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Gippsland Ag News
 
Thursday, 15 October 2020
In this edition:
Coronavirus (COVID-19) update
purple writing of staying at home if we are sick

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.

From 11.59 pm on 27 September 2020 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.

COVIDSafe Plan now required for regional Victorian businesses

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

Latest news
Victorian dairy farmers prove cream rises to the top

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.

Dairies 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.

Dairies 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.

Dairy Farm Monitor Project – Gippsland briefings

The Dairy Farm Monitor Project is a comprehensive financial and production analysis using 75 Victorian dairy farms spread evenly across three dairy regions:

  • South-Western Victoria
  • Gippsland
  • Northern Victoria.

The project is a joint initiative between Agriculture Victoria and Dairy Australia.

Online briefings for the Gippsland 2019–20 results will be held on Wednesday 21 October (hosted by Ellinbank Seminar Series, Agriculture Victoria) and Monday 26 October (hosted by GippsDairy).

Agriculture Victoria: Wednesday 21 October, 12 – 1 pm

Join online here

GippsDairy: Monday 26 October, 12 – 1 pm

Join online here

Further information on the Dairy Farm Monitor Project is available on the Agriculture Victoria website.

For information about the briefings or if you need assistance registering or joining the webinar please contact Claire Waterman on 0408 785 368 or at claire.waterman@agriculture.vic.gov.au

Simple steps to improve cash flow management

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 11am 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

Avian influenza – know your biosecurity basics

What should you do to help limit the spread of avian flu? Here are eight key things you can do:

  • Report sick or dead birds, including wild birds to the 24/7 Emergency animal Disease Watch Hotline – 1800 675 888 or contact your vet
  • Always wash your hands before and after handling birds or eggs
  • Restrict contact between your birds and wild birds, including bird-proofing housing and feed storage areas
  • Keep poultry sheds, yards, aviaries and equipment clean
  • Limit visitors to your birds and use clean footwear
  • Ensure that any visitors to your birds wear protective clothing and walk through a viricidal footbath before going into your bird areas
  • Quarantine new birds before integrating them with your existing birds
  • Prevent your birds from accessing water sources that may have been contaminated by wild waterfowl (e.g. ponds, lakes, creeks, channels, dams, puddles and water troughs) or only use an appropriately chlorinated water source.

Have questions? Call the avian influenza hotline (03) 4334 2715 or go to agriculture.vic.gov.au/avianflu

Lucerne hay rivals costly supplement diets

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 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.

“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.”

Supporting more rural women in agriculture

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.

To mark International Day of Rural Women, Minister for Agriculture Jaclyn Symes encouraged Victorian rural women in agriculture to apply for the 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.

Ask the researcher – virtual forums

A call out to dairy farmers in Gippsland.

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 virtual forum will begin at 12.30 pm.

To register, go to Dairy Australia’s website https://tinyurl.com/ATRMIR

Partners in Wellbeing hotline

Free, confidential wellbeing and mental health support is now available to business owners, their employees and family members as part of the Wellbeing and Mental Health Support program.

The Partners in Wellbeing hotline provides one-to-one support to improve wellbeing, as well as free access to business advisers and financial counsellors.

Call 1300 375 330 from 9 am to 10 pm weekdays.

Read more

Kitchens, masks on farms and show us your shed

#SnapshotRuralVic, an initiative of the National Centre for Farmer Health is bringing Victorians from Buchan to Bendigo, and Kyabram to Kennedys Creek together to tell a unique story of rural life in Victoria during the second wave COVID-19 lockdown.

A weekly shortlist of the entries also go in the running to win the People’s Choice Award with the lucky winner receiving a $100 voucher to a local Victorian business of their choice.

The awards will consider all #SnapshotRuralVic submissions and provide those who haven’t yet participated with the opportunity to be in the running for the many prizes still on offer.

All submissions across the 10 weeks of the campaign will be considered for judging, with categories including ‘Celebrating the Next Generation’, ‘Lamb of the Year’ and ‘Best Covid-Kitchen Creation’.

The campaign will conclude on Friday 6 November.

For further information, visit www.farmerhealth.org.au/snapshotruralvic or reach out to the Snapshot Online Project Officer, Hilary McAllister, directly at hmcallister@wdhs.net or on 0490483548.

Fox and wild dog bounty collection schedule for South East Victoria

Victorian Fox and Wild Dog Bounty collections resumed for regional Victoria from Monday 5 October.

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).

