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Gippsland Ag News
 
Thursday, 21 October 2021
In this edition:
Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Update

Restrictions are currently in place across metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria.

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

What's your plan?
Plan for a COVIDSafe hay season; picture of a truck being loaded with hay

Do you have hay to harvest or sell this year?

At this critical time of year, keep your business moving and protect your workforce by ensuring you are up to date with COVID-19 restrictions, your workforce is vaccinated and your business has a COVIDSafe Plan in place.

When planning movements and deliveries take into account extra time that might be needed, particularly if they need to cross state borders or enter regions under lockdown restrictions for authorised work.

For information visit the links below:

Keep up to date with all the latest restrictions, permits and requirements at https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/.

Watch out for hitchhiker pests in parcels
Electric ant

above: Electric ant (source: Alexander Wild and Queensland Government)

In the lead up to Christmas, Victorians are being encouraged to check online shopping packaging for any hitchhiker pests.

Victoria’s Chief Plant Health Officer Rosa Crnov said the earlier the unwanted pest is reported, the better chance there is in stopping it from spreading or moving to other areas.

“Exotic plant pests such as brown marmorated stink bug, khapra beetle, exotic ants and snails, can go unnoticed due to their small size and hitch a ride in packages, especially in overseas mail.

“Exotic electric ants and fire ants can also hitch a ride in domestic mail and are very aggressive, as opposed to common ants in Victoria that usually run away from disturbances. If undetected, these pests can threaten Victoria’s $14 billion food and fibre export market.”

Australia Post is delivering approximately 10 million parcels a week in Australia. In Victoria, online shopping has grown by 48.9 per cent in the year to 30 June 2021, exceeding the national average of 31.8 per cent.

“In the same year, Agriculture Victoria received 797 reports from the public and from industry of suspected exotic plant and bee pests which were thoroughly investigated.

“In November last year, a Bayswater business emailed photos of a strange-looking bug to Agriculture Victoria after discovering the insect in an airfreight package.

“The insect was confirmed as brown marmorated stink bug — a high priority for Australian biosecurity.

“The report was referred to the federal Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE), who followed up the detection.

“The brown marmorated stink bug can attack more than 300 types of fruit trees, ornamental trees, vegetable crops and gardens, so this was a very significant detection,” Dr Cnov said.

While Australia applies strict import conditions to goods coming in from overseas through our ports and mail centres, sometimes pests can go undetected.

Australia’s farmers rely on freedom from pests and diseases to produce our food, and access both domestic and export markets.

Victoria is Australia's largest producer of food and fibre products with the gross value of agricultural production in Victoria worth nearly $16 billion.

“Everyone can play a role in protecting our farmers, environment and community from biosecurity threats by reporting anything unusual.”

More information on priority insects and mites is available on the Agriculture Victoria website

On the ground support for fruit fly management
Queensland fruit fly

The Victorian Government is supporting key fruit production regions across the state to protect their produce from the destructive impacts of Queensland fruit fly.

Minister for Agriculture Mary-Anne Thomas this week announced $2.9 million in Fruit Fly Strategy grants for the Greater Sunraysia, Goulburn Murray Valley and Yarra Valley regions. This funding will support fruit fly management programs, explore new ways to manage the pest and employ full-time regional coordinators.

Fruit flies can be a major pest, damaging a range of fruit and vegetable crops. Queensland fruit fly can impact production and markets for horticulture industries, which export more than $1.6 billion of produce.

Under Round One of the $5.3 million program, funding has been awarded to the following organisations to deliver region-wide programs on behalf of Regional Fruit Fly Governance groups:

  • Mildura Rural City Council (Greater Sunraysia)
  • Moira Shire Council (Goulburn Murray Valley)
  • Agribusiness Yarra Valley (Yarra Valley).

Fruit fly management programs will plan for the long term, engage local communities to help protect neighbouring horticultural production, remove unwanted fruit trees, trial new monitoring methods and apply new crop waste management techniques on farm.

The grants are a key part of the government’s Fruit Fly Strategy 2021–25 which has been developed in close consultation with industry and will deliver awareness programs that empower the community and growers to keep their crops free of damage from fruit fly.

This is part of the government’s $6.4 million investment announced in the Victorian Budget 2021/22 to manage Queensland fruit fly and protect horticultural production and jobs.

