In this edition

• Avian influenza restrictions eased
• Rural Financial Counselling Service
• Cat desexing grants to press paws on unwanted litters
• Itching to scratch lice and ringworm in cattle
• Tools available to assess dam water levels
• Be prepared for Fall armyworm
• West Wimmera farmer gets $10,000 with conviction for cruelty to livestock
• Dry seasons webinar recordings available here
• Upcoming workshops to improve farm office tasks
• Fox and wild dog bounty
• What's on

Further changes have been made to control orders surrounding avian influenza cases in Victoria, given that no new cases have been detected since 24 June 2024.

From Thursday, 12 September 2024:

• the restricted areas around Meredith and Terang have been removed and replaced with control areas
• the newly designated control areas are the same size as the former restricted areas
• the housing requirement in the newly designated control areas has been lifted, meaning birds no longer need to remain inside enclosures.

Permits for moving birds, poultry products, and equipment are still required for premises within control areas.

Permits are not required for vehicles transporting poultry feed in the control areas as long as they meet biosecurity requirements.

Victoria’s Chief Veterinary Officer Graeme Cooke emphasised the continued importance of cooperating to manage the outbreak.

‘Our efforts to monitor disease continue, with staff visiting properties and testing birds in the control areas,’ he said.

‘As we continue to carry out ‘proof of freedom’ testing, we’re confident that this testing will not find any positive cases of high pathogenicity avian influenza, proving to the world that our flocks are safe.’

‘The collective actions of impacted property owners have been critical in enabling this easing of restrictions. We thank the poultry industry and property owners for their ongoing support and cooperation during this outbreak.’

Poultry farmers, backyard flock and bird owners are urged to continue to be vigilant and report any cases of unexplained bird deaths to the VicEmergency Hotline on 1800 226 226.

A list of resources and contact details for industry and individual support, including technical, financial and mental health information, support and services, is available in our resource directory.

More information, including movement permits, maps, and compensation details are available online at agriculture.vic.gov.au/avianinfluenza.

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 supporting vulnerable cat owners and addressing cat over-population by providing grants to local councils to partner with animal rescue shelters to increase cat desexing rates.

Minister for Agriculture Ros Spence recently visited Second Chance Animal Rescue in Craigieburn to announce 14 councils will share in $300,000 to deliver targeted cat desexing programs within their communities.

Hume City Council will receive a $25,000 grant to partner with two vet clinics, including Second Chance Animal Rescue to desex around 80 cats. This will lead to fewer unwanted litters and reduce the number of cats in animal shelters or requiring euthanasia in the long-term.

The council-run desexing programs will support people who care for semi-owned and unowned cats and help them take full ownership of these cats.

By providing free desexing, microchipping, and in some cases free registration for the first year, these people are encouraged to become registered and committed owners.

The program will also provide free and low-cost desexing services to cats owned by Victorians who may be experiencing financial hardship in the identified target areas.

Cat management is a significant and complex challenge in Victoria with more than 227,000 registered cats and a substantial number of unregistered, unowned, or feral cats in our urban and natural environments.

Although 95% of registered cats are desexed by the age of two, cats can have multiple litters in this time.

The program specifically targets semi-owned cats and addresses problem cat populations, as well as cats often overlooked by desexing programs.

The government invested $1.3 million from the Victorian Budget 2022/23 for three cat management initiatives, the state’s first long-term Cat Management Strategy will be released later in 2024.

For a full list of council grant recipients visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/livestock-and-animals.

Dr Jeff Cave, Agriculture Victoria Senior Veterinary Officer

Have you ever wondered why some poor and under-condition young cattle coats look so rough at this time of year?

It could be due to lice or ringworm, which both thrive under similar circumstances.

Both lice and ringworm are typically a greater problem in young cattle, typically in either poor nutrition or those with a compromised immune system.

Neither are a significant problem to cattle in good health.
Lice are small sucking or biting insects found most commonly around the head, neck and shoulder area, and along the back to the tail.

The irritation they cause lead to a rough scruffy appearance, and areas of skin rubbed raw particularly around the neck and shoulders.

The main effect of lice is skin damage as well as reduced ability or focus to graze.

Cattle are infested through animal-to-animal contact with other cattle from which the population of lice can build up rapidly.

