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Thursday 2 July 2026
Floods and your farm - tips to stay prepared
Farm conditions can change quickly during wet weather, and a little planning now can make a big difference if flooding occurs.
Taking time to review your flood plan can help you protect livestock, machinery, fodder and important records. Knowing where you'll move animals, how you'll access feed and water, and who to contact in an emergency can help you act confidently and quickly if conditions change.
Stay informed about flood warnings on the VicEmergency app or website. If you need emergency assistance, contact Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) on 132 500.
You can find practical steps to help you prepare on our website
H5 bird flu detection in Western Australia and South Australia
This disease is not present in Victoria, but it’s a timely reminder to stay aware.
If you see sick or dead birds:
AVOID contact
RECORD what you see
REPORT it to 1800 675 888 or via agriculture.vic.gov.au/reportdeadbirds
Report 5 or more dead birds anywhere in Victoria, or even one high risk species like marine mammals, seabirds, waterbirds, shorebirds or birds of prey.
Webinar: Understanding H5 bird flu
When: Thursday 2 July, 6 pm
Where: Online
Hear from Agriculture Victoria Chief Veterinary Officer on H5N1 avian influenza, including what it is, animals at risk, potential impacts for producers and biosecurity measures.
This free webinar will be conducted via Zoom.
Keeping puppy protection laws up to date
The Victorian government is reviewing Victoria's dog breeding laws to ensure sure they continue to protect animal welfare.
Victorians love their pets and expect them to come from responsible breeders.
That’s why reviewing the Domestic Animals Act 1994 will make sure our laws continue to reflect public expectations and uphold high standards of animal care.
The review will focus on commercial dog breeders.
It will consider whether the current limit of 50 fertile female dogs per breeder continues to meet modern animal welfare standards.
Safe Food Victoria up and running
Victoria’s new streamlined food regulator Safe Food Victoria will cut red tape, making it easier to get fresh food to families.
Minister for Agriculture Michaela Settle visited Meredith Dairy this week with Safe Food Victoria Chair Luke Wilson and CEO Mike Gooey to mark the start of operations.
The business is one of 12,000 regulated food producers set to benefit from the new regulator.
Safe Food Victoria consolidates multiple regulators including Dairy Safe Food Victoria, Primesafe and other regulators to simplify arrangements for businesses.
The new regulator will report to the Minister for Agriculture.
It brings Victoria in line with other jurisdictions and creates a simpler and more streamlined regulatory system.
Planting more trees on farms
Landholders across Victoria are being supported to integrate more trees into their farming systems, following an extension of the Victorian Trees on Farms (VToF) Program.
The program and Professional Service Provider Register has been extended to 1 November 2026, giving eligible landholders more time to apply for grants to establish trees on their properties.
Through the Victorian Trees on Farms Program, landholders can access grants of up to $40,000 to deliver on-ground works such as shelterbelts, riparian planting and revegetation projects.
Bushfire recovery grants and concessional loans
Farmers impacted by the January 2026 bushfires: you may be eligible for financial support for recovery.
- Primary Producer Bushfire Recovery Grants of up to $75,000 to assist with clean-up and reinstating enterprises.
- Primary Producer Bushfire Recovery Concessional Loans of up to $250,000 for those who have suffered major asset damage or loss of income.
Applications can be made at ruralfinance.com.au/grants
Locust spring update for north-west Victoria
We are asking land managers in north-west Victoria to prepare now for possible locust activity in spring.
The Mallee has a moderate to high chance of high numbers of young locusts hatching in late September onwards.
The Wimmera has a low to moderate chance of high numbers of young locusts hatching in early October onwards.
Land managers are responsible for controlling locusts on their land.
The best time to control locusts is about 2 weeks after hatching, when they are young and can't yet fly.
Land managers can also help by checking paddocks and reporting any signs of locusts.
Reporting helps improve forecasting and supports control decisions.
This advice is for people in Mildura, Swan Hill, Gannawarra, Buloke, Yarriambiack, Hindmarsh and West Wimmera.
Bushfire recovery events
Our team will be on hand for a chat at upcoming fire recovery events and activities.
Here’s what’s coming up:
Yea Store Sale, Friday 3 July
Comedy and Conversations - Ruffy, Sunday 5 and 12 July
Euroa Special Sale, Wednesday 5 August
Victorian Landcare Awards
Do you know someone making a difference for our environment?
The 2026 Victorian Landcare Awards shine a spotlight on local champions leading the way in caring for biodiversity.
Nominations are open until 31 July 2026 and honour individuals, groups and organisations making outstanding contributions in environmental conservation and sustainable agriculture.