Hunters are encouraged to continue to collect fox scalps and wild dog body parts, while following coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions relevant to their area. Pieces can be frozen or air dried and submitted for reward at an alternative collection centre or when the suspended collection centres reopen, in line with bounty terms and conditions.

All hunters are reminded to use common sense when hunting and when it comes to attending bounty collections. Stay safe by following the coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions that apply to your area and, if you feel unwell, get tested and stay home.

Reward payments can only be made by Electric Funds Transfer.

ELLINBANK

Date: Monday 9 November, 2 – 4 pm

Address: Depot, 1301 Hazeldean Rd, Ellinbank

Collection type: Fox and wild dog

BAIRNSDALE

Date: Tuesday 10 November, 12 – 2 pm

Address: 35 Bairnsdale – Dargo Road, Bairnsdale

Collection type: Fox and wild dog

 

MAFFRA

Date: Wednesday 11 November, 9 – 11 am

Address: Depot, 1 Stratford Road, Maffra

Collection type: Fox and wild dog

YARRAM

Date: Wednesday 11 November, 2 – 4 pm

Address: Rodgers Street, Yarram

Collection type: Fox only

Woori Yallock remains closed in line with current metropolitan Melbourne restrictions.

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.

AgVic Podcast – check out the current episodes

In the latest episode, East Gippsland farmer Peter Young talks about his experience with the dry conditions, how the family are setting up their business for the future, the importance of community and peer to peer learning.

To hear Peter search 'AgVic Talk' wherever you usually get your podcasts or listen in  🎧  here: agriculture.vic.gov.au/AgVicTalk

More details about the AgVic podcast series is available on the Agriculture Victoria website, where you can subscribe to the series or download the audio or transcripts of each episode.

Primary producers bushfire support programs
Wine Grape Smoke Taint Grant

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, visit ruralfinance.com.au

Small Business Bushfire Support Grants - update

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 of this season’s bushfires.

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

Victorian Bushfires Concessional Loans

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.

Emergency Bushfire Response in Primary Industries Grants

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.

Water and septic tank support for fire-affected areas

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.

What's on – upcoming webinars

Details about Agriculture Victoria events can now be found in one spot on our website. Log on to the Events page to find out what's on.

Focus on applying soil test results

Agriculture Victoria is delivering a webinar for livestock producers with a focus on applying nutrients based on soil test results.

 

Thursday 22 October

12.30 – 1.30 pm

Online via Zoom®

Register here

Topics covered:

  • How much nutrient to apply
  • When to apply
  • Prioritising nutrient resources
  • Balancing the removal of nutrient.

For more information, or if you need assistance registering or joining the webinar please contact the event organiser Tess McDougall on 0409 841 492 or at tess.mcdougall@agriculture.vic.gov.au

Goat producers guide to the NLIS

Agriculture Victoria is delivering a two-part webinar for goat producers using the National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) database.

Part 1: Wednesday 21 October
Part 2:  Wednesday 28 October

7.30 – 9 pm

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

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.

TOPICS

  • Traceability system overview
  • Purchasing electronic NLIS tags for goats
  • Setting up, navigating and using the NLIS database
  • Completing Property to Property (P2P) transfers on the NLIS database.

REGISTRATION

Book your free tickets online at Eventbrite then select ‘NLIS Database Webinar for Goat Producers’

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!

Farm Cash Flow 101 – managing cash flow budgets with confidence

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

REGISTRATION AND MORE INFORMATION

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.

Climate webinars
Subscribe now for upcoming series of climate and agriculture science webinars

Agriculture Victoria will host a number of climate and agriculture science talks in its latest lunchtime webinar series.

Having proved popular the first time around, the lunchtime webinars are designed for busy people chasing fast facts about climate and agriculture research.

Participants will hear from a broad range of expert speakers from Agriculture Victoria, North East Catchment Management Authority (NECMA), University of Tasmania and other agencies.

Scheduled to speak this series, are:

  • Dr Rebecca Harris from University of Tasmania: will share Australia’s Wine Future: A Wine Climate Atlas which shows how wine-region climates have changed, with more to come
  • Agriculture Victoria, Climate Specialist, Graeme Anderson: will talk about using seasonal forecasts and share new tools developed with a GRDC project for south eastern Australia.

Land managers, service providers, researchers and educators are encouraged to subscribe to our climate updates and newsletters.

Any queries can be directed to Climate Development Officer Heather Field at heather.field@agriculture.vic.gov.au

For more information and to subscribe to stay up to date with these upcoming climate webinars visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/climate

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

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

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