The funding is in addition to more than $2 million invested annually by the Victorian Government in fruit fly management, including research and development and certification services to enable trade.

The government’s work to manage Queensland fruit fly will protect the 14,000 jobs supported by horticulture production across the state.

The grants also support the Victorian Government’s Agriculture Strategy and will help to ensure Victorian growers are well placed to respond to biosecurity risks, while promoting and building confidence in the sector for international markets and the community.

For more information visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/qff.

2022 Young Farmer and New Entrant Mentoring Program – Expressions of interest extended
2022 Young Farmer and New Entrant Mentoring Program

Are you a young farmer looking to take your career to the next level?

Expressions of interest for the 2022 Young Farmer and New Entrant Mentoring Program have been extended and will now close on Sunday 31 October.

The Young Farmer and New Entrant Mentoring Program provides young farmers and new entrants the opportunity to be a paired with an experienced farmer or ‘mentor’ to assist them in:

  • developing skills to better manage their farm businesses
  • identifying risks
  • developing strategies to build resilience and achieve their business goals.

The program will be facilitated by a farm business consultant who will pair the young farmer or ‘mentee’ with a mentor whose experience aligns with the mentee’s enterprise and personal development goals.

The program is open to young farmers and new entrants from all agricultural industries. The program has partnered with the Gardiner Foundation to support young dairy farmers participate in the program.

The program will run until 30 November 2022. During this period the mentor and mentee will work together overseen by their facilitator. All parties will work together to arrange regular catch ups to track the progress of the mentee.

The purpose of the program is to assist the mentee in building professional networks, using trusted sources of advice and information, and developing competency in setting business goals and assessing risks.

The Young Farmer and New Entrant Mentoring Program is supported by the Gardiner Foundation and the Victorian Government's Smarter, Safer Farms program.

The application period opened on Tuesday 21 September 2021 and will close at midnight on Sunday 31 October 2021.

APPLY NOW:
For more information and to apply visit the Agriculture Victoria website.  

FUTHER INFORMATION:
Listen to the Ag Vic Talk Podcast episode and hear from 2021 Mentoring Program mentee Sammy Mitchell and her mentor Andrew Bell who share and reflect on their experiences, and how they have been working to increase Sammy’s confidence as she looks at employing her first staff member.

CONTACT:
Sarah Wallis – Young Farmer Project Coordinator at sarah.wallis@agriculture.vic.gov.au

Pneumonia and pleurisy in sheep during summer

Both pneumonia and pleurisy in sheep can prove costly for producers, from having slow growth rates, carcase trimming or even death.

Pleurisy is inflammation of the lining of the chest cavity and is seen at slaughter as translucent bands joining the lungs to the insides of the ribs.

Pleurisy typically occurs in conjunction with pneumonia, which makes sheep reasonably sick. Many sheep recover from pneumonia, so the residual pleurisy is seen at processing.

Outbreaks of pneumonia and pleurisy are caused by either environmental, animal and pathogen factors, these could include:

  • dusty conditions, hot weather, and excessive crowding
  • inadequate nutrition, concurrent disease (e.g. internal parasites), and stress. These all impact the animal’s immune system making them more susceptible to pneumonia
  • pathogens include bacteria and viruses - primary pathogens like Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae initiates a mild pneumonia with no or mild signs – which can make the sheep more susceptible to a secondary bacterial infection which leads to severe disease
  • parasitic infection from lung worm can play a role
  • additionally, poor drenching technique can lead to aspiration pneumonia.

Agriculture Victoria Veterinary Officer Hayden Morrow said the severity of signs can vary greatly as some sheep will not show any respiratory signs except a reduction in weight gain, while others develop nasal discharge, coughing, laboured breathing, exhaustion, and a lack of appetite before progressing to death.

“Clinical cases of pneumonia lead to increases in mortality, increased treatment costs and a reduction in animal welfare. However, reductions in weight gain from mild cases are also likely to be significant,” Dr Morrow said.

