• Coronavirus update
• Horsham leading plant-based protein innovation
• Backing our farmers and regional communities
• Acute bovine liver disease
• More support for vulnerable pet owners
• Minerals exploration licence applications open in Stavely Arc
• The latest Fast Break newsletter is out now
• Japanese encephalitis update
• Latest AgVic Talk podcast – Caylem Roberts and Russell Adcock
• Fox and wild dog bounty collections details for the west
• My Rain Gauge is Busted podcast
• The Victorian Fox and Wild Dog Bounty is now digital
• Gorse community grants now available
• What's on?

Keep up to date with all the latest restrictions and requirements at coronavirus.vic.gov.au

The Victorian Government is putting Victoria on the map as a leader of alternative proteins by fast-tracking research and innovation to target new markets and consumers while supporting more local jobs.

Minister for Agriculture Mary-Anne Thomas recently visited the Grains Innovation Precinct at Horsham SmartFarm to announce $12 million from the Victorian Budget 2022/23 to fund a state-of-the-art glasshouse and incubation hub – supporting grain crop industries to diversify into the plant-based protein market.

The new glasshouse will help to advance research and innovation in plant varieties that are climate resilient, have higher protein content and support the growing demand for plant-based foods including those made from lentils, chickpeas, field peas and almonds.

The SmartFarm is already home to two new glasshouses which were recently completed, supported by an additional $10 million co-investment partnership with the Grains Research & Development Corporation.

The project replaced six 50-year-old glasshouses with world-class facilities to accelerate the delivery of more profitable lentil and field pea varieties for Victorian  growers.

Western Victoria is a state leader in producing crops that can be used in plant-based protein products such as lentils, faba bean, field peas and canola.

Once complete, the glasshouse complex will help maximise the region’s capabilities and opportunities to tap into new markets, support jobs and boost future investment.

The glasshouse will also support innovation at a new Science and Business Incubation Hub — a space where Agriculture Victoria, entrepreneurs and industry can come together to collaborate and explore product opportunities for plant-based proteins.

The hub will include a collaboration space to house commercial start ups and attract and secure postgraduate students, as well as offering facilities such as a test kitchen and analytic equipment to explore opportunities for alternative proteins.

The government is enhancing the commercialisation of research through its 10-year Agriculture Strategy while ensuring the state’s agriculture sector is well placed to be stronger, more innovative and sustainable.

For more information visit: agriculture.vic.gov.au/about/agriculture-strategy

The Victorian Government is supporting our farmers, boosting local jobs and strengthening regional economies with new investments in agriculture and regional development as part of the Victorian Budget 2022/23.

Some $193.4 million will be invested in regional development and agriculture, advancing the 10‑year agriculture strategy and helping the sector remain strong, innovative and sustainable.

The government has invested more than $700 million in its flagship Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Fund since 2015 – supporting around 13,000 jobs and delivering 1,000 projects.

This year, the fund will receive another $30 million to help businesses create more jobs in regional Victoria, support more community projects and help councils build the infrastructure locals need.

The government is investing $5 million through the new Living Local – Regional Fund, designed to support growing towns with local projects to connect communities and make our regions even more appealing places to live, work and invest.

In the Latrobe Valley, the government continues to support new jobs growth, with another $7.5 million for the Latrobe Valley Authority (LVA) to continue its important work with the local community, including the development of a new transition plan to support the region through the power station’s planned closures.

This plan will continue to put workers at the heart of the government’s long-term work for the Valley, as we keep providing dedicated support in consultation with workers, unions and the local community.

The new funding will also continue support for the successful Ladder Step Up program, which helps young people unlock opportunities across education, jobs and training – strengthening their health and wellbeing. This is on top of our $1.9 million investment in the program since 2017.

The government is backing regional leaders, with $3.9 million over four years to help key groups continue their work – including the Country Women’s Association (CWA) and the Cross Border Commissioner.

The CWA is a much-loved organisation and plays an important advocacy and support role to help women living in rural and regional areas stay connected. Established in 1928, the Victorian CWA has around 5,000 members across 300 local branches across the state.

