No images? Click here
Thursday 13 February 2025
Have you got your emergency kit ready?
When a bushfire is likely to impact your property, staying to defend it or preparing to shelter in place can be extremely dangerous.
You must be mentally and physically fit, have all the necessary personal protective equipment, have an ample supply of food and water and an emergency and evacuation kit packed and ready to go. Prepare an emergency and evacuation kit even if your plan is to leave early.
Detection of avian influenza at Euroa poultry farm
Agriculture Victoria has confirmed the presence of avian influenza at a poultry property in northern Victoria, which has now been placed into quarantine.
Diagnostic testing performed by the CSIRO Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness at Geelong confirmed high pathogenicity H7N8, which is different from the strains that impacted Victorian, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory poultry farms during 2024, which have been eradicated.
The strain detected is also different from the H5N1 avian influenza strain that is impacting the USA and other parts of the world.
Agriculture Victoria staff are on the ground to assist control, support the business and investigate further.
A control order under the Livestock Disease and Control Act 1994 is being established. This will include a restricted area extending approximately 5km around the impacted property and a control area in the eastern portion of the Strathbogie Shire to prevent movements that could spread the virus.
Victoria’s Acting Chief Veterinarian Cameron Bell praised the poultry business for alerting Agriculture Victoria as soon as they suspected the presence of disease in their flock.
‘Avian influenza is commonly spread by wild birds, and unfortunately, despite the business having excellent biosecurity controls in place, poultry have been infected.
'The business has acted quickly to identify the infection within the flock and are working closely with Agriculture Victoria officers to contain the outbreak,' Dr Bell said.
Avian influenza is a viral disease of birds found globally. Virus strains are described as low pathogenicity (LPAI) or high pathogenicity (HPAI).
While cases among humans in direct contact with animals infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses are possible, the current risk to the public remains low.
Every producer should have an on-farm biosecurity plan and know the signs of diseases that could affect their animals.
All poultry and bird owners across Victoria are reminded to follow best biosecurity practices such as keeping poultry sheds, yards, aviaries and equipment clean, and restricting contact between poultry and wild birds.
Bird owners should also ensure their footwear is clean, always wash hands before and after handling birds or eggs and quarantine new birds before integrating with existing ones.
Consumers should not be concerned about eggs and poultry products from the supermarkets, they do not pose a risk and are safe to consume.
Poultry farmers, backyard flock and bird owners are urged to report any cases of unexplained bird deaths to the 24-hour Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888 or to your local vet.
International Day of Women and Girls in Science
Recently for International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Agriculture Victoria profiled four of the amazing scientists who work for us.
🔬 Dr. Christy Vander Jagt - Senior Researcher, Genomics and Cell Sciences team at AgriBio Bundoora. Leading a project to reduce methane emissions from cows by establishing a breeding value for ‘methane efficiency’ in the Australian dairy industry.
🌍 Anna Weeks - Systems Modeller, Landscape and Water Science team. Exploring key relationships between agricultural productivity and factors like climate, soil, topography, and land use.
🌱 Dr. Sukhjiwan Kaur - Head of Applied Genomics and Predictive Breeding team in Plant Sciences. Developing cutting-edge genomic tools to accelerate crop improvement and make plant breeding faster and more efficient.
🌾 Dr. Audrey Delahunty - Researcher at Mildura and Horsham Smart Farms, Crop Agronomy team. Focusing on improving pulse production with climate-resilient crops like heat-tolerant lentils and new farming methods to diversify and grow the pulse industry.
Victorian finalists announced for 2025 AgriFutures Rural Womens Award
Above: Leading scientist, educator, and founder of Agpath, Dr Mary Cole.
Three inspiring Victorian women have been named as finalists for the 2025 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award, recognising their leadership, innovation, and contribution to rural industries and communities.
The award celebrates women driving positive change in rural and regional Australia by empowering them with the skills, support, and leadership opportunities to shape their industries and communities.
Now in its 24th year, the award is a nationally recognised program of influence, providing each state and territory winner with a $15,000 Westpac grant, professional development opportunities, and access to a powerful alumni network.
The Victorian winner will be announced in March at a ceremony in Melbourne and will then go on to represent Victoria at the National Award in September at Parliament House, where the national winner will receive $20,000.
