In this edition:

• EOI for on-farm demonstration opportunity – now 
• It's time for a honey bee check-up
• Fox and wild dog bounty
• Reminder to protect valuable paddock trees when burning stubble
• Golden opportunities to find a nugget on school holidays
• WeedScan: A new weapon in the war against weeds
• AgTech Innovators Series 2 Episode 4
• Podcast – After the flood series – episode 6
• In case you missed it
• What's on

Is there a technology, innovation or research finding that your producer group is keen to test on-farm?

Agriculture Victoria, in partnership with Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), is conducting a new producer demonstration program with the opportunity to establish five new on-farm demonstration projects.

Agriculture Victoria Project Leader Farming Systems, Bindi Hunter, said the program is inviting expressions of interest from Victorian sheep and beef producer groups to design and conduct their own three-year project.

‘The demonstrations are conducted on group members’ farms (preferably three sites per project per year) and involve participation by members in group activities, including skill development, site monitoring and discussion of results.

‘Projects must be focused on increasing adoption of key management practices or commercially available technologies that improve business profitability, farm productivity and sustainability,’ Ms Hunter said.

Selected projects will focus on demonstrating systems or technologies in one of four priority areas:

• Manage and adapt to a changing climate or specific regional conditions (e.g. addressing feed gaps, grazing system, enterprise mix)
• Reduce emissions or emissions intensity, (e.g. reproductive efficiencies, feed types and quality, soil fertility management)
• Manage animal health and welfare risks resulting from increasing/ emerging biosecurity threats in a changing climate
• Implement on-farm innovations that improve production and management efficiencies (e.g. recent research findings, genetics, ag tech).

Expressions of interest close on Monday 13 May 2024.

For more information and to receive an expression of interest form, click here or contact Bindi Hunter, Project Leader Farming Systems on 0428 589 016 or at bindi.hunter@agriculture.vic.gov.au

With over 47,900 registered beekeepers who own approximately 855,300 hives, keeping Australia’s honey bee population healthy is no mean feat.

‘Bee Pest Blitz’ is an annual month-long national campaign to increase awareness of the importance of bee biosecurity and encourage beekeepers to inspect their hives for high priority exotic and established pests.

Launched in 2023, the annual campaign calls on all Australian honey bee beekeepers to undertake biosecurity surveillance activities.

'Surveillance is key to the timely detection of new pests and provides the best chance for industries and governments to respond before pests become established and widespread,' Sarah Hilton, Bee Biosecurity Manager at Plant Health Australia said.

Under the Honey Bee Industry Code of Practice beekeepers are required to inspect their hives twice per year, using a method that looks for the presence of arthropod pests, including Varroa spp. (varroa) and Tropilaelaps spp. (tropilaelaps) mites.

By participating in ‘Bee Pest Blitz’ beekeepers will fulfil one of their annual bee biosecurity obligations and requirements.

This time of the year is ideal to conduct hive inspections which are crucial for the early detection of exotic and reporting of high priority established bee pests.

Beekeepers are asked to keep samples of suspected pests and report their findings via the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline 1800 084 881.

Surveillance reporting will be handled at a jurisdictional level and all personal information will be kept confidential.

'Maintaining honey bee health and sustainable bee populations is essential for the future production of Australian honey and supporting those agricultural sectors that depend on honey bee pollination services,' Sarah said.

‘Bee Pest Blitz’ is a Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) funded initiative, led by PHA, and supported by the Australian Honey Bee Industry Council and all state and territory governments.

Visit beepestblitz.com.au for free surveillance resources and video tutorial.

Victoria’s bounty collections resumed on 4 March 2024.

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.

Landholders are being urged to take the necessary steps to protect paddock trees when burning stubble on their properties.

Fire restrictions are currently in place with a Fire Danger Period declared by the Country Fire Authority (CFA) until the start of May.

This means that a permit is required to burn grass, stubble and other vegetation on your property until the Fire Danger Period ends.

Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) Regional Manager Natural Environment Programs, Jane Roots said native paddock trees have significant biodiversity benefits and are protected by law.

Good planning and management before burning on your property is important and will help avoid impacts, ensuring these valuable trees are protected in the long term.

There are a few actions you can take to protect paddock trees: slash around the tree to establish an adequate fire break and wet the area around the tree before beginning your burn.

It is also important to ensure you have adequate water and the right equipment on hand to extinguish the fire before starting a burn.

DEECA Hume Regional Manager Natural Environment Programs, Jane Roots said it is important to protect native paddock trees.

'They provide shade to stock, reduce wind impacts to crops, store carbon, and provide habitat to important pollinators and birds that feed on pests.

'We encourage landholders to be well prepared before beginning a stubble burn.

'Creating firebreaks around trees and having water and equipment ready to extinguish the fire will ensure you can protect your valued native trees.'

Find out more here

Please ensure you follow all CFA guidelines which outline what you can and can’t do during a declared Fire Danger Period.

Find more information click here

Anyone wanting to report concerns about stubble burning and the destruction of any paddock trees should contact their local council.

The school holidays are a great time to head out to Victoria’s historic regions and experience the excitement of hunting for a gold nugget – and it could result in a valuable discovery.

Warmer than average autumn weather makes it an ideal time to have fun with family and friends in regional Victoria.

As well as being great fun, recreational prospecting can also bring a windfall with the gold price at over $3000 an ounce.

In October last year a nugget weighing 119 grams was found between Inglewood and Wedderburn by two prospectors using a metal detector - one of the men was trying his hand for the first time.

Earlier in 2023 a prospector using a metal detector discovered a 4.6kg nugget, valued at around $240,000, in Victoria’s Golden Triangle in the states’ central west.

A gold nugget worth about $200,000 was also discovered in the same area in 2019.

Prospecting is a way of looking for gold or gems using metal detectors, picks, shovels, sieves and pans.

The use of mechanical equipment or explosives is not permitted, vegetation and Aboriginal objects must not be removed or damaged.

Recreational prospectors need to understand where they can prospect as well as be cognisant of local weather and road conditions.

Recreational fossicking is a regulated activity in Victoria which means you need to possess a miner's right, which for just $27 allows you to keep any gold you find.

There are over 87,000 active miner’s rights in Victoria and the rush to get involved shows no sign of slowing with more than 11,000 purchased in 2023.

With more Victorians hunting for gold, it’s important that prospectors are doing the right thing to protect the environment.

The Earth Resources Regulator’s inspectors frequently check that prospectors are licenced, panning in permitted areas and complying with environmental safeguards.

Fossicking and recreational prospecting is permitted in state forests and in designated areas of some national, state, historic and heritage parks.

Prospectors must also obey all other public land rules, including driving only on public tracks or roads, taking all rubbish home and immediately restoring the area by backfilling any holes and replacing leaf litter.

We have a Guide to Recreational Prospecting in Victoria and a helpful video, both can be accessed by visiting resources.vic.gov.au/fossicking.

Weeds are one of the biggest threats to Australia’s biodiversity, agriculture and economy, costing us about $5 billion a year in lost productivity, control and environmental damage.

They represent a serious risk to our native flora, fauna and water quality and contribute to bushfire risk with additional fuel loads.

Recent floods across the country have the potential to trigger the next surge of weeds in Australia.

Floods can spread seeds and plant parts to new areas that may have been weed-free.

These conditions can also be favourable for weed germination, growth and reduced competition from other plants and animals.

Major weeds at risk of further spread include Siam weed, miconia (purple plague) and Limnocharis.

But weeds are not invincible. We have a new weapon in our arsenal to fight them: WeedScan, Australia’s first artificial intelligence weed identification, notification and management app.

WeedScan is a game changer for anyone who cares about our environment and our future.

It’s a free, easy-to-use digital tool that enables users to identify, report and map priority weeds simply by scanning the suspected weed.

This powerful new tool can help us prevent, detect and respond to weed invasions. It can help us protect our precious natural resources and our livelihoods.