Cattle lice do not infest other animals.

The cattle’s denser winter coat along with cooler weather favours the lice’s survival.

Without treatment the problem will remain until spring, when increasing temperatures and day lengths along with improved nutrition naturally reduce lice numbers.

Ringworm is a transmissible infectious skin disease caused by a spore forming fungi.

It too is spread by direct contact and can spread rapidly through a group of cattle, particularly in poorly growing young animals with underlying poor health or nutrition.

It causes grey-white areas of slightly raised skin with an ash like surface.

It can become widespread being seen predominantly around the eyes, ears and back of calves, and the chest and legs of adult cattle.

It causes little permanent damage or economic loss, however, can be transmitted to humans.

Ringworm usually clears up within 1 to 2 months without any treatment particularly when conditions improve.

For further information please contact your local veterinarian or Agriculture Victoria veterinary or animal health officer, or in NSW your Local Land Services.

Agriculture Victoria has a range of online tools available to assist farmers in assessing the volume of water in their dams and how long that water may last.

Agriculture Victoria Land Management Extension Officer Clem Sturmfels said assessing how much water there is in a dam can be difficult due to a dam’s odd shape and formulas used to measure their volume.

‘Farm dams generally hold less water than expected and in a dry year, it’s important farmers have a good understanding of how much water is left in their dams and plan accordingly' Mr Sturmfels said.

‘The volume of a dam is closely related to its length and width. A stable, well-built dam has gently sloping sides which nearly meet in the middle of the dam’s base.

‘For example, a rectangular dam measuring 33m by 22m has a depth of approximately 3m and volume of approximately 1 million litres or 1 megalitre. A triangular shaped dam with similar measurements has a volume of approximately half this amount.

‘Evaporation will cause a loss of around 60% of this volume leaving the dam with enough water to carry approximately 200 sheep or 20 cattle for one year.

‘Many dams rely on a regular top-up of water during autumn or spring, however this year has seen dry seasonal conditions, making the chance of a top up less likely due to depleted soil moisture and less runoff,’ Mr Sturmfels said.

Agriculture Victoria has several tools to help farmers calculate dam volumes based on shape, length, width and depth, including the Farm Water Calculator and the Summer Water Calculator.

The Summer Water Calculator also helps to calculate how long the remaining water may last.

The depth of a dam can be measured using a depth sounder or fishing line measuring device.

A ‘how to’ video for making and using the fishing line measuring device can be accessed on the Agriculture Victoria website: Measuring the depth of your dam.

Information on preparing your farm for dry seasonal conditions can be found on the Agriculture Victoria website at agriculture.vic.gov.au

An upcoming event at our Tatura SmartFarm will provide attendants with awareness of Fall armyworm (FAW), and the possible impacts in a changing climate for horticulture and grain crops, on Wednesday, 23 October from 9 to 11 am.

Agriculture Victoria 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.
The information session will include:

• AUSVEG Onside Project
• RapidAim pilot
• QLD FAW update
• FAW identification (hands on)
• status of insecticide resistance in FAW
• crop monitoring and management of FAW
• Q&A session.

Date: Wednesday, 23 October
Time: 9 to 11 am, morning tea is included
Location: Agriculture Victoria SmartFarm Tatura, 255 Ferguson Road, Tatura.

Speakers include:

• Rosalie Daniel, Biosecurity Coordinator, AUSVEG
• Danielle Park, Regional Development Officer, VegNET Victoria
• Dr Melina Miles, Principal Entomologist, QDAF, Toowoomba.

Click here to register

For more information or if you need assistance with registration, please contact Scott Botten at Agriculture Victoria on 0499 413 423 or at scott.botten@agriculture.vic.gov.au.

A west Wimmera farmer recently pleaded guilty in the Horsham Magistrates Court and was fined $10,000 with conviction.

In July 2022, in response to a complaint Agriculture Victoria officers visited a property at Patyah, near Edenhope in the Wimmera, and were faced with over 100 deceased sheep which had died within the last 1-2 weeks.

The farmer, Norbert Wende, was the owner and manager of 440 sheep which were split into 2 mobs on a property in Patyah.

The pasture was short and there was no supplementary feed. The sheep were in an emaciated condition, suffering from parasitic burdens and bottle jaw.