The 2025 Victorian finalists are:
- Sherri Symons (Ellerslie) – Founder of WoolGrow Australia, creating sustainable gardening solutions using 100% wool products to support the environment and the crossbred wool industry while promoting eco-friendly gardening.
- Den Lim (Churchill) – Founder of Uplift Collective, a collaboration of over 20 organisations providing free, engaging activities for young people across Latrobe and Baw Baw, helping them connect with local services through entertainment, cultural events, sports, and the arts.
- Dr Mary Cole (Garfield) – A leading scientist, educator, and founder of Agpath, a biological farming research and education centre helping farmers reduce costs, improve soil health, and build more sustainable businesses.
Japanese encephalitis virus detected in Goulburn Valley piggery
Agriculture Victoria can confirm Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus has been detected in a Goulburn Valley pig herd.
JE virus is considered established in mainland Australia and therefore there will be no quarantine or movement restrictions put in place.
Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer Sally Salmon stressed the detection, which is the first in a pig since April 2022, is not unexpected.
‘We are actively monitoring the situation and continue to investigate and test pigs and other livestock that exhibit clinical signs consistent with JE virus infection.
‘You can help your pigs avoid infection by reducing nearby mosquito habitats and limiting their exposure to mosquitoes,’ she said.
Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a mosquito-borne viral disease that can cause reproductive losses and encephalitis in susceptible animal species. It is caused by the JE virus which is a member of the Flavivirus genus.
JE is spread by mosquitoes in a complex cycle that can involve birds, pigs and spillover hosts like horses, humans and various other animals. This transmission cycle means it is not possible to eradicate JE in Victoria.
The Department of Health confirmed a human case of JE in a resident of northern Victoria in January. There is no specific treatment available for Japanese encephalitis.
The best prevention is to protect against mosquito bites. There are simple steps you can take to protect against mosquito bites that include:
- wearing long, loose, light-coloured clothing
- applying insect repellent containing diethyl-metatoluamide (DEET) or picaridin to exposed skin, on top of sunscreen
- reducing mosquito harbourage areas by maintaining gardens and shrubbery
- removing or emptying containers that may hold water (where mosquitoes breed).
The JE virus vaccine is available free of charge for specific groups at higher risk of exposure to the virus, including eligible people in 24 high-risk local government areas in northern Victoria, and for those at occupational risk across Victoria. This includes people who attend piggeries and abattoirs and eligible people in high-risk local government areas in Victoria.
JE remains a notifiable disease in Victoria. If you suspect an animal is showing signs of Japanese encephalitis, you must report it within 12 hours either to your local veterinarian, via the 24-hour Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888, via the Notify Now app or to Agriculture Victoria animal health staff.
Maintain ground cover to protect soils
Clem Sturmfels, Land Management Extension Officer
Isolated dust storms recently are a reminder of how fragile some of our soils are.
They are also a good reminder there is still time to prevent this damage by de-stocking more vulnerable areas of the farm. While dust storms contain mostly mineral materials, they also contain significant quantities of organic matter, one of the most valuable components of our soils.
Leaving stock in a paddock for an extra couple of weeks to make use of remaining water supplies can be all it takes to expose the paddock to the risk of wind erosion.
Dust storms or wind erosion occur when the speed of the wind at the soil surface exceeds the forces holding soil particles in place. Typically, soil particles exist as a small pea sized peds or aggregates.
As these peds or aggregates break down the soil becomes more vulnerable to erosion.
Once the process of wind erosion starts it can be nearly impossible to stop as the larger sand grains bounce and roll across the soil surface stripping remaining vegetation and smashing (or sand blasting) the soil in front of them.
The most vulnerable areas are those with lightly textured soils, little groundcover and shelter belts and topography that exposes them to high wind speeds. Lighter textured soils are those containing a high proportion of sand with little or no clay.
Wind erosion can start anywhere the soil has been disturbed, such as in gateways, along tracks and around water troughs.
AgTech Innovators – Episode 2
The global agrifood innovation system is complex. It’s made up of everything from researchers to entrepreneurs, to investors. Each a cog in the large AgTech machine.
How do you make sure that that machine is running smoothly?
Justin Ahmed is the Director of Beanstalk, a company that greases those cogs as a food and agriculture innovation advisory and venture builder.
Have your say on strengthening Victoria’s biosecurity laws
We are seeking your feedback on 2 proposals aimed at strengthening the state’s biosecurity system – critical to protecting agriculture, public health, animal welfare, and market access.