Agriculture is worth $17.8 billion to the Victorian economy and almost one third of Australia’s total agricultural value. The more we produce and sell, the more jobs are created in local communities.

The government is investing $2.9 million to support agribusinesses across Victoria reach new markets and grow their sales globally – which ultimately means more jobs for Victorians.

This includes funding to continue the successful Drink Victorian campaign, and for Vic House in Shanghai, which gives Victorian agriculture producers and exporters dedicated in-market space to showcase their products.

Farmers and producers will also benefit from the new Victorian Grown initiative, which will get more locally produced food and drinks into Victorian businesses and on Victorian tables.

The government will continue to fund drought preparedness and business planning programs for farmers and communities with $1.4 million available over two years.

A strong biosecurity system protects Victoria’s economy, environment, cultural heritage and way of life. This budget will deliver $1.8 million over the next four years to ensure farmers and industry are better prepared to respond to biosecurity threats.

A further $12 million is being invested in innovative projects in Horsham, including glasshouses and an incubation hub – putting Victoria on the map as a driver of alternative proteins, fast-tracked research and programs to target new markets and consumers.

Animal welfare will receive a boost, with $18.6 million going to initiatives that support their care and protection. This includes preparatory work for a new Animal Care and Protection Act and establishing a regulatory framework for the pet rehoming sector.

These changes will update Victoria’s animal protection laws, support our reputation for the highest standards of animal welfare and ensure food and fibre producers can continue to access important markets.

As part of this, $11.5 million will fund the development of a purpose-built regional animal facility to service the needs of the growing community in and around Ballarat. The new Ballarat Animal Shelter will ease pressure on the existing facility, improving the standard of animal care in the area.

Almost $2 million over two years will support companion animal care – including Victoria’s first-ever Pet Census, which will gather vital information to better understand trends and issues in pet ownership, helping work towards better targeted programs.

The government will deliver Victoria’s first comprehensive cat management strategy, a long-term plan to consider overpopulation, encourage responsible ownership and support better welfare for both cats and native wildlife.

Animal welfare support has also been made available to multiple animal welfare organisations for resources and tools to care for animals in need.

The budget invests an additional $10.5 million to support the ongoing roll-out of the Victorian Forestry Plan. This is in addition to $89.7 million announced in December 2021 to support workers, communities and businesses to transition away from native timber harvesting.

Our regional unemployment rate is the lowest in the nation at 3.2 per cent. Since November 2014, regional unemployment has fallen by more than half and jobs have grown by more than 12 per cent in regional and rural Victoria – resulting in more than 80,000 more people employed compared to when we came to office.

This year’s budget provides $5.7 billion for regional initiatives, taking the government’s total investment in regional Victoria to more than $36 billion since 2015.

Image: Rough Dog's Tail

Dr Jeff Cave, Senior Veterinary Officer

With the abundant pasture growth of recent months, and the light stocking rates on many properties, there may be a large amount of dry standing feed present.

This coupled with autumn breaking rains, farmers are advised to be on the lookout for an emerging disease of cattle named Acute Bovine Liver Disease (ABLD).

The disease was first noted in Tasmania in 1987, and in recent years several incidents have been seen in south-west Victoria, south-east South Australia, Gippsland, and north-east Victoria. 

The condition has been seen in both beef and dairy cattle. In the worst cases there has been a sudden onset of deaths in cattle. In some incidents there were many cattle deaths.

The typical symptoms of photosensitisation, such as depression, agitation, raised temperature, and reddening of the lighter coloured skin and udder may be seen prior to death, and are also common conditions amongst the surviving animals.

The pathology reports are consistent with an acute liver disease. Cases are consistently linked to access to a plant called Rough Dog’s Tail (Cynosurus echinatus), also known as Manifold Grass (see image above).

Whether the grass itself is poisonous, or whether it is a carrier for another toxin such as a fungus, is to be established.

There is no known direct cure of affected cattle, but veterinary treatment to alleviate the effects of photosensitisation may help. To date, ABLD has not been identified in other species.

