In this edition

• Rural Financial Counselling Service
• Connecting Victorian producers to global markets
• Bird owners urged to remain vigilant
• New study to benchmark crop residue emissions
• Early weaning beef calves – pitfalls and opportunities
• Preparing for a showdown with fall armyworm
• Closing soon – Applications for the Rural Women’s Network Leadership and Mentoring program
• Recording: Victoria's spring seasonal outlook
• Fox and wild dog bounty
• What's on

The Rural Financial Counselling Service provides a free and confidential financial counselling service to eligible farmers and small related enterprises who are experiencing, or at risk of, financial hardship.

They can help you to access available support, analyse your business situation, negotiate with lenders and develop strategies to improve your financial position.

To find your closest service click here or call 1300 771 741.

The Victorian Government is backing regional farmers and food and beverage businesses to increase their exports and explore new markets by partnering with the Australian Government.

Minister for Economic Growth Tim Pallas recently announced the establishment of trade managers in Barwon South West, Grampians, Loddon Mallee, Hume and Gippsland to turbocharge exports for regional Victorian businesses.

The locally-based trade managers will support new and established food and fibre businesses to enter or expand in priority export markets, while promoting the state’s food and beverage credentials internationally.

Victoria is the nation’s premier state for food and fibre, with exports increasing seven per cent in value in 2022-23 and reaching a record $19.6 billion – bringing the state close to achieving the government’s target of $20 billion by 2030.

Partnering with Austrade to deliver TradeStart in Victoria will provide further support for Victorian businesses in addition to the 23 Victorian Government Trade and Investment offices. TradeStart advisors provide business advice, build export capability and provide connections to international markets.

The Victorian Government has provided $10 million to assist food and fibre businesses reach global markets as part of a record $45 billion investment over the past decade in projects and programs that support regional and rural Victoria.

The Victorian Government Trade and Investment international network is the largest and most effective international network of any Australian state or territory, with every dollar invested in the network returning $40 to the Victorian economy.

As we continue to respond to the avian flu outbreak, we’re urging bird owners to remain vigilant. 

Look out for symptoms and report any unexplained bird deaths to the VicEmergency hotline on 1800 226 226. 

For more information, visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/avianflu

A new $8 million national study is set to quantify greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from crop residues, to help the Australian grains industry accurately report its carbon (C) footprint, with potential benefits for future market access and price.

An initiative of GRDC, the national project will be led by Professor David Rowlings from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and will involve two years of field work to quantify emissions from crop residue decomposition across a range of crop types, climates and soils at five sites in Australia.

The trial sites will be located at Gatton (Queensland), Tamworth and Wagga Wagga (New South Wales), Horsham (Victoria) and Wongan Hills (Western Australia). These trial sites will be coordinated and monitored by the project’s research partners:

• Agriculture Victoria
• Western Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD)
• NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (NSW DPIRD)
• University of Queensland (UQ).

The landmark study is expected to have significant benefits for grain growers and marketers, as the GHG emissions attached to grains can impact the price and marketability of exports, as well as the sustainability credentials of farm businesses.

Professor Rowlings said crop residues emit GHG as they decompose in the paddock, with nitrous oxide (N2O) making up most of these emissions.

'Australia includes these emissions in its sector level accounting to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC),' he said.

'While the global default emission decomposition factor is one per cent of total residues, international research has shown that 0.5 per cent may be more accurate for dry climates.

'As this research has been accepted by the IPCC, the CSIRO – with GRDC support – is currently updating Australia’s GHG baseline methodology to use the lower emissions factor from 2024.

'However, with approximately 23 million hectares of land under cropping, Australian growers could still benefit by being able to use accurate, locally derived emissions data for IPCC reporting.'

At each trial site, N2O will be measured for the 12 months following harvest to obtain accurate data on the emissions from the decaying crop residues. Crops being studied include wheat, faba beans and canola in NSW and Victoria; maize, sorghum, wheat and faba beans in Queensland; and wheat and canola in WA.

'We have achieved a good spread of representative climate conditions, soil types and crops. Over the two years and five locations, we will gather 32 site-years’ worth of data,' Professor Rowlings said.

GRDC Sustainable Cropping Systems manager, north, Cristina Martinez said the new national study was critical in that it aimed to generate representative emissions factors for Australian crop residues alongside region-based data that individual farms could adopt for emissions accounting and reporting.

This research builds on earlier work done by GRDC in partnership with CSIRO for the Australian Grains Baseline and Mitigation Assessment.

This 2022 report showed crop residue accounted for 20.4 per cent of all Scope 1 (on-farm) GHG emissions in Australian cropping, compared to fertiliser (15 per cent), lime application or farm operations (11 per cent each).

This initial study also concluded the use of internationally derived emissions factors may be overestimating reportable GHG emissions from the Australian grains sector.

The new national study has a total investment of $8 million, including $4.6 million from GRDC.