Acting Executive Director at Agriculture Victoria, Kris Duthie invites farmers, veterinarians, livestock owners, agricultural and horticultural businesses, including nursery, and the general public, to have their say on two proposals.
Tackling the Tough Topics
The National Centre for Farmer Health has recently released a handbook titled Tackling the Tough Topics outlining best practice guidelines to help individuals and groups plan successful farming community events with a mental health focus.
The guidelines seek to provide the knowledge, resources, and support needed to organise successful events and avoid potential problems that can be damaging to vulnerable individuals and/or their communities.
Recycled water boost for crop research and green spaces
New water recycling infrastructure in Horsham will help parks and gardens stay green and support Victoria’s world class agricultural research thanks to support from the Victorian Government.
Minister for Water Gayle Tierney and Minister for Agriculture Ros Spence recently announced the completion of the $11.8 million Horsham SmartWater and Integrated Water Management project including new water recycling infrastructure at the Horsham Wastewater Treatment Plant providing more recycled water to the region.
Researchers at the Horsham SmartFarm now have access to better quality water for research to irrigate their crops thanks to the installation of a reverse osmosis plant.
Raising spirits: Grants open to boost Victorian distilleries
The Victorian Government is supporting local distillers to expand production, create innovative new products and reach more customers than ever before.
Minister for Agriculture Ros Spence visited Bakery Hill Distillery in Kensington to announce the opening of applications for the Business Growth Fit-for Purpose grants as part of the Distillery Door Program.
Grants of up to $200,000 are available for tailored projects that help distillers to grow their business with new equipment, technology, or promotional projects.
The grants encourage investment in areas that will expand distilleries, create new opportunity and growth for the industry.
What's On
Details about Agriculture Victoria events can now be found in one spot at agriculture.vic.gov.au/events.
Understanding carbon and emissions opportunities in agriculture
17 February, from 9.30 am – 3.30 pm.
Upper Murray Events Centre, Strzelecki Way, Corryong.
While confidence isn’t high and income, in the short term, won’t be as high compared to the previous years, this is a great time to be assessing your production.
Agricultural consultant Cam Nicholson will provide an overview of where carbon requirements are heading, the evolution of possible emission reduction technologies, and explore options farmers have to maintain business flexibility while starting to participate in the carbon space.
Grains Research Update
Location: Ulumbarra Theatre, Gaol Road, Bendigo
Date: 25-26 Feb, 9 am - 4 pm.
Webinar – On-Farm Emissions Action Plan Pilot Update
Join our upcoming webinar to hear from our On-Farm Emissions Action Plan pilot team.
The team has been working with 250 farm businesses across Victoria to estimate their emissions profile and identify actions to manage and reduce emissions while maintaining productivity.
The team will provide an update and share insights on the emissions pilot and participant Jonathan Jenkin will discuss his experience with the program and how they have used their action plan and knowledge of their emissions to make changes on the farm.
When: Thurs 27 February – 12 pm.
Sustainable property management through Healthy Hectares project
Small property land managers in the North East are invited to a free Healthy Hectares introductory session on Thurs, 6 March, from 7-8 pm at The Centre for Continuing Education, Wangaratta.
This session offers an overview of the innovative Healthy Hectares program, a series of 6 tailored workshops delivered over 7 months, starting April.
Workshop to create animal health plans for your sheep
Join Agriculture Victoria and sheep veterinarian Dr Frankie Collett from Rochester Vet Clinic for a free workshop.
At this interactive workshop you will identify local health issues and learn about their prevention and treatment option solutions to create an animal health plan for your flock.
An animal health plan is an important tool for farmers to minimise biosecurity risks and increase animal performance.
Date: 5 March, from 9.30 am – 2 pm
Where: Rochester Community House, 45 Mackay St, Rochester
Light refreshments will be provided, please note dietary needs at registration.
To register please contact Erica on 0429 807 689 or at erica.schelfhorst@agriculture.vic.gov.au or online by clicking on the button below.
HERD 25
Herd'25 is a biennial conference with a program tailored to attract the herd improvement, genetics and animal performance industry.
Location: All Seasons Resort Hotel, Bendigo
Date: 12-13 March.
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 the National Relay Service on 133 677 or www.relayservice.gov.au
All contact points can be found at: agriculture.vic.gov.au/about-us/contact-us
This newsletter is distributed by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action.
Were you forwarded this email? Subscribe now.