The Magistrate considered the plea of guilty, the absence of a criminal history, and Mr Wende’s co-operation with Agriculture Victoria officers, plus the taking of remedial action and there having been no further offending since 2022.

The Magistrate also commented this was a serious case of neglect for which a conviction was warranted.

Agriculture Victoria Acting Compliance Manager Penny Lucas said the weight of the fine with conviction sends a very clear message to livestock producers that animal cruelty will not be tolerated by the Victorian Government or our community.

‘Apart from the obvious pain and suffering of the animals, animal welfare breaches can jeopardise Victoria’s reputation as a humane and responsible producer of food, which can, in turn, affect all producers.'

Anyone wishing to make a specific complaint regarding livestock welfare can contact Agriculture Victoria on 136 186 or aw.complaint@agriculture.vic.gov.au 

The recording of the recent webinar ‘Growing more feed’ with Agriculture Victoria Livestock Extension Officer Fiona Baker - can be found HERE

Additionally, here are some resources that you might find useful. 

Feeding livestock website feedinglivestock.vic.gov.au

Agriculture Victoria dry season and drought support page  Dry seasons and drought support | Farm management | Agriculture Victoria

Soil Moisture monitoring sites can be found HERE

Information on navigating farm developments online tool can be found HERE

An MLA guide to managing breeding ewes in containment can be found HERE

Stock containment areas design webinar can be found HERE

Agriculture Victoria invites Mallee and North Central farmers to attend workshops running from 10 to 13 September on efficient farm office management with Carmen Quade from AgriFocused.

Agriculture Victoria Land Management Extension Officer Darryl Pearl said farm office managers would discover multiple benefits from Mrs Quade’s workshops.

‘Farmers tend to be self-taught when it comes to office software and record keeping,’ Mr Pearl said.

‘These farm office management workshops are a great way to learn practical ways to improve office processes and software competency, as well as share experiences and insights with other farmers in the room.

‘It’s a truly collaborative learning environment for everyone to work on ways to work smarter.’

Mr Pearl said it’s a comprehensive day that accommodates for class needs and includes topics such as:

• legal requirements for farm businesses
• record keeping for livestock, grain and other commodities
• paperless and hard copy options for all generations on the farm
• reconciliation methods to prevent overpayment
• data security for multiple users
• optimal office working environments
• helpful mobile and cloud-based apps.

Workshops run from 9 am to 3 pm at the following locations:

• 10 September, Lake Cullulleraine
• 11 September, Kerang
• 12 September, Inglewood
• 13 September, Sea Lake.

To learn more and to register visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/events or contact Darryl Pearl on 0417 432 711.

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.

Come along to a free RIC webinar to learn more about how RIC’s low-cost Farm Investment Loan can help support farm businesses to rebuild and recover after external shocks that cause severe business disruption.

When: Wednesday 18 September, 12 - 1 pm

Where: online.

Register here.

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:

• Thursday 19 September, 11 am to 2 pm - Business success
• Monday 30 September, 11 am to 2 pm - People success
• Monday 14 October, 12 to 2 pm - Plan review.

Location: Online.

Register here.

AWiA warmly invite you to recharge, refuel, and ignite your passion for all things agriculture at their Seed to Success National conference.

The program is two action-packed days filled with insightful sessions, panels, thought provoking conversations, empowering workshops, and networking galore!

Plus, two dinners that promise to ignite some fun and good conversation. Leave feeling re-energised, empowered, and ready to conquer any challenge that comes your way! 

Lock the dates in! September 24 to 26 purchase your tickets today!

Check out the program 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

A series of harvester workshops will roll-out across the South Australian and Victorian grainbelts in September to bring together harvester specialists, industry experts and researchers to give grain growers the latest advice ahead of this season’s harvest.

The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) Harvester Set-up Victorian workshops will be hosted by the Birchip Cropping Group in collaboration with local growers:

• 24 September, Catumnal
• 26 September, Stewarton, near Dookie.

GRDC Southern Panel chair and Rutherglen grain grower Andrew Russell has attended past harvester set-up workshops. He said they are an awesome resource and one of the best parts of attending is listening to the conversations between growers, skilled header operators and other machinery experts.

Register for the free harvester set-up workshops via the GRDC website or contact BCG at kelly@bcg.org.au.

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