Agriculture Victoria advises to focus on prevention and manage risk factors, which include:

  • avoid handling/transporting sheep in hot dry conditions – consider impact of mixing purchased groups of lambs from different sources (stressful but also potentially exposes lambs to new pathogens)
  • ensure nutrition and access to water is optimised – ensure other major animal health issues such as intestinal worms are managed, and suitable shade is available
  • hosing down dusty yards and laneways before moving stock – consider impact of stocking rate on dust levels when containment feeding and avoid dusty feeds
  • do not lift head above horizontal and don’t drench in cradle
  • new sheep could be carriers of respiratory pathogens that are new to your flock. Clinical cases of pneumonia can be treated with consultation from a private veterinarian.

For more information, read the Pneumonia Pleurisy factsheet on the Animal Health Australia website or contact your private veterinarian for advice.

Livestock biosecurity grants – applications extended

Eligible Victorian organisations in the cattle, sheep, goat, swine and honey bee industries now have until Friday 26 November to apply for funding through the Livestock Biosecurity Funds – Grant Program.

Grants are available to fund projects that prevent, monitor, and control diseases, thereby enhancing animal health, biosecurity and market access for the benefit of Victoria’s livestock industries.

Applications are invited from private sector businesses, universities and research institutions, co-operatives, government agencies and local government, and incorporated associations.

Any organisation looking to apply should consider the guidelines and eligibility criteria, review the relevant Statement of Strategic Intent, and complete the online application form.

NEW CLOSING DATE: Applications close 11.59 pm on Friday 26 November.

For more information, visit the Agriculture Victoria website or call our Customer Contact Centre on 136 186.

Soil Moisture Monitoring – October report now available
Soil Moisture Monitoring - Cropping

The soil moisture monitoring project, with the use of underground probes, provides real-time soil water content data to Victoria’s farmers.

Monitoring sites have been set up in cropping regions throughout the state by Agriculture Victoria.

The sites record soil water content at one source point from 30 centimetres down to one metre as a reference point for a paddock.

Read the full Soil Moisture Monitoring report here.

Learn more about the Soil Moisture Monitoring project on the Agriculture Victoria website.

Showcasing Victorian produce on the global stage

The Victorian Government is supporting agribusinesses to grow their global sales and reach new markets through a new state-of-the-art trade facility in China.

Minister for Agriculture Mary-Anne Thomas this week launched Vic House – the Victorian Food and Fibre Trade Pavilion in Shanghai – which provides Victorian agriculture producers and exporters with a dedicated in-market space to showcase their products.

The pavilion has been developed to support established, emerging and start-up food and fibre export businesses and will allow Victoria’s agriculture sector to strengthen existing trade relationships, build new networks and boost export opportunities. 

The dedicated three-story facility features rooms to conduct virtual business meetings with importers and retailers, high-end supermarket shelving for product display and a full kitchen for cooking demonstrations and hosting dinners to sample produce.

The space also provides Victorian agribusinesses with the opportunity to tailor events to meet Chinese consumer demand by offering seasonal produce tastings in the facility’s chilled and frozen display area.

Vic House will support existing and prospective Victorian exporters to access this key market where demand for Victoria’s high-quality food and fibre products remains strong.

China is Victoria's largest food and fibre export market with sales worth $4.75 billion in 2019–20.

Vic House is supported through the Victorian Government’s $15 million Food to Market Program and $5 million Pathways to Export Program. Three agriculture export specialists were recently appointed in key markets for Victorian food and fibre, including Southeast Asia, Middle East and North Africa.

The new pavilionis part of the government’s commitment to supporting Victoria’s agricultural producers and exporters to access a wide range of markets across the globe.

For more information visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/pathwaystoexport.

Register before 31 October for the storm and flood clean-up program
Registrations are closing soon: flood and storm clean-up support

Registrations for Bushfire Recovery Victoria's Residential Storm and Flood Clean-up program will be closing from 11.59 pm on Sunday 31 October.

If you were impacted by the June storms and floods and your property is eligible for our clean-up program, make sure you register now so you don’t miss out.

The cut-off date is for new registrations only – it does not affect those who are already registered and are waiting for a call-back, site assessment or works to begin.

To find out more and register your property, call 1800 560 760 (available Monday – Friday, 9 am – 5 pm) or go online at www.brv.vic.gov.au/cleanup.

Supporting businesses and employers in Gippsland
Jobs Victoria logo with cows

Jobs Victoria has almost 600 employment specialists supporting people looking for work. We’re also helping businesses and employers to find and hire new staff.

