• Coronavirus (COVID-19) update
• Lucerne hay rivals costly supplement diets
• Supporting more rural women in agriculture
• Simple steps to improve cash flow management
• Collection dates for fox and wild dog bounty
• Sweeter days ahead for Milawa beekeeping business
• Maintain grain quality with hygiene essentials
• Primary producers bushfire support programs
• What's on – webinars

Safely reopening Victoria

A roadmap for reopening Victoria has been announced by the Victorian Government.

There are two separate roadmaps in Victoria: one for metropolitan Melbourne and one for regional Victoria regarding how we live and how we work. Each roadmap outlines safe, steady and sustainable steps to COVID Normal.

The Roadmap for reopening: regional Victoria 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 16 September 2020 regional Victoria moved to the Third Step on the roadmap for reopening.

From 11.59 pm on 27 September metropolitan Melbourne moved to the Second Step on the Roadmap for reopening. This step included some small but significant changes to the planned roadmap based on current case numbers and the latest modelling and projections.

Visit Roadmap for reopening for more details.

From 11:59 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 commenced in regional Victoria from 29 September 2020.

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.

For more information and for templates and guidance on how to create your COVIDSafe Plan, visit coronavirus.vic.gov.au

Agriculture Victoria scientists have shown that using lucerne hay as a feed supplement can improve the productivity and nutritional value of sheep meat in a changing climate.

Agriculture Victoria scientist Eric Ponnampalam said this latest research further confirms more than a decade of studies that demonstrate adding lucerne to sheep diets provides a host of benefits.

“This research is the first in the world to prove a diet supplemented with lucerne hay is equal to a feedlot diet,” Dr Ponnampalam said.

“Climate change is causing the yield, persistence and nutritive value of pastures to decline in many parts of southern Australia, particularly during the summer and autumn months.”

Supplementing diets with cereal grains, legume seeds or concentrates over summer and autumn can maintain animal growth rates during periods when pastures are sparse.

However, supplements are costly and may cause digestive problems such as acidosis or bloating unless appropriate feeding strategies are maintained.

Dr Ponnampalam said this project compared feeding a low-energy diet supplemented with lucerne hay to a high-energy diet supplemented with a barley-oat grain mix, to both crossbred and Merino sheep.

The results demonstrated that using lucerne hay rather than grains as a supplement had a range of advantages and didn’t negatively affect liveweight or carcass weight at slaughter of both breeds.

“Lucerne hay is a win-win. It maintained the animal’s body weight equal to the grain diet and was better at both providing essential nutrients and preserving the meat’s red colour,” Dr Ponnampalam said.

“Colour is very important, as consumers don’t buy meat that has turned brown – the cuts are immediately removed from retail display and turned into mince or go on sale.

“Our research is identifying lucerne as having the potential to be a ruminant diet, not only for sheep, but for cattle and dairy as well.”

“Our findings offer farmers a cheaper, home-grown solution to maintaining year-round productivity on-farm, particularly when faced with the impacts of climate change on their feedbase.”

Dr Ponnampalam said farmers can harvest lucerne in spring, store it as a hay or silage, and subsequently feed to livestock in summer and autumn when required. Therefore, farmers can sell larger carcasses at a lesser expense.

“Lucerne is also easier for farmers to store than grain, and it can improve soil fertility via nitrogen fixation when used as a rotational crop.

The Victorian Government is helping more rural women to reach their leadership aspirations with more funded places being made available through the Victorian Rural Women’s Network Leadership and Mentoring program.

Applications to take part in Leadership Victoria’s new ‘Women Leading Now’ program are now open, with four funded places on offer. This new two-day leadership is being delivered online in November.

While a third of Victorian farmers are women and many more work on-farm as a secondary occupation, Victorian women remain underrepresented in leadership and decision-making roles.

The $500,000 Victorian Rural Women’s Leadership and Mentoring program was launched in 2018 to upskill more than 40 women over three years. The initiative offers access to programs covering board skills, governance, financial and business management, team-building, community collaboration and networking.

Central Victorian farmer Carly Noble is one of 24 Victorian women who have so far used the Leadership and Mentoring Program as an opportunity to turn ideas into tangible outcomes for their communities.

This year Carly was one of three rural women to accept a funded place on a Regional Leadership program through the Victorian Rural Women’s Network.

During the program, Carly developed ideas to connect and advise small farm businesses and has also launched a gift hamper initiative supporting people doing it tough in rural communities.

Applications are now open for the Women Leading Now program, with funded places for Regional Leadership’s three community-based programs based in Ballarat and the Western, Goulburn Murray and Wimmera regions set to open soon.