Several common features have been seen during each outbreak:

• access to Rough Dog's Tail prior to the onset of clinical signs. Rough Dog's Tail is typically found on steep, hilly paddocks adjoining crown land.
• access to paddocks with an abundance of dry standing feed that had been spelled for over three months.
• significant season breaking rain in late autumn or early winter at the time of the introduction of cattle onto those paddocks.

For further information please contact your local veterinarian or Agriculture Victoria veterinary or animal health officer.

The Victorian Government is supporting animal welfare organisations to provide care for animals whose owners are experiencing family violence or other crises, backed by funding in the Victorian Budget 2022/23.

Minister for Agriculture Mary-Anne Thomas, Member for Geelong Christine Couzens and Member for Bellarine Lisa Neville visited Cherished Pets in Ocean Grove recently to announce $615,000 for an animal welfare package that will ensure animal care organisations have the tools and resources to care for animals in need.

Cherished Pets will receive $465,000 to support the delivery of its ‘Geelong Pets in Crisis Project’ – which provides immediate respite for the pets of people experiencing housing insecurity or fleeing violence.

It safeguards the security of the pet, while assuring peace of mind of the owner, allowing them to focus on their own safety and wellbeing.

The funding will go toward pet boarding facilities that can be accessed at short notice as well as expand the team’s veterinary social work services to respond to complex crisis cases.

Cherished Pets provides specialised pet care services for animals living in family violence situations, as well as for pet owners living with disabilities or mental illness.

Keeping families and their pets together can help improve health outcomes for all involved, and the safety of pets that have experienced trauma must not be forgotten.

The government is also investing in Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre with $150,000 to expand its Pets in Crisis Program which finds pet-friendly emergency accommodation for victims of family violence, ensuring the animal is not left behind.

Applications are now open for minerals exploration in parts of western Victoria following the lifting of an exemption which temporarily restricted minerals activities across an area of around 11,000 square kilometres.

Following the Minister for Resource’s announcement earlier this year, Minerals Exploration Licence applications can now be made for ground which has potential to uncover copper, other base metals and gold along with mineral sands and gypsum.

The newly available ground covers parts of the Wimmera, north and east of Hamilton and around Mortlake, from within the geological zone known as the Stavely Arc.

Geologists believe that 500 million years ago western Victoria was on the border of a super-continent called Gondwana, giving it a similar geological environment at the time to the copper-rich Andes in South America.

Exploration is different to mining, as an exploration licence gives the holder exclusive rights to search for evidence of minerals within an area using mostly low impact methods such as mapping, surveying, soil sampling and drilling.

It is expected that minerals exploration companies work closely with traditional and local landowners, as well as the broader community, in addition to meeting strict regulatory conditions.

Licence applications will be accepted for assessment on a first in basis. Multiple applications for the same area received on the same day will be subject to a competitive assessment and subsequent public comment process run by Earth Resources Regulation.

Successful applicants will be required to publicly consult on any licence application before it is considered for approval.

The Geological Survey of Victoria has been briefing and updating stakeholders across western Victoria about the current state of exploration and talking to communities about landholder access rights via street stands recently at Nhill, Dimboola, Mortlake and Terang.

Information about the process for licensing and where ground is available can be found at earthresources.vic.gov.au/stavely.

Seasonal climate risk information for Victoria

A timely and high-volume seasonal break arrived in April to most of Victoria’s drier regions. The exception was the far western Mallee and Wimmera and the western half of the far southwest, where rainfall was insufficient to start and continue pasture germination.

Soil moisture increased rapidly with the 25 millimetre-plus falls in the northwest. Eastern Victoria is still quite unseasonably wet which increases the risk of winter waterlogging. Drier areas are far southwest Gippsland and the far southwest.

To read the full newsletter visit the Agriculture Victoria website.

Agriculture Victoria is working closely with both the pig and horse industries in response to Japanese encephalitis.

There are now a total of 22 properties with pigs confirmed with Japanese encephalitis in Victoria.

These are located across the Wangaratta, Moira, Greater Shepparton, Campaspe, Gannawarra, Loddon, Greater Bendigo and Northern Grampians local government areas.