For people looking for work or a career change:

  • Advocates - connect people with the information, employment and training support that’s right for them. You can find Advocates at shopping centres, sporting clubs, libraries and more when coronavirus restrictions allow so, virtually or over the phone.
  • Mentors - help people become work-ready, find a job that suits them, and support them in their role for the first six months. Mentoring is delivered through 75 partners across Victoria.
  • Career Counsellors – provide career guidance and help people to understand their career options, giving them the tools and confidence they need to pursue them.

For employers and businesses:

  • Wage subsidies – of up to $20,000 to employ people who have been most affected by the pandemic.
  • The Jobs Victoria online hub – a free service that matches employers can post job ads or search for skilled, local candidates. People looking for work can also register and apply for roles posted by employers.

For more information contact www.jobs.vic.gov.au or call 1300 208 575.

There are specific mentor partners and advocates plus new Community Employment Connectors available in the Gippsland region and these can also be ascertained via the Jobs Vic website.

Individual support helps business workforce planning

Horticulture businesses across Victoria are preparing for the upcoming harvest and, for many, managing the workforce will be crucial as they find new ways to attract and retain workers.

To support business to manage this challenge, Agriculture Victoria is providing free, one-on-one Horticulture Workforce Planning sessions with workforce recruitment and HR specialists Meridian Agriculture.

The sessions are part of Agriculture Victoria’s Horticulture Business Workforce Planning Program, which has included a review of the 2020-21 harvest season, and several industry workshops.

To take part in an individual session, managers or business owners need to register their interest online.

The individual business will have a two-hour session with a Meridian Agriculture HR consultant, with a one-hour follow-up session to check progress and gain additional support.

Register for a session in October

For more information on Seasonal Workforce business support visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/bigharvest

On-farm Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate Scheme
Sheep drinking at water trough

If you’re a drought-affected farmer living in the East Gippsland and Wellington local government areas, you may be eligible to apply for the On-Farm Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate Scheme.

The $1.7 million Scheme is funded by the Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment and Agriculture Victoria, and provides a one-off 25 per cent rebate for the cost of purchase, delivery and/or professional installation of on-farm water infrastructure.

A rebate of up to $25,000 (GST exclusive) is available per farm business.  

The scheme is open until the funds are fully allocated during the 2021–22 financial year.  

Apply for the On-Farm Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate Scheme via the Rural Finance website.

Agriculture recovery support – we're here to help
The Ag Recovery Team can provide support

Agriculture Victoria’s Ag Recovery Team is here to support producers affected by the June storm and flood event across Victoria.

Contact the Ag Recovery Team on 0427 694 185 or recovery@agriculture.vic.gov.au or visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/floodrecovery

AgVic Talks – latest podcast episode

“Safety is one of those things that for us is just non-negotiable.”

Join Emma Bolding, an organic beef producer from South West Victoria to hear how the Farm Safety Rebate enabled her to upgrade livestock handling equipment at the family property. 

Listen into Emma’s episode by searching for 'AgVic Talk' wherever you get your podcasts or listen 🎧 online via the AgVic website agriculture.vic.gov.au/AgVicTalk

 
Emma Bolding
eLearning with Agriculture Victoria

A selection of online courses that can be undertaken at your own pace, at any time and from anywhere with an internet connection.

The Victorian Government understands that life can get busy and it isn’t always possible to attend courses in person.

eLearning provides an accessible and flexible option for learning and expanding your knowledge.

It enables you to enhance your skills without having to attend an event or workshop in person which could be a significant distance from home, or difficult to complete due to time constraints.

To access courses, you will need to create an account.

This will allow you full access to the courses and it will track your progress as you move through them.

Browse the range of courses that can be undertaken at your own pace, at any time and from anywhere with an internet connection.

 

This week’s eLearn in profile is: Stock Containment Areas

Stock containment area with sheep

This Stock Containment Area short course provides Victorian farmers with key information to help them better prepare and respond to dry seasonal conditions and other emergencies before critical decisions need to be made.

Topics include:

  • What is a stock containment area?
  • Why use a stock containment area?
  • Other uses of a stock containment area
  • Are you up for the task?
  • Site selection
  • Design
  • Water
  • Feeding
  • Shade and shelter
  • Management.

The course takes about 30 minutes to complete.