Nick Linden, Agriculture Victoria Livestock Development Officer

Driven by low feed availability, some of the earlier calving farm operations around the upper Murray may be considering weaning calves earlier than normal. In most situations you would aim to have calves at least 12 weeks of age or around 100kg live weight before weaning. 

Early weaning is an immediate way to reduce the feed requirements on farm. 

A six month pregnant cow with a 250kg calf at foot will consume in the order of 15kg of feed per day (150 MJ of energy) – if we split the cow and calf into two individual units, the dry cow could maintain herself on about 6 kg DM per day (64 MJ of energy), and the calf would be gaining 0.5kg per day consuming 5 kg DM (50 MJ of energy) per day.

By separating the cow and calf there is a potential reduction in daily fee intake of 24%. 

The exact amount of feed required/saved will depend on the quality of the feed on offer – but the principle remains the same.

As soon as the calf is removed from the cow, she will partition energy back to her own requirements and a scarce amount of higher quality feed can then be re-prioritised to the calf.

Weaned calves then become a priority mob. If you have a limited supply of high-quality feed, it doesn’t have to be processed through the cow into milk for the calf to perform. It may be more efficient to offer it directly to the calves, without having to maintain the mature cow.

Poorer quality pasture can then be offered to the dry cows – which can result in significant savings.

While a key determinant of ‘Should I wean or not?’ is cow condition, calves with dry, coarse coats are most likely not receiving enough milk from their mothers and may be better off having direct access to higher quality feed.

If you will be supplementing calves after weaning, it’s good practice to expose the calves to the supplement while still on their mums. 

It not only helps educate the weaners to what they will be eating, but also gives the rumen bacteria time to adjust to any change in diet. It's worth remembering that weaners have specific requirements.

The younger or lighter they are, the greater their protein requirement will be – as an indication weaners are likely to need feed that is 16% crude protein. If unsure of what your feed quality is – doing a feedtest is an excellent way to find out.

Depending on the size of the weaners, the physical capacity of the rumen may also be an issue – so we need to make sure the feed has a high concentration of energy.

Feed for weaners will need to be at least 11 megajoules of energy per kg DM (again, a feedtest can tell you what your feed quality is).

Aim for a calf growth rate of at least 0.6kg/day until they are heavier than 250kg – doing this will ensure that later growth rates are not compromised.

Weaners are highly susceptible to internal parasites. Combined with increased risks of parasites when cattle have been grazing short pastures – this year is looking like a potentially risky one for parasites.

While cattle growth rates will give a good indication, a worm egg count taken 14 days after drenching is a useful way to assess the effectiveness of your drenching program.

Vaccination for clostridial diseases is also really important for your weaners.

While early weaning is an option to reduce overall feed requirements and look after cow condition, it’s not for everyone.

It does require more intensive management and will work best for operations that have a shorter more condensed calving period.

If considering weaning calves earlier than normal, it’s well worth doing a feed budget/plan to check that there are adequate resources on hand.

If you haven’t early weaned before, there is always an option to do it with one mob of calves. Cow mobs under the most pressure may include the first calf heifers or the oldest cows – so either of these groups could be suitable candidates.

Whether early weaning or weaning at the usual time, there are lots of things to consider. What are the feed and animal health requirements? how should I do it? - cold turkey separation at either ends of the farm, in the yards or along a fence line.

Whatever way you do it, it’s an important part of an animal's life and is reminiscent of the old football adage – while you don’t often win a premiership in the first quarter, you can lose one.

Weaning is a critical point to get right to set your animals up for future productivity.

Click here for more information 

Farmers in Victoria are encouraged to keep an eye out for Fall Armyworm (FAW), a newly established pest in the state and attend an information session to learn more.

Agriculture Victoria Gippsland Horticulture Program Coordinator Scott Botten said FAW is now considered established in Australia after being found in Western Australia, Northern Territory, New South Wales and a single location in East Gippsland in December 2020.

Fall Armyworm is a highly invasive and destructive caterpillar native to tropical and subtropical regions, however, has recently been sighted in the colder areas of Victoria. It is not yet known if FAW will be able to persist over winter.

‘Fall Armyworm is known to feed on more than 350 plant species, including maize, cotton, rice, sorghum, sugarcane, wheat and many other vegetable and fruit crops,' Mr Botten said.

‘Young caterpillars feed on leaves, creating pinholes and giving a tattered appearance. Meanwhile, mature caterpillars can cause extensive damage by grazing on leaf stems and trunks and tunnelling into fruit.'

Mr Botten said numbers of the pest can increase quickly due to their fast reproductive cycle. Adult moths are capable of flying long distances and can also be spread via storm events.

Further information on fall armyworm can be found on our website.

All rural and regional based women working across the agriculture supply chain are encouraged to apply for the Rural Women's Network Leadership program.

This program is being delivered by LeadershipVic over two residential retreats and aims to develop and empower women as leaders and change makers in their careers and in their communities.

All study and accommodation costs to participate in the program are covered, with additional capped allowances for childcare and travel provided to those who require this support. 

