• Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• Farmer disqualified for failing to shear sheep
• AgVic Talk podcast season two puts the focus on community
• Itching to control worms
• Update on dog liver disease cluster
• Victorian environment act webinars
• Victoria's game licensing system goes digital
• AgVic Talk – latest podcasts from Agriculture Victoria
• Advice for Victoria's household gardeners
• Encouraging kids to get creative about farm safety
• Storm and flood recovery support hotline
• Survey explores quadbike spraying on farms
• Australian Biosecurity Awards - nominations closing soon
• What's on?

The Victorian Government has announced the current lockdown will be extended until 11:59pm 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.

A Marong sheep farmer has been disqualified from owning sheep for ten years after he pleaded guilty in the Bendigo Magistrates’ Court last Friday to three charges of animal cruelty.

Sidney Vains was charged for failing to supervise a mob of sheep, failing to shear sheep with excess wool growth and failing to obey a Notice to Comply.

In addition to the ten-year ban, Mr Vains was fined $3000 without conviction and ordered to pay costs of $117.

Between May and November 2019, Agriculture Victoria officers investigated complaints that he had failed to shear a mob of sheep for more than 12 months.

Two of his sheep were unable to walk as a result of not being shorn, one of which had to be euthanised on humane grounds.

Agriculture Victoria Animal Health and Welfare program manager Daniel Bode said the suffering could have been avoided if the farmer had shorn his sheep on an annual basis, which is the accepted farming practice.

The welfare of animals in Victoria is protected by the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (POCTA) Act and the community expects that animals will be treated with care and respect.

The purpose of the POCTA Act is to prevent cruelty to animals, encourage the considerate treatment of animals and improve the level of community awareness about the prevention of cruelty to animals.

The Victorian Government has committed to a modern new Act to replace the current one.

Developed in consultation with industry, community and other stakeholders, a new Act for animal welfare will better meet the needs of industry, community, and government now and into the future.

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

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

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

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 previous 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.

A new Victorian Environment Protection Act and regulations are coming 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 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.

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.

Go online for more information and to sign up.

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.

Go online more information and to access MyGL gma.vic.gov.au

The new 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.

Subscribe to AgVic Talk online and wherever you get your podcasts.

Has all this talk about a possible negative Indian Ocean Dipole got you thinking, what is a negative Indian Ocean Dipole? 

In the latest episode of ‘My Rain Gauge is Busted’, Dale Grey explains what a negative IOD is and how it affects conditions in southeastern Australia.

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

Soil moisture podcast

Previously, on My Rain Gauge is Busted, Agriculture Victoria’s soil moisture expert Dale Boyd explains the benefits of soil moisture monitoring in cropping systems and how Agriculture Victoria's soil moisture probe network has expanded to 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

From 1 September 2021, netting used to protect household fruit-trees, vegetable gardens, or other fruiting plants must have a mesh size of 5mm x 5mm or less at full stretch.

If you use netting to protect your household fruit or vegetable harvest you will need to comply with this new mandatory requirement introduced under Victoria’s Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Regulations 2019.

Any existing household fruit netting that does not meet this specification must be replaced with appropriate netting before the 1 September 2021 commencement date.

The use of appropriate mesh sized netting supports a productive harvest while also protecting our vulnerable wildlife from harm. Netting with a large mesh size is more likely to entangle birds, possums or flying foxes.

There are also alternatives to netting that can be used such as fruit bags that are placed over individual branches.

Don’t forget that old netting, when discarded, can still be an entanglement risk. It is recommended that you place old netting into a strong biodegradable bag before putting into landfill.

Further advice on netting requirements, protecting fruit trees and wildlife, and helping injured wildlife, is available at animalwelfare.vic.gov.au/netting or by calling 136 186.

The State 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 state-wide 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 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 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.

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, while 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 to 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:

• 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.

For more information contact Jordan Walker, Student Researcher, on (03) 5551 8002 or walkerjor@deakin.edu.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.

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.

This year the Gippsland Red Meat Conference will replace the East Gippsland Beef Conference, and will be organised and delivered by Gippsland Agricultural Group (GAgG) with the support of Agriculture Victoria.

It will be held on Tuesday 31 August at the Riviera Convention Centre in Bairnsdale.

Topics to be covered at this year’s conference include:

• Resilience and recovery: How a former NSW Farmer of the Year traded his way out of two and half years of drought
• How a family-owned sheep stud which lost its entire ewe flock in the 2015 Pinery (SA) bushfires has bounced back
• Succession planning: Moving the farm from one generation to the next, without tears!
• Financial literacy: If the CapEx fits, do you wear it? Or will you EBIT and ROAM?
• Analysing the market forces that are shaping beef and sheep meat prices
• What does it mean to be carbon-neutral, how can we achieve that, and what is in it for us?
• The $500,000 carbon credit trade to Microsoft? Hear from the bloke who sold those credits
• Soils ain’t just soils, Sol. What is happening underground and how can we profit from that?
• Masterclasses in stock trading, precision lambing, and crossbreeding and heterosis.

Tickets will soon be available. Put the date in your diary now.

Enquires to Craig Bush, Gippsland Red Meat Conference Event Manager on 0427 943 155 or redmeat@gippslandag.com.au

GRDC Grains Research Update - Woomelang

PODCASTS

Fungicide resistance podcast provides regional insights for southern growers

Past seasons have already seen several local examples of fungicide failure from Tasmania to the far west of South Australia, generally linked to a lack of crop and fungicide rotations.

In this podcast, Dr Hugh Wallwork talks about the factors that contribute to fungicide resistance and how fungicide management needs to begin with variety and seed treatment selection before sowing.

Plant available water capacity

In this podcast, many factors affect how much stored soil water is available, including rainfall before and during the growing season, infiltration, evaporation and transpiration. And then there’s plant available water capacity, which is the total amount of water a soil can store and release to a crop, which differs depending on the crop.

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