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| Funding available for irrigation demonstration trials |
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Apply today for funding to trial emerging irrigation technologies and methods on your farm.
Rebates of up to $30,000 are available for farming businesses in the Lake Wellington catchment, which includes the Latrobe, Narracan, Morwell, Tanjil, Thomson, Macalister and Avon rivers and their tributaries.
Projects should aim to achieve one or more of the following objectives:
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reduce nutrient runoff from irrigated land
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manage salinity on irrigated land
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promote regional economic growth
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enhance cultural or social values in irrigation communities
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reduce greenhouse gas emissions of irrigation systems.
Expressions of Interest must be submitted by 4 pm Tuesday 26 November 2024. Apply here.
This project is delivered in partnership with West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority.
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| 10 tips to reduce the risk of harvester fires this season |
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GRDC and fire safety experts are encouraging growers to implement practical measures to reduce the risk of harvester fires over the coming weeks.
Recent GRDC Harvester Set-up Workshops run across Australia’s grain growing regions have highlighted the importance of harvester hygiene and maintenance, especially when harvesting more volatile crops such as lentils.
About 7% of harvesters start a fire each year, in a range of crop types including cereals and pulses. In these cases, 1 in 10 will cause significant damage to the machine or surrounding crop.
Kondinin Group research engineer Ben White presented at the workshops and said growers should maintain high levels of hygiene and pay attention to ongoing maintenance of machinery throughout harvest.
'Operators should be conducting regular clean downs during harvest and exercising particular caution when harvesting leafy pulse crops, as these are renowned for dust volatility.
'In areas where growers are harvesting frost-affected crops, these crops may create higher levels of fine dust which can make the harvester work harder, resulting in higher exhaust gas temperatures, adding to the risk of fires.'
Mr White offers the following 10 tips to improve harvester fire safety:
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Most harvester fires are caused by dust and trash build-up and bearing failures. Clean the machine down regularly, starting at the front then working in a top-down approach. A final blast of air over the exhaust system to dislodge any dust that may have been disturbed and settled during the clean down is recommended.
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Pulse crops are substantially more volatile than cereals so extra care and vigilance is required when harvesting these.
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Monitoring and logging bearing temperatures with an infra-red heat gun or thermal imager helps identify at-risk bearings so they can be replaced before failure.
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Recognise the big 4 factors that contribute to fires: relative humidity; ambient temperature; wind; and crop type and conditions. Abide by state-based grain harvesting codes of practice and declared harvest bans and observe the Grassland Fire Danger Index (GFDI) protocol on high fire risk days.
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Have at least the minimum required water and fire-fighting unit in the paddock being harvested.
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Having a pair of extinguishers (water and A/B/E) at the cab entry ladder and a pair at the rear of the machine closer to the engine means fire-fighting options are available when and where they are needed. A fire suppression system provides the best chance of extinguishing a fire on a harvester.
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Having a fire plan in place with the harvest team is imperative. Knowing who will do what and identifying communications channels to be used means everyone knows what to do. Having a listing of emergency numbers or UHF channels in the cab is essential.
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Harvesting highly volatile crops like lentils across the paddock into the prevailing wind gives operators a better chance of containing the fire as incendiaries are blown onto stubble, not standing crop.
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If operators do have a fire on board, pulling out of the crop immediately and facing the machine into the wind before attempting to fight it gives the operator the best chance of controlling the fire. Remember, harvesters are replaceable so prioritise personal safety.
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Research has shown static does not have enough energy for the ignition of even the most volatile crop residues. Be mindful that it can, however, contribute to significant dust/fuel loads on the machine.
The GRDC publication Reducing Harvester Fires: the Back Pocket Guide provides an easy-to-read harvester fire reduction checklist.
The GRDC podcast Preventing harvester fires in lentils has relevant tips and information for growers (regardless of crop type).
In addition, a recent GRDC Farm Business Updates webinar on Pre-Harvest On Farm Preparations is now available to watch online.
GRDC has also released a new Harvester Setup Guide – optimising harvest losses with contributions from a range of third-party independent harvest optimisation experts based on their experiences.
The guide covers measuring harvest losses, reducing header front losses, feeder house set-up, threshing system set-up, the cleaning area, harvest weed seed control and safety.
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| Australian Horse Industry Council survey |
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Help the Australian Horse Industry Council to accurately build a picture of size and scale of horse ownership in Australia via this survey: complete the survey here.
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| Farmer survey – Do farmers dream of sheep? |
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| WorkSafe – It's never you until it is |
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It’s never you until it is. Every death on-farm is preventable. Find safety support for your farm HERE
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| Apply for new Future Drought Fund grants to support Aussie farmers |
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The Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund is looking for eligible Australian organisations to apply for 2 new grant programs.
These programs will trial innovative solutions with the potential to build the agriculture sector, landscapes and communities’ long-term resilience to drought and climate risks, through transformational change.
The $40 million Resilient Landscapes Program focuses on demonstrating how implementing and scaling of practices, technologies or approaches to manage natural resources on farm, builds drought and climate resilience.
The $40.3 million Long-term Trials of Drought Resilient Farming Practices Program Round 2 looks at investigating new practices and technologies that will improve productivity in variable weather through evidence-based trials, co-designed with farmers.
Both grant rounds are open to agricultural industries in Australia and will be delivered over 6 years. Applicants must form consortia, that is 2 or more organisations working together to develop and deliver an eligible project.
Applications close on 19 November 2024.
To learn more about the grants and apply, visit:
Resilient Landscapes Grants Program - DAFF and Long-term Trials of Drought Resilient Farming Practices Grants - DAFF
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| Gippsland Dairy Industry Strategy – Consultation workshops |
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The Gippsland Dairy Industry Leadership Group is seeking involvement from Gippsland dairy farmers and service providers in the development of a Gippsland Dairy Industry Strategy.
Dairy Australia will be holding a series of face to face and online workshops for anyone interested in contributing to the strategy.
These workshops will explore key drivers for priorities in a Gippsland-specific dairy strategy, and draw on the experiences of those participating in the consultation.
A Gippsland Dairy Industry Strategy will aim to:
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promote Gippsland's strengths for attracting investment in dairy
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provide a strategic document to influence planning and decision making by government, private enterprise, and regional planners
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detail areas of focus to ensure a prosperous and responsive Gippsland dairy industry over the next 10 years.
This strategy development is financially supported by contributions from Gardiner Foundation, GippsDairy, Latrobe Valley Authority, and West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority.
Gippsland themes identified during the consultation process will also help inform the development of the Dairy Australia Strategic Plan 2025-2030.
Along with the workshops, Dairy Australia encourages you to contribute themes for the Gippsland Dairy Industry Strategy by completing this short survey.
To register for one of our workshops, please follow the links below.
Wednesday 23 October - Maffra
Thursday 24 October - Warragul
Friday 25 October - Leongatha
Tuesday 29 October - ONLINE
Thursday 31 October - ONLINE
For more information, contact Karen McLennan at karen.mclennan@gippsdairy.com.au or on 0409 179 706.
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Have you updated your plan for the current