Applications are closing soon, on 2 September 2024.

Click here for more information.

In this webinar recording, Seasonal Risk Agronomist Dale Grey discussed the recent seasonal conditions including rainfall, temperature and deep soil moisture levels across the state.

We looked at what the latest global models are forecasting for spring and shared information on the dry seasons support available to farmers.

Climate Specialist Graeme Anderson, and Dale, took a deeper look into the current seasonal risks and helped bust some common myths around making sense of forecasts.

VIEW THE RECORDING HERE

Duration: 67 minutes (including questions)
Password: Climate

This webinar was originally presented on Wednesday 14 August at 12 pm.

All climate webinar recordings can be found on our website.

Victoria’s bounty collections continue.

Please continue to check our website for the latest information, collection centres and dates. CLICK HERE

For any assistance, please speak to our bounty collection staff on collection days or call our Customer Service Centre on 136 186.

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.

Needing to produce fodder after the tough season? Or will you be buying in fodder to get through spring?

Come along to one of our fodder field days to get the most out of your pasture hay or silage this spring.

Frank Mickan, industry renowned fodder and pasture conservation specialist will provide insights into making quality hay and silage. 

Agriculture Victoria livestock staff will discuss fodder considerations for livestock nutritional requirements and getting the most out of your hay and silage.  

Location and dates: 

• Mudgegonga – Monday 9 September
• Moyhu – Tuesday 10 September
• Corryong – Wednesday 11 September.

Time: 10 am – 3 pm (9.30 am morning tea)

Program

• How to make the best quality hay and silage
• How fodder quality influences livestock production
• Understanding the ensiling process
• Storage systems and minimising wastage
• Feed testing 
• Meeting livestock requirement.

Please RSVP with your nominated location and date by 6 September to 0409 205 235 or chrisjmirams@gmail.com

Light refreshments, including lunch, will be provided. 

If you would like more information, please contact Chris Mirams on 0409 205 235.

Looking after your well-being and connecting with others is important in challenging times.

This fun, practical Take a Well-Being Break workshop brings farmers/farming families/couples in your community together to provide well-being tools and information, connect and share ideas, and to identify practical strategies you can immediately implement to positively impact your well-being.

When and where: Thursday, 5 September from 10 am to 2 pm at Parkland Golf Club, 12 Racecourse Road, Kyabram.

Tickets are $20 with all proceeds to be donated to the Country Women's Association.

Lunch is provided.

Please note this is an alcohol-free event.

Register now

Give yourself the time and space to bring some calm to the chaos and focus on YOU!

The Farm Business Resilience Program is supporting farmers to develop the knowledge and skills they need to improve their farm business and be better equipped to manage the impacts of drought and a changing climate.

Agriculture Victoria, in partnership with Cumbre Consultants, is inviting you to join other farmers in a free online short course with specialists on the following topics:

• Business planning and risk management
• Farm finances and profitable decision making
• Managing people on farm, farm safety and wellbeing
• Climate adaptation and natural resource improvement including soil, water, crops and pastures.

Course dates:

• Wednesday 28 August, 11 am to 2 pm
• Monday 2 September, 11 am to 2 pm
• Friday 6 September, 11 am to 2 pm
• Monday 9 September, 11 am to 2 pm
• Monday 30 September, 12 to 2 pm.

Location: Online.

Register here.

Topics include:

• irrigated varieties - canola, barley, wheat and faba beans
• responding flexibly to climate and in-season weather
• de-risking seeding with a focus on irrigation management, maintaining healthy, fertile systems utilising rotations, summer grains, sustainable annual fodder rotations, and sowing rates and timings for barley and faba beans
• seed company representatives discussing the latest irrigated varieties.

Where and when: 407 Kerang-Koondrook Road, Kerang on Thursday, 19 September at 10 am to 3:30 pm.

Morning tea and BBQ lunch are provided.

Tickets

• IFN members free
• non-members $55.

To register and buy tickets click here

For more information call 0447 803 305 or visit the IFN website

Agriculture Victoria is partnering with Integrity Systems Company to host a webinar for Victorian livestock producers covering Livestock Production Assurance, NLIS and sheep and goat eID later this month.

The webinar, which will be held on Tuesday 27 August, will bring producers up to speed on the latest developments in key ISC programs, with all registrants to receive the webinar recording and information pack.

Producers will hear an update on LPA and watch a live demonstration on how to complete a property to property transfer on the NLIS. 

The webinar is ideal for anyone handling livestock, including farm owners, managers, overseers, hobby farmers, small farmers, farm hands and agricultural teachers. 

Register here for the webinar

Location: Bendigo-Pyramid Roadd, Mitiamo (5km west of Mitiamo)

Date: Wednesday, 28 August, 10 am-12.3 0pm

Free BBQ lunch and optional crop drive

Learn more about:

• Fodder rotations
• Grazing cereals
• Pulse agronomy
• Disease management

To register click here

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