Already the app has had over 10,000 downloads since its launch in December 2023 and users have submitted more than 3,000 weed records from around the country.

One of the key features of WeedScan is that it can identify many new and emerging priority weeds - not garden weeds - that may be unknown to most people.

These are the weeds that have the potential to become the next big threat, if left unchecked.

WeedScan can alert users and local authorities of these incursions, allowing them to take swift and effective action. It can also provide users with links to local weed management information and best practice guidelines.

The app is not a substitute for human expertise, but a complement. It can help users learn more about weeds and their impacts while connecting them with others who share their concerns and goals.

WeedScan is an app built by Australians, for Australians. It is tailored to our unique conditions and challenges. It is an app that can make a difference.

The app is supported by the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions, Australia’s national science agency - CSIRO, the NSW Department of Primary Industries and the South Australian, Queensland and Victorian Governments and was funded by the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.

It is the result of years of research and development, involving botanists, agronomists, computer scientists and community groups.

Try the WeedScan app now: it’s available on most smartphones or as a web application at weedscan.org.au.

Uncover the secret weapon helping AgTech startups achieve success. 

Cal Archibald from Beanstalk collaborates with AgTech startups using a fresh approach – acting as a matchmaker, translator and advisor in the space between AgTech companies and farmers.

Beanstalk’s goal is to help large agri companies as well as groups of smallholder farmers to understand and access better technology to help them become more profitable and sustainable farmers.

Listen online via the AgVic website

Rebuilding and recovering when your livelihood has been washed away overnight is hard.

However, some remarkable people and organisations lending a helping hand make sure you are not alone.

Bianca Jones, a central Victorian farmer, shares her story of repair and the ‘angels’ that helped following the 2022 floods.

One such organisation was the Rural Financial Counselling Service.

Anna McGee, Rural Finance Counsellor, explains how they reached out to farmers not long after the floods peaked.

Listen via the AgVic website

Handle with care: bobby calf transport requirements

Agriculture Victoria is keen to remind producers of their responsibilities when transporting bobby calves.

READ THE MEDIA RELEASE IN FULL HERE

Fall armyworm commands growers' attention

Victorian agronomists and growers should be vigilant in crop surveillance for Fall armyworm following the impacts the pest is having on crops in Queensland.

READ THE MEDIA RELEASE IN FULL HERE

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.

The Goulburn Murray Horticulture Farm Business Resilience Program is supporting growers to build on their knowledge and skills to strengthen their farm business and be better equipped to manage the risks associated with a variable climate.

Agriculture Victoria is inviting you to join growers in a free of charge short course with specialists presenting on the following session topics:

Wednesday and Thursday, 17/18 April

• Identifying and managing risks, strategic planning and setting business goals
• Managing people on farm, succession planning and farm safety
• Climate risk and natural resource management.

Wednesday and Thursday, 8/9 May

• Cost of production, financial management, budgeting, and profitable decision making.
• Onsite biosecurity planning.

Each session will run for two to three hours.

To register your interest in the Horticulture Farm Business Resilience Program please click here

For more information or for help registering contact Andy Clark at Agriculture Victoria on 0436 804 656 or at andy.clark@agriculture.vic.gov.au

Visit the Agriculture Victoria website at www.agriculture.vic.gov.au/FBRP for all program details.

Stay up to date with the latest program information by subscribing to the Recovery and Resilience eNewsletter on the website.

Join our webinar to hear from experts Dale Grey and Dale Boyd on Victoria’s seasonal climate outlook and soil moisture update for autumn.

Seasonal Risk Agronomist Dale Grey will provide an update on Victoria’s climate outlook for autumn and soil moisture expert Dale Boyd will provide key highlights from monitoring sites from around the state.

When: Wednesday 17 April – 12 pm 

Register here.