There are multiple national categories, including:
- Women in Landcare
- Junior Landcare
- Coastcare awards
- Joan Kirner Landcare Award 40th Year Anniversary
- Landcare Network Award
- Victorian Farmers Federation/Landcare Victoria Heather Mitchell Memorial Fellowship
- Environmental Volunteer Group Award
Nominate yourself or an individual, group or organisation you know in your community making a difference with activities that protect and conserve Australia’s biodiversity.
In 2025, Victorians took home 3 of the 9 national awards at the National Landcare Conference in the Junior Landcare, NextGen Landcare and Australian Government Community Partnerships award categories.
For more information and to nominate: https://landcareaustralia.org.au/.../state-territory.../
Trees on Farms Utilisation Program
Applications are now open for the Trees on Farms Utilisation Program.
Eligible Victorian landowners can receive a free expert assessment of their timber plantations, including tailored management advice and potential market pathways.
Mallee Farmer winter edition out now
Read the latest edition of Mallee Farmer available now on the Mallee CMA publications web page.
Recordings: Catch up on Irrigator shed meetings
To watch recorded presentations from the most recent Irrigator shed meetings co-hosted by Agriculture Victoria and Mallee CMA, visit the Irrigation page on the Mallee CMA website.
Fungicide decisions for high blackleg risk in canola
High levels of blackleg infection are already being reported in many regions.
If growing a canola cultivar rated Moderately Resistant (MR) or below for blackleg, consider the application of a foliar fungicide application to help control crown canker of blackleg while crops are at the 4-8 leaf growth stage.
If growing a canola cultivar rated Moderately Resistant (MR) or below for blackleg upper canopy infection (UCI) and flowering will commence in July or early August, consider a fungicide application at 30% bloom.
Consult the BlacklegCM and BlacklegCM UCI apps, or the 2026 Blackleg Management Guide, to determine blackleg risk.
Mike Gooey appointed inaugural Safe Food Victoria CEO
The Safe Food Victoria board has appointed Mike Gooey as its inaugural Chief Executive Officer following a competitive recruitment process.
Mr. Gooey brings over 20 years of agricultural and regional public sector experience to the position, including across food safety, regulation and economic development.
Previously working as the Executive Director - Local Government Victoria for the last five years, Mr Gooey commenced in the role on 1 July, the day that Safe Food Victoria commenced operations.
Drought Hardship Loan
The Australian Government RIC Drought Hardship Loan is available to support farm businesses experiencing severe and prolonged drought.
The loan provides up to $250,000 over 5 years, at the RIC’s concessional interest rate (currently 5.18%), with a 2-year repayment holiday, to help farmers manage essential operating costs and improve cash flow during extended dry conditions.
Available to eligible farm businesses that have managed through at least 24 months of drought and expect further impacts ahead. The loan complements other drought support and can be accessed alongside state programs.
Learn more about the Drought Hardship Loan at ric.gov.au
What's On
Disease management for canola: practical advice for the 2026 season
When: Friday 3 July, 11:30 am
Where: Online
With many crops established earlier than usual, many are seeing heightened disease pressure throughout the southern region. This webinar brings together canola disease pathologists and virologists to review risks and management strategies.
Speakers:
- Dr Angela Van de Wouw, Marcroft Grains Pathology
- Dr Nicole Thompson and Dr Maarten van Helden, SARDI
- Dr Narelle Nancarrow, Agriculture Victoria
Mini-Technical Workshops on soil moisture and irrigation for nut growers
When: Tuesday 7 July, 1–3 pm
Where: 88 Merriang Road, Myrtleford
When: Tuesday 8 July, 1–3 pm
Where: 232 Dingley Dell Rd, Thorpdale South
These small, orchard-based workshops will help chestnut, walnut and hazelnut growers better understand the active root zone, assess soil moisture in the field, and make more informed decisions about when to start irrigation.
The focus will be on simple, practical and low-cost ways to improve irrigation decisions.
Workshop topics
- How to assess soil moisture by hand-feel
- Where the active root zone is located
- How to identify the main wetted zone
- How to use tensiometers and other soil moisture tools
- How to compare instrument readings with field observations
- When to start irrigation
- Common irrigation issues (dry patches, over-watering, blocked emitters, uneven water distribution)
Free for growers to attend. Registration is required as places are limited.
This workshop is funded by the Australian Government through funding from the Natural Heritage Trust under the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program (Small Grants Round 1)
For more information contact Guy Rischmueller, email: guy@risch.com.au or call 0424 557 600
GRDC Farm Business Update - Does every hectare earn its place?