Agriculture Victoria is working closely with industry, conducting surveillance activities and providing advice and information to farmers, livestock and horse owners.

Infection is not spread directly from pigs to people, and there is no risk to humans from eating pig meat. Only infected mosquitoes can spread infection. Pork is safe to eat.

Victorians are being reminded to protect themselves from mosquito bites particularly when spending time outdoors.

Japanese encephalitis vaccines are recommended for people at a higher risk of exposure to the virus, such as those working with pigs. All people should undertake measures to reduce exposure to mosquitoes.

For more information about Japanese encephalitis virus and animals visit Agriculture Victoria’s website: agriculture.vic.gov.au/je

For more information about Japanese encephalitis virus and human health contact your GP or phone NURSE-ON-CALL on 1300 606 024, or go to health.vic.gov.au/jev

Listen to this podcast to hear how Caylem Roberts is creating a pathway into agriculture.

While Russell Adcock – Agriculture Victoria Senior Aboriginal Employment and Engagement Advisor - talks about achieving self-determination and how his role helps make this happen.

You can hear more from Caylem and Russell by searching for AgVic Talk' wherever you get your podcasts or listen 🎧 online via our website agriculture.vic.gov.au/AgVicTalk

Victorian fox and wild dog collections have recommenced.

Electronic funds transfer (EFT) is the preferred method of payment, so please bring your EFT details to the collection centre.

Acceptable entire fox scalps and entire wild dog body parts will be collected from eligible members of the public at specific dates and times, and from sites scheduled as collection centres.

Please note that no entire fox scalps or entire wild dog body parts will be accepted at any public counter or state government office. Collections will only be accepted at the designated times.

2022 Horsham collections

Fox and wild dog (wild dog by appointment only)
Address: 180 Horsham-Noradjuha Road, Horsham.

Collection type: Fox only

Time: 1.30 – 3.30 pm

Dates:

• Wednesday, 11 May
• Wednesday, 8 June
• Wednesday, 6 July
• Wednesday, 3 August
• Wednesday, 31 August
• Wednesday, 28 September
• Wednesday, 26 October.

2022 Ballarat collections

Please note: Bounty collections at Ballarat have been relocated to Ballarat Field and Game (Haddon Common Bushland Reserve), 726 Bells Road, Haddon.

Collection type: Fox only

Time: 1 – 3 pm

Dates:

• Monday, 30 May
• Monday, 27 June
• Monday, 25 July
• Monday, 22 August
• Monday, 19 September
• Monday, 17 October.

2022 Hamilton collections

Address: Depot, Hamilton Centre, Research Station Road, Hamilton.

Collection type: Fox only

Time: 1.30 – 3.30 pm
Dates:

• Wednesday, 1 June
• Wednesday, 29 June
• Wednesday, 27 July
• Wednesday, 24 August
• Wednesday, 21 September
• Wednesday, 19 October.

2022 St Arnaud collections

Fox only

Address: 4 Montague Street, St Arnaud

Collection type: Fox only

Time: 10.30 am – 12.30 pm

Dates:

• Thursday, 12 May
• Thursday, 9 June
• Thursday, 7 July
• Thursday, 4 August
• Thursday, 1 September
• Thursday, 29 September
• Thursday, 27 October.

Visit the Agriculture Victoria website for more information.

The latest episode of My Rain Gauge is Busted is now out.

In the podcast, the team talk to Monash University’s Emeritus Professor in the School of Earth and Atmosphere and Environment, Neville Nicholls about past El Niño events, how an El Niño forms and how that affects seasonal conditions.

Interested in hearing more?

Search for My Rain Gauge is Busted wherever you get your podcasts or listen  online via the Agriculture Victoria website.

The Victorian Fox and Wild Dog Bounty is now digital.

To streamline payment processes for fox and wild dog bounty participants, we have introduced a digital bounty application system.

Registering is easy.

Access the form at agriculture.vic.gov.au/bounty and simply input your email and banking details.

The new system will ensure payment is quick and easy and will also allow participants to keep track of bounty applications.