For more information and to stay up to date with our upcoming climate webinars visit our website

ON-FARM SUSTAINABILITY WORKSHOP

Eskdale Hall - Wednesday, 17 April, 9 am
Speakers: Brad Costin (Agriculture Victoria), Lachlan Campbell (NECMA), Julian Carroll (Mudgegonga Beef Producer).

STOCK CONTAINMENT AREA WORKSHOP: DECISION-MAKING, PLANNING, DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION

Corryong - Monday, 22 April, 10 am
Speakers: Sophie Hanna (Riverine Plains Livestock Officer) and Jane McInnes (Riverine Plains Senior Project Officer).

Registration is free for all events, to register CLICK HERE  

Sheep producers looking for information on managing flystrike are invited to join this free workshop. Jim Mekiff, JM Livestock will present on the following:

• Brush up on the conditions required for flystrike and learn how to best disrupt them to reduce the incidence of flystrike on your property, and the impact of flystrike on your flock and your profits
• Identify tools and strategies to manage flystrike and understand the balance of each to reduce your reliance on any one tool and use all the tools in your toolbox to their greatest effect
• Create an individual flystrike management plan and annual calendar which combines tools and strategies for reducing your risk of flystrike.

Click here to register.

Attendance for this workshop is fully subsidised by AWI and Agriculture Victoria - working with Victorian farmers and industry to prepare for, respond to, and recover from natural disasters, including floods and storms.

Do you want to learn how to use your soil test results to make better farm decisions?

Come along to a field day on improving pastures, soil health and productivity.

A free event featuring presentations and soil pit demonstration.

Thursday, 11 April, 9:30 am - 3 pm (please arrive at 9 am for registrations)

School House Lane and Hogans Lane, Moranding (look out for Landcare signs)

This event will be held outdoors, please wear enclosed footwear and dress for the conditions.

Guest speakers: Brad Costin (Agriculture Victoria); Lisa Warn (Lisa Warn Ag Consulting); Jim Shovelton (Meridian Agriculture).

• Find out why we soil test and when to soil test
• Learn how to read your pastures when taking core samples to know where to test
• How to set up fertiliser strips to help identify constraints to pasture growth
• Soil pit and soil interpretation - what grows below 10 cm?
• Bring your soil test results for a one-on-one chat with a consultant.

Bookings essential - please book your ticket by Thursday 4 April.

Register HERE  

For enquiries please contact Kerri Robson: 0418 140 710 or landcare2@iinet.net.au

The Australian Saleyards Managers Association and Australian Livestock Markets Association are holding an Animal Welfare for Saleyards Workshop at the Corowa Saleyards on 24 April.

The course is designed for personnel employed or working in saleyard facilities.

Upon successful completion of this course all participants are expected to be able to successfully apply knowledge of good animal welfare practices into practical situations.

Successful completion will result in the following unit of competency being awarded - AMPLSK201 - Apply animal welfare and handling requirements.

This workshop will be delivered by an Aus-Meat trainer.

ASMA is holding a pre-event catch up commencing at 12 pm Tuesday 23 April. 

DATES
(Pre-event catch up - 12 pm on 23 April) - Course Wednesday 24 April

LOCATION
Corowa Saleyards
437 Honour Avenue, Corowa NSW 

For more information or to register click here

Plans are currently underway for the Agriculture Victoria BestWool/BestLamb and BetterBeef Conference and dinner to be held in a new location this year in Ballarat on 19-20 June.

The conference will be held over two days, 19 June BestWool/BestLamb and BetterBeef on 20 June.

Further details will be coming as plans are finalised.

The 2024 Landcare forum will be held on Wednesday 8, Thursday 9 and Friday 10 May in Bendigo.

For more information click here

The Southern Australia Livestock Research Council (SALRC) is excited to announce their third biennial Livestock Conference with the overarching theme of Environmental challenges and opportunities for Australian livestock industries.

Sessions will include keynote speakers and group workshop activities and cover the following:

• improving land, air and water
• solutions for human capacity
• economic considerations and market impacts.

Click here for more information about the upcoming conference.

If you would like to register for conference updates you can join the mailing list here.

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