When: Thursday 9 July, 1–2 pm
Where: Online
Does every hectare earn its place? Understanding the profit contribution of owned, leased and sharefarmed land. Tony Hudson, Hudson Facilitation
Whether land is owned, leased or sharefarmed, every block consumes capital, management time and involves risk. This session will challenge growers to look beyond yield and assess how each parcel contributes to whole-farm profitability and resilience.
Exploring practical ways to evaluate the profitability, production capacity and cost structure of individual land parcels, Tony will examine how the operating models influence returns. How underperforming blocks can affect whole-farm profitability, and the role in business growth that leasing and sharefarming can play.
Contact ORM Pty Ltd on 03 5441 6176 or email admin@orm.com.au
Interpreting soil moisture monitoring equipment
Pictured: Green Brain soil moisture monitoring graph image courtesy CropX
When: Wednesday 15 July, 9–11 am
Where: Agriculture Victoria Office Corner Koorlong Avenue and 11th Street, Irymple
When: Thursday 16 July, 9:30–11:30 am
Where: Conference Room, Robinvale District Health Service, Latje Road, Robinvale
Half day workshops for irrigators looking to have a greater understanding of interpreting their soil moisture monitoring data. This workshop has been held regularly for a number of years and has been highly popular with irrigators.
Attendees are encouraged to bring their login details and share their data with the group if appropriate.
Places are limited for this workshop. Please contact Jeremy Giddings, Agriculture Victoria Regional Manager Irrigation Mallee at email irrigation@agriculture.vic.gov.au for further information.
GRDC Grains Research Updates
When: Wednesday 22 July, 9 am – 1 pm
Where: Quambatook Bowling Club, 29 River Street
Topics:
- Evolution of clethodim resistance, and what can we do? Peter Boutsalis, University of Adelaide and Plant Science Consulting
- Industry panel – pushing pulses for better crops in the southern Mallee, Audrey Delahunty (Agriculture Victoria), Claire Pickles (BCG) and Matt Bissett (ExceedAg)
- Protect your most perishable asset – latest tips on grain storage Chris Warrick, Primary Business
- Risk and reward of N fertiliser decision-making strategies - insights from a national network of RiskWi$e field experiments Yolanda Plowman, BCG
- Seasonal climate outlook: what is driving this season? Dale Grey, Agriculture Victoria
When: Thursday 23 July, 9 am – 1 pm
Where: Dookie Campus, Bar Lounge, University of Melbourne, 940 Dookie-Nalinga Road, Dookie
Topics:
- Risk and reward of N fertiliser decision-making strategies - insights from a national network of RiskWi$e field experiments James Hunt, University of Melbourne
- Industry panel – pushing pulses for better crops in the north Audrey Delahunty (Agriculture Victoria), Aaron Vague (FAR) and Tom Price (FAR)
- Protect your most perishable asset – latest tips on grain storage Chris Warrick, Primary Business
- Get best bang for buck on canola fungicides Alec McCallum, University of Melbourne
- Profitable yield frontiers James Manson, CSIRO
The update for agronomists, consultants, researchers and growers to see and discuss the latest in research and to network with their peers.
Aboriginal business procurement information session
When: Thursday 30 July, 12 noon – 1 pm
Where: Online
Join Agriculture Victoria and Kinaway Chamber of Commerce for an online information session. Learn how Aboriginal businesses can supply goods and services to Agriculture Victoria.
What you will learn
- What Agriculture Victoria buys
- Where we work across Victoria
- Where procurement opportunities may be available
- How our procurement processes work
- Future opportunities and support available
Why you should attend
- Understand how procurement supports the Victorian Government’s Pupangarli Marnmarnepu – Owning Our Future strategy
- Learn how the strategy creates more opportunities for Aboriginal businesses
- Get practical tips on working with Agriculture Victoria
Who should attend
- Aboriginal-owned businesses
- Traditional Owner Corporations
National Alpaca Show 2026
When: 7-9 August
Where: Bendigo Showgrounds
National auction, fleece show, art and photography competition.
BCG’s Main Field Day 2026
When: Wednesday 9 September, 8:30 am – 4 pm
Where: Main Research Site at Birchip
BCG's Field Day draws growers, advisors, and industry professionals together to explore advances in crop management, weed control, soil nutrition, new varieties, and farming systems.
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 us through the National Relay Service at 133 677 or visit the National Relay Service.
All contact points can be found at: agriculture.vic.gov.au/about-us/contact-us
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