Over the coming months as we transition to a digital system, hunters will still have access to the paper-based system.

Please pre-register online, chat to our bounty collection staff on collections days or call the customer service centre on 136 186.

Acceptable entire fox scalps and entire wild dog body parts will be collected from eligible members of the public at specific dates and times, and from scheduled collection centres.

Please note that no fox scalps or wild dog body parts will be accepted at any public counter or state government office.

Collections will only be accepted at the designated times.

For collection times and locations in your region visit: agriculture.vic.gov.au/bounty

Through the Community Grants Program the Victorian Gorse Taskforce (VGT) works to support communities in reducing gorse in their local area.

The VGT are interested in helping landholders looking to control their gorse long-term.

The program looks to educate and build community capacity around gorse and gorse control so that communities can take real ownership and overcome the problem.

Now is the time to plan ahead and start a conversation with your community about gorse in your area.

Eligible Small Grant projects can attract up to $5,000 in funding.

The 2022 – 2023 Small Community Grants are now open and will close on 28 May.

If gorse is a problem on your land or across your local area, the VGT encourages you to connect with your local community and apply now.

For more information email: info@vicgorsetaskforce.com.au

Find out from the Victorian Gorse Taskforce.

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.

Image: Presenter Galia Bastoni from Australian Red Cross.

Do you employ people from a culturally or linguistically diverse background in your workplace?

If you want to find out ways to make your business more attractive to people from different background and take advantage of the benefits they bring, then sign up to the Welcoming Workplaces webinar on 27 May from 12 pm.

In the webinar you will learn to how to develop and encourage positive attitudes in workplaces and address barriers preventing people from migrant backgrounds participating in the agricultural workforce.  The webinar will also look at the strengths and skills they bring to the business and how to make your business more attractive.

Welcoming Workplaces is a Red Cross initiative that encourages and builds capacity in welcoming new arrivals into your workplace. It aims to help build capacity in fostering appreciation of diversity in the workplace, increase understanding of the impact of forced migration and build skills/ values such as equality, solidarity, cooperation, empathy, responsibility and resilience.

Register to attend at: http://bitly.ws/qCfN

For more information contact Del Delpitiya from Agriculture Victoria on 0436 649 860 or del.delpitiya@agriculture.vic.gov.au

The Victorian Government is committed to improving safety and skills on farms, visit Smarter Safer Farms for more: https://go.vic.gov.au/ZGj6HE

Young farmers across Victoria are being invited to come together for farm finance workshops at a number of locations, as well as to network and ask questions.

All sessions will be held between 6 and 8.30 pm and are scheduled for:

• Maryborough – Wednesday 11 May
• Wangaratta – Wednesday 18 May
• Ouyen – Wednesday 25 May
• Horsham – Wednesday 1 June.

Register now for Agriculture Victoria’s Young Farmers Network Farm Finance – Getting Prepared Workshop.

Find out more here

The Farm Finance – Getting Prepared series is supported by Agriculture Victoria’s Smarter, Safer Farms program.

Would you like to learn more about AgTech but don't know where to start?

Register for Agriculture Victoria's Unpacking AgTech webinar series to find out how.

In this webinar series we'll take a beginners look at all the things you should know before investing in AgTech.

Webinar 4: What makes good AgTech?

Date: Friday 6 May

Time: 12.30 pm.

REGISTER HERE

LAST ONE!

Immerse yourself in an exclusive three-part educational series to learn about global market opportunities, focusing on the China market, and how Agriculture Victoria’s new Pathways to Export program can assist your international trade journey.

Hear from the Victorian Government’s Deputy Trade Commissioner in China and key in-market experts who will help you gain a deeper understanding of international market opportunities.

Register for your exclusive ticket to export:

Part 3: Business Matching Essentials

• Tuesday 24 May 2 – 3 pm
• Register here.

Thursday 16 June 9.15 am to 3.15 pm

Horsham Town Hall, 71 Pynsent St, Horsham 3400

The GRDC Farm Business Update events drive innovation and adoption of improved farm business management practices across the grains industry.

For more information and to register visit the GRDC website.

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