• Register now for drought one-on-one advisory service
• Strike before the flies do!
• Free financial counselling
• Farm Business Resilience Program - managing climate risk
• Apply for an on-farm infrastructure grant
• Where will you place your livestock during an emergency?​
• Consider early weaning to save feed and water
• Jeremy Kealy receives Local Upskill and Invest Young Farmers Scholarship 
• The Fast Break
• Victorian agricultural societies receive targeted support
• In case you missed it
• What's on

Expressions of interest are open for farmers in drought-affected areas of south-west Victoria to register for a free one-on-one consultation with a farm advisor.

The technical decision-making program is being delivered as part of the Victorian Government’s $13.53 million Drought Support Package and builds on existing supports, including technical resources, workshops and field days, already available to farmers in the south west.

Agriculture Victoria Director Kate Linden said the program offers eligible farmers the opportunity to sit down with a consultant to discuss the best way forward for their business in the current season.

‘Decision-making in times of stress, such as when you’re dealing with the daily challenge of drought, can be overwhelming.

‘Taking time to step back, take stock and talk through what you need to do for the next few months can help relieve some of the pressures and feelings of being overwhelmed.

‘This might involve developing feed and water budgets to assess questions as: 'How much feed and water have I got left?', 'How much are my stock going to need?' and 'What am I going to do if the two don’t line up?'

‘Putting plans in place and acting early can make a big difference to your mental load and potentially financial bottom line – buying more hay now (straight out of the paddock), moving stock off the property to agistment or selling more stock might be required,’ she said.

Interested farmers can register their expression of interest with Agriculture Victoria.

Farmers can nominate which advisor they prefer to work with from a panel of experienced and trusted advisors.

The chosen service provider will then contact the farmer directly to book a suitable time for the one-on-one consultation.

Mrs Linden said farmers can meet their advisor either on-farm, at a convenient off-farm location or online. A follow-up one-hour phone consultation, after the initial face-to-face planning session, is also available.

For more information or to register an expression of interest in the Drought Support: One-on-one technical decision-making program visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/dryseasons, phone 136 186 or email drought.support@agriculture.vic.gov.au

This program is part of the Victorian Government’s Drought Support Package for south west Victoria. Find out more at agriculture.vic.gov.au/dryseasons or call 136 186.

Dr Jeff Cave, Agriculture Victoria Senior Veterinary Officer

Flystrike costs the Australian sheep industry approximately $173 million annually, due to lost production, treatment costs and deaths.

Reducing the risk of flystrike has immense benefits to the health and wellbeing of the sheep and productivity.

The major fly responsible for flystrike in sheep is the green blowfly, Lucilia cuprina. Lucilia cuprina is thought to be responsible for 90% of flystrike cases.

Lucilia cuprina begins to become active when temperatures are above 15oC and is most active when temperatures are between 26 - 36oC. It prefers calm conditions.

Each female fly can have up to 300 viable offspring and, with a 21-day life cycle, when conditions are optimal, fly numbers can increase rapidly.

The fly has a small flight range, so most of the flies you see are probably produced on your own property.

The fly is attracted to odour and moisture, so the risk of flystrike increases when there is regular, consistent rainfall that keeps the sheep’s skin moist.

The sheep most susceptible to flystrike are those with breech wrinkles, long wool, dags, urine stain, fleece rot, dermatitis and/or wounds.

Plus, sheep that have been previously fly-struck have a relatively higher likelihood of being re-struck.

The prevention of flystrike requires an integrated plan and includes the following:

• selection of sheep and marking of lambs to produce a flock with a relatively low susceptibility to flystrike
• shearing and crutching timed before the peak flystrike risk period
• correct use of preventative chemicals timed to give protection during the peak flystrike risk period
• worm control and dietary management to help reduce the prevalence of dags
• selection of relatively open, windy, dry paddocks
• removal of infective material and carcasses that may attract flies.

As conditions become more favourable to flystrike, sheep should be monitored more regularly for flystrike.

If a fly-struck sheep is found, the affected area should be immediately treated by clipping close to the skin, dressed to prevent a re-strike, and the sheep should be moved to a hospital paddock to reduce the risk to the rest of the flock. 

Any maggots should be collected and killed to help reduce the build-up of fly numbers.

For further advice please contact your local veterinarian or Agriculture Victoria veterinary or animal health officer or visit the websites flyboss.com.au.

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 visit the website or call 1300 771 741.

'As the season pans out, it’s important for farmers to be keeping up to date with seasonal forecasts.'

Dale Grey, our Seasonal Risk Agronomist, talks about managing climate risk over time and the importance for farmers to pre-plan to meet the challenges of a variable climate.

Watch the video here.

Find out more about our Farm Business Resilience Program here.

Subscribe to The Break and The Very Fast Break for seasonal climate updates.

Eligible drought-affected farmers in the south west can now apply for up to $5,000 in co-contribution grants to support establishing on-farm infrastructure such as:

• 💧 water infrastructure upgrades (pipes, tanks, troughs, dams)
• 🐑 stock containment areas
• 🌾 grain and fodder storage.

