellinbank team, will discuss her previous research into mixed-species pastures as part of a collaborative five-year study: ‘The DiverseForage Project’ and also summarise the findings of other notable European studies on this subject matter.

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