For more information and to apply, visit the Victorian Rural Women’s Network website at extensionaus.com.au/VRWNetwork/leadership-and-mentoring-program.

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.

Agriculture Victoria Livestock Extension Officer Greg Ferrier said being prepared, both on the farm and on the books, will assist farmers when it comes to managing challenging situations.

“For individual farm businesses, financial forecasting is equally important as seasonal forecasting in terms of being prepared as best a producer can be to manage changing markets, seasonal conditions or the impact of floods or fires,” Mr Ferrier said.

“Having good cash flow management will also allow farmers to take advantage of the opportunities, good seasons and good markets provide when they arrive.”

Now all farmers can improve their cash flow management skills with Agriculture Victoria and AgBiz Assist’s Farm Cash Flow 101, a free two-session course designed in conjunction with farm business specialists 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 business specialist Jim Moll, from AgBiz Assist, will illustrate how to develop a simple cash flow budget to manage income and expenditure over the next 12 months.

Once mastered, these simple Excel® spreadsheets can be adapted to a number of farm businesses and become an integral part of financial planning and management, revised regularly to reflect current circumstances.

“This course will provide farmers with a straightforward approach to cash flow budgeting on a spreadsheet that can be adapted to a range of farm businesses depending on the individual’s needs,” Mr Ferrier said.

“The aim is to start to build confidence to use spread sheets to manage projected and actual farm cash flows so it as an ongoing process, not just as a one-off exercise.”

The course will run on Monday, 26 October and Wednesday, 28 October from 11 am to noon.

• Monday, 26 October 11 am-noon: Introduction to cash flow budgeting, spreadsheet basics, and why cash flow budgets are important and how they assist farm business
• Wednesday, 28 October 11 am-noon: Refining the spreadsheet, and adapting cash flow budgets to different production systems.

To register visit farm-cash-flow-budgets.eventbrite.com.au

For more information phone Greg Ferrier on 0438 738 634.

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

A third-generation family-owned beekeeping business in Victoria’s North East will benefit from a new packaging line that will enable them to increase supply of raw honey and grow operations, thanks to the Victorian Government.

The government was proud to support Milawa-based Walkabout Apiaries with a Small-Scale and Craft Program grant of just over $105,000, which will go towards an automated honey packaging plant.

The custom-built equipment is designed specifically to extract honey at cooler temperatures and will help the business to reach world-class export standards, as well as helping create up to three new positions on the factory floor.

The business has seen an increase in demand for raw honey as people look for naturally sourced products. With the packaging line able to operate without core beekeeping staff, Walkabout Apiaries are aiming to spend more time managing hives, ultimately increasing honey yield.

This will also help the business to better serve their pollination contracts to the horticultural sector, which has flow-on benefits for growers in the region. Currently their bees pollinate blueberries, apples, pears, pumpkins, onions and almonds.

Walkabout Apiaries has been operating their farm-gate shop in Milawa for nearly 40 years, a story that began with the founder, Rodney Whitehead, in 1972 and has grown into a multi-generational family business.

The business now distributes their products across Victoria and has a major role in helping to promote the Milawa Gourmet Region as one of Victoria’s many outstanding culinary regions.

State-wide rainfall late in the cropping season sets Victorian grain growers up for a terrific harvest this year.

Agriculture Victoria grains industry Biosecurity Officer Jim Moran said to maximise financial returns from this year’s harvest, growers must maintain grain quality by implementing excellent hygiene practices.

“Hygienically harvesting, transporting and storing grain requires active and ongoing interventions to ensure the harvest income isn’t reduced by storage pests and diseases which can reduce quality, price and consequently limit your market options,” Mr Moran said.

Hygiene strategies that should be put in place now, include:

• Clean up grain residues and spills around silos, bunkers and sheds
• Clean out empty grain storages, grain handling and harvesting equipment and machinery (apply a structural treatment such as a desiccant dust to each surface prior to using)
• Repair seals around hatches, latches and chutes to prevent access by insects
• Plan for the capability to aerate the new crop in the silo as a cooler environment slows down the insect breeding cycle, making it easier to control arriving insects
• Get advice on chemical grain protectants to use on new grain and how best to apply if you plan to store grain for lengthy periods
• Stay informed: Get a free copy of the Monitoring Stored Grain on Farm booklet and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) publication Grain Storage GrowNote from Agriculture Victoria
• Ensure grain from this year’s harvest isn’t mixed with grain from previous harvests to prevent the risk of cross-contamination from any persistent insects or disease
• If using a contractor, ask these five important questions; Where did you last harvest?, Did the property have any hard-to-kill or herbicide-resistant weeds?, What was the last crop harvested?, When, how and where did you clean down? Did you use a desiccant dust to eliminate stored grain pests?