Click here for more information on the On-Farm Drought Infrastructure Grants or to apply today.

Where will you place your livestock during an emergency?​

​It’s crucial to have a refuge area/paddock or stock containment area ready for your livestock during emergencies, with adequate feed and water for their safety. ​

Use the Fire Preparedness Toolkit and web resources to start planning for stock containment areas, emergency feeding and water budgeting – available here.

Dr Hannah Manning, Livestock Industry Development Officer, Colac

Feed and water shortages are likely as we move into summer, so consider weaning your beef calves early to save on requirements.

Early weaning can help your cows maintain condition and fertility while setting up the calves to receive the nutrition they need to thrive.

Lactating cows require a large amount of energy. It’s more efficient to convert feed directly into the calf weight than milk for a cow and calf unit.

Providing the appropriate diet to a mob of dry cows and weaned calves, rather than cows with calves at foot, can significantly reduce feeding costs.

Cows making milk need up to 100 litres of water a day and those not feeding a calf require less. Although calves will drink more once weaned, the savings come from reducing the cow's requirements.

Weaning early also allows the farmer to complete a stocktake and sell or cull non-productive or aged animals.

In most cases, calves should be weaned at around 120 kg, as they will be easier to feed. The younger the weaning age of the calf, the higher its energy and protein requirements are.

Setting your calves up to succeed is very important, so exposing them to post-weaning supplements while they are still on the cow is recommended.

Post-weaning supplements should be introduced to calves slowly via creep-feeding and vaccinating 2 weeks before weaning to protect against clostridial diseases.

Avoid combining stressful procedures like castration and dehorning with early weaning.

Weaners can be difficult to manage at times, so we recommend getting their nutrition and supervision spot-on to allow the calves to thrive.

Further information about weaning beef cattle can be found on our website.

For more information about dry seasonal conditions and drought support visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/dryseasons or call 136 186.

Congratulations to Jeremy Kealy, one of this year’s Upskill and Invest Young Farmers Scholarship recipients! 🎉

Jeremy works on his family’s sheep farm in the Grampians, where he’s dedicated to advancing farm productivity and efficiency. 🐑🌾

Through the scholarship, he’ll be completing a high-performance weaner course and a Diploma of Applied Agronomy. He’ll also be investing in technology that digitally monitors livestock weights, and tracks data with EID tags.

Want to learn more about Jeremy and other inspiring young farmers? Check out the full list and program details here: agriculture.vic.gov.au/youngfarmersscholarship

The latest The Fast Break newsletter is now available. 

This newsletter details oceanic and atmospheric climate driver activity over the last month and summarises 3-month model predictions for the Pacific and Indian oceans, rainfall and temperature for Victoria.

To subscribe or to view the latest issue, visit the Fast Break newsletter pages on our website here.

The Victorian Government is backing regional Victoria with investments into local agricultural and pastoral societies to keep our iconic regional shows thriving.

Minister for Agriculture Ros Spence today announced $300,000 across 34 Agricultural and Pastoral Societies to make improvements to showground amenities like fencing and essential infrastructure upgrades as part of the Agricultural and Pastoral Society Grants Program.

Earlier this year, eligible societies applied for grants of up to $10,000 towards infrastructure development and other business activities to celebrate Victoria’s agricultural communities, industry and produce.

Recipient, Port Fairy Agricultural Pastoral & Horticultural Society Inc, received $10,000 to upgrade the electrical systems, install a new meter box and main switchboard to allow for solar and generator power and lighting replacements.

The upgrades will help reduce energy bills and mean the facilities can be used as a community hub during natural disasters, as well as throughout the year by groups such as Little Athletics, junior football, school sport, and sheepdog trials.

Previous projects funded under the program include new animal yards, fencing, shade covers and lighting or upgrades to shearing pavilions, luncheon halls, public amenities and viewing stands.

The Agricultural and Pastoral Society Grants Program is helping to boost rural and regional economies, promoting the agriculture sector, and fostering community engagement.

To learn more about the Agricultural and Pastoral Society Grants Program, visit agriculture.vic.gov.au.

To view the full 2024/25 Victorian Show Calendar visit vicagshows.com.au/show-calendar.

Watch for heating hay!

Every hay season several hay stacks spontaneously combust across Victoria, in single moist bales or in a stack of any size.

Read the media article here.

Growth in Food Safety Standards for berries, leafy greens and melons

New Food Safety Standards for growers of berries, leafy green vegetables and melons will come into effect from 12 February, 2025, maintaining the state’s reputation as a responsible producer.

Read the media release in full here.

Use your dairy effluent now on silage regrowth

As we move from late spring to summer, dairy effluent can be applied to areas with some green leaf still present after cutting for silage.

Read the media article here.

Details about Agriculture Victoria events can now be found in one spot on our website.

Visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/events to find out what's on.

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It's easy – simply click this link.