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

The hotline can connect you to a financial counsellor to help you to:

  • access relief for utility bills and other payments
  • understand your government income and other entitlements
  • negotiate with your bank on debt issues
  • identify if your insurance outcome is fair and appropriate
  • explore your options and advocate on your behalf.

Speaking to a financial counsellor early can help stabilise your finances, reduce stress and allow you to focus on other areas. 

Call the Storm and Flood Recovery Hotline on 1800 560 760 between 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays).

Gippsland Rural Skills Connect
Rural Skills Connect have your skills qualified
Rural skills connect checklist
Partners in Wellbeing
information graphic

The Partners in Wellbeing Helpline offers free and confidential one-on-one access to wellbeing coaches, financial counsellors and business advisors.

Small business owners can call the Partners in Wellbeing Helpline on 1300 375 330 seven days a week.

Alternately, a live chat function is available on Business Victoria website here.

Wellbeing coaches are available from 9 am to 10 pm on weekdays and from 9 am to 5 pm on weekends.

What's on – online and on-farm events

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.

NLIS Database Management online training sessions
goats, sheep, cows

Do you buy or sell livestock privately, online or through saleyards?

Do you know the NLIS requirements for livestock movements?

Agriculture Victoria is delivering interactive online training sessions for livestock producers using the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) database. There are two events for you to choose from, between October and November.

Participants will learn about the Victorian traceability system, tour the NLIS database features and be shown how to complete a Property-to-Property (P2P) transfer.

SESSION PLAN

Part 1: Overview of the Victorian traceability system

  • Self-paced online learning (30 minutes)
  • Part 2: Navigating and using the NLIS database. Zoom meeting (1.5 hours).
  • Watch a live demonstration of the NLIS database over a Zoom meeting.
  • Access the training NLIS database to practise completing Property-to-Property (P2P) transfers.
  • Question and answer session.

Monthly webinars – date and time (Part 2: Zoom meeting)

Wednesday 27 October, 11 am – 12.30 pm
Click here to register

Wednesday 24 November, 9 – 10.30 am
Click here to register

Book your free tickets by clicking on the links above or online agriculturevictoriaevents.eventbrite.com

For more information or if you have trouble registering online, please call 0427 681 714.

Numbers will be limited to allow for an interactive session.

OTHER INFORMATION
Participants are encouraged to set up their NLIS account prior to attending the webinar.

Access the NLIS database at www.nlis.com.au

For more NLIS information click here.

Energy Webinar Series: Energy efficiency in horticulture
 

Do you want to hear about what other horticultural businesses are doing to improve energy efficiency?

 

You are invited to join us for a panel discussion with three managers from horticultural businesses who will share their experiences in implementing sustainable energy technologies, improving energy efficiency and generating renewable energy.

Panelists will give an overview of their energy projects and benefits which will be followed by a facilitated Q&A session. 

Panelists include:

  • Dasha Sherif, I.M Sweet Australia – Installation of a 200kW solar array supplying renewable energy to a packing shed and refrigeration along with variable speed drives and rapid doors on cool rooms.
  • Jason Shields, Orchard Manager at Plunkett Orchards – Picking platforms reducing diesel consumption along with additional benefits that will significantly improve the return on investment.
  • Rowan Little, General Manager at Montague Orchards – Implementation of smart energy solutions in packing and distribution.

Date: Thursday, 28 October 
Time:  12:00 to 1:00 pm
Where: Online using Zoom or dial in

Register or join the webinar here.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Please join the webinar five minutes early to set up.

If you need assistance registering or would like more information, please contact Sarah Clack on 0417 316 345 or sarah.clack@agriculture.vic.gov.au

For information on other webinars in this series or other energy events please visit Extension Aus

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

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Contacting Agriculture Victoria

Call 136 186 from anywhere in Australia for the cost of a local call (except for mobiles and public telephones).

If you are deaf, or have a hearing or speech impairment contact the National Relay Service on 133 677 or www.relayservice.gov.au.

All contact points can be found at: agriculture.vic.gov.au/about/contact-us

Don't forget to check out Agriculture Victoria's social media sites for up-to-date information and news.

 

 

'Like' our Agriculture Victoria Facebook page.

 

Follow us on Twitter @VicGovAg

 

Subscribe to the Agriculture Victoria YouTube channel. 

 
 

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