Thursday 11 September 2025

Financial relief for drought-affected farmers

The Victoria Government is backing drought-hit farmers with cash flow relief, helping them cover costs, and continue to support the local communities and families that depend on their farms.

Minister for Agriculture Ros Spence announced the Primary Producer Support Payments program is beginning to roll out and will provide eligible farmers with the equivalent of a 40% reduction on their property rates.

Managing weeds from introduced fodder sources

Richard Smith, Dairy Extension Officer

With many farmers purchasing more fodder than usual, it’s a timely reminder about the increased risks of introducing weeds to your property.

There are key steps that farmers should follow to minimise the risk of introducing and spreading unwanted weeds and pests.

Animal health management reminders  

Richard Smith, Dairy Extension Officer 

Carefully managing livestock as they transition back onto pastures is crucial to avoid health issues. 

Farmers currently with stock in containment areas may be tempted to shift to paddock grazing once spring hits and some lush green pick is available.  

It's critical farmers manage this feed transition as the higher moisture content and lower dry matter in pastures, and sudden change in diet can lead to animal health issues such as acidosis. 

To better manage the transition and reduce the risk of health issues the following strategies can be utilised:  

Transitioning feed is critical  

Feed transition is important to reduce the impact of digestive issues and plant poisonings. To manage this gradually reduce the amount of dry season ration offered and replace it by providing limited access to pasture (an hour or 2 each day).   

This change in diet should happen slowly over a week to allow the rumen to adjust.  

For more information on meeting the nutritional needs for your livestock visit www.feedinglivestock.vic.gov.au/beef-resources/ 

Monitor pasture composition  

Keep a watchful eye out for bloat, especially in young cattle if they are grazing on fast growing legume species, such as clovers, lucerne or vetch, and ensure the stock have ready access to fibre such as straw and cereal hay.  

Before grazing, inspect paddocks for weeds. If there are high levels of weed infestations, check the plant species and seek advice on their potential toxicity and how to best manage.  

Manage and monitor nutrient toxicities and deficiencies 

Monitor for nitrate/nitrite poisoning, which is a higher risk in the first weeks after rain, symptoms include diarrhoea, salivation, breathing difficulties, and blue/chocolate mucous membranes.  

If these symptoms are detected reduce access to pastures and extend the feed transition with a more balanced diet. 

For more information on drought support visit www.agriculture.vic.gov.au/drought or call 136 186. 

What's On

Doing agriculture differently – experiences of First Nations farmers

When: Friday 12 September, 10 am
Where: online. 

The barpangu yurpangu Speaker Series is a calendar of speaker events created for the purpose of fostering greater awareness of First Nations culture and communities, First Nations experiences and viewpoints on agriculture and self-determination.

The events provide opportunities for people involved in agriculture to build their awareness of First Nations narratives and thought leadership and to provide a platform for First Nations people to contribute and engage in narratives around agriculture and self-determination.

This event is focused on ‘Doing agriculture differently – experiences of First Nations farmers’, with Josh Williams from Tumpinyeri Growers and Cory Robertson from Booma Foods.

Josh and Cory will chat with Beth Jones, CEO of Agriculture Victoria, about their respective businesses, including how they solved challenges of access to land and how being First Nations farmers informs their business model in agriculture.

Webinar: Hay or grain? Making the right call

When: Monday 15 September, 12 to 1 pm
Where: online.

Join our seasonal agronomists Dale Grey and Dale Boyd and Nutrien Ag Solutions Elmore Branch Manager, Greg Toomey for a timely and practical webinar designed to help you make informed decisions about cutting cereal crops for hay. They’ll walk you through the key questions and considerations, including:

• estimating hay yields
• timeliness of making hay – effects on quality and quantity
• cost–benefit analysis – the economics of hay vs grain production
• key factors for making marketable hay
• impact on ground cover and long-term paddock management.

If you're actively considering your options, this session will provide valuable insights to support your decision-making on whether to cut your cereal crops for hay or take them through to grain.

Planning for your farm's future

When: Wednesday 17 September 5:30 - 7 pm
Where: online. 

Creating sustainable, profitable farms doesn’t happen overnight. It takes years of planning.

That’s why Landcare Victoria's next webinar is bringing in Agriculture Victoria's expert Alison Kelly, to answer the question 'now what?' and share actions being taken across the state to lower on-farm emissions while remaining productive and profitable.  

Many of these actions also build farm resilience and can help farmers adapt to an increasingly extreme climate. Alison will be joined by Victorian farmers, who will talk through the actions they’re taking now and plan to take in the future, to adapt and thrive. 

Virtual drought smokos with Dr Jillian Kelly

When: Tuesday 23 September, 9 to 10 am
Where: online

Drought smokos are an hour a fortnight to get away from the paddock and catch up with a group of farmers who are all in the same boat!

We will talk about the science of feeding, how much, which commodities, pros and cons, cost, different options, trigger points and planning.

Dr Jillian Kelly is a vet and nutritionist from Coonamble, in north-west NSW. She ran drought smokos every fortnight through the 2018–20 drought and it made a difference to hundreds of farmers and thousands of livestock.

While you don't get to taste her scones, you do get to learn all that she knows about feeding livestock in tough conditions, and to enjoy an hour of mateship away from the feed cart.

Horticulture in Gippsland – the basics of working with irrigated soils

When: Thursday 25 September, 9 am to 12:30 pm 
Where: Lindenow Farmers Home Hotel, 167–173 Main Road, Lindenow. 

Are you farming irrigated horticultural crops? Let’s have a chat about getting the most out of your water.

Marek Matuszek heads up Ag Logic’s irrigation advice and agricultural monitoring team. He has been running workshops like this one in Tasmania over the last couple of years. He and his team have found the greatest improvements in irrigation scheduling by going back to the basics of soils and making sure the fundamentals are in place before even beginning to consider data in decision-making.

Join us for a friendly and open workshop on these fundamentals. In our workshop, you’ll:

• learn how to identify different soil types
• learn how different soil types respond to irrigation
• get a better understanding of soil behaviour and its interaction with water and crops
• learn about the role of data in monitoring crop production
• learn how to make better decisions by using available data
• come away with tools that can help with your irrigation scheduling.

Bring your questions, your data and/or last season’s outcomes to talk through with Marek.

Come along prepared to get your hands dirty.

How much water does your farm require?

When: Tuesday 7 October, 6:30 - 8:30 pm 
Where: The Inlet Hotel, 3-6 The Esplanade, Inverloch. 

Come along for a relaxed informal dinner and enjoy a few hours off farm. In this practical interactive workshop lead by Agriculture Victoria's Bec Cameron, you will work through the Dairy Shed Water Booklet to comprehensively calculate water use on your farm. On the back of a dry winter and in preparation for summer, the aim is to give you a solid grasp on your water usage and look at water saving options to implement immediately.

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

Privacy | Disclaimer

This newsletter is distributed by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action.

Were you forwarded this email? Subscribe now.