Mr Moran said he recommended farmers insist any contractors coming to work on their property cleans vehicles and equipment before entering.

“Soil and plant material can carry weed-seeds and pests when left on tyres, radiator grilles, wheel arches, floor mats and work boots.

“Make sure you check any machinery or vehicles that are going to be working on your farm and remember if you are not satisfied with their cleanliness, you can direct them to your vehicle clean-down station or a designated area which can be monitored.

“If there are no clean down facilities on farm, explore other options in the community that can provide wash down facilities or similar service. There are other options to doing nothing.”

If you would like a free biosecurity gate sign or other grain biosecurity information please contact Jim Moran at Agriculture Victoria on (03) 5430 4479.

Mr Moran is also wanting to test grain storage insects for Phosphine resistance under a GRDC program and is looking for sites for setting Khapra Beetle surveillance traps under the Sentinel Silo program.

More essential grain hygiene information is available here www.farmbiosecurity.com.au and here www.agriculture.vic.gov.au

The Victorian Government’s annual economic snapshot of dairy farms has revealed a lift in average performance across the state.

Minister for Agriculture Jaclyn Symes today released the 14th Dairy Farm Monitor Project (DFMP) which shows a challenging first six months of 2019-20 were followed by favourable conditions in the second half of the year to lift average performance across Victoria’s dairy regions.

While nearly all DFMP farms experienced positive profits, with consistent performance reported across the regions, many farms are still not fully recovered from the recent years of drought and challenging conditions.

Respondents say Victorian Government and Dairy Australia support services have played a role in assisting them navigate both seasonal and business challenges.

Farms showed resilience and innovation to lower costs and with a 17 per cent increase in milk price, average earnings before interest and tax was $1.68 per kilogram of milk solids or $346,000 per farm.

Farms in the south-west and Gippsland lifted milk production by sourcing relatively cheaper feed or capitalising on greater pasture availability.

Northern farms budgeted for high water prices and many chose to purchase fodder in favour of irrigating which lowered costs and contributed to the better performance.

Most participant farms across all regions are expecting profits and milk prices to either remain stable or increase in 2020-21.

The project is a collaboration between Agriculture Victoria and Dairy Australia and the full report is available for download here agriculture.vic.gov.au/dairyfarmmonitor.

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.

A call out to dairy farmers in Goulburn Broken and North East regions.

On Wednesday, 21 October Agriculture Victoria scientists Dr Jo Newton and Dr Phuong Ho, and Murray Dairy’s Ross Read will be answering questions about the application of milk mid-infrared spectroscopy (MIR) technology on farms.

The free virtual forum will begin at 12.30pm. To register, go to Dairy Australia’s website https://tinyurl.com/ATRMIR

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.

This webinar with seasonal risk agronomist Dale Grey, will focus on the current seasonal climate outlook.

The information presented will be of particular relevance to the grains industry in Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and NSW.

The outlook will be based on model projections for rainfall utilising current oceanic, atmospheric and soil moisture conditions.

This webinar is simply an online presentations which allows you to ask questions.

It will be recorded, so if you miss the live presentation you can watch it later at a time that suits you.

Date and time: Friday, 16 October at 12 pm 
Event number: 165 827 5852
Event password: DaleGrey

Register here for the combined state webinar.

Note: If you need to dial into the webinar, ring (03) 9070 6482 (note charges will apply) and, if prompted, enter the event number.

To join a webinar you’ll need access to a computer that has a good internet connection, and a headset or built in computer speakers and microphone.

You can also watch via computer and phone in (if you can’t access audio on your computer), or you can watch and interact in the webinar via your smartphone or tablet.

For more information about this webinar, email the.break@agriculture.vic.gov.au

Do you know the NLIS requirements for goats sold at public and online auctions?

Participants will learn about the national traceability system, how to complete a Property to Property (P2P) transfer and use the NLIS database features.

Date and time
Part 1: Wednesday 21 October, 7 – 8 pm
Part 2: Wednesday 28 October, 7 – 8 pm.

Note: Attendance at both sessions is required.

Topics
Overview of the Victorian traceability system. Setting up, navigating and using the NLIS database and completing Property to Property (P2P) transfers on the NLIS database.

For both sessions, register with eventbrite, please click here.

For more information, or if you have trouble registering, please call (03) 5761 1647.

Numbers are limited to allow for an interactive session, so be quick to secure a spot!

Other information
Participants are required to set up their NLIS account prior to attending the webinar, further information on how to do this and how to join the webinar will be provided at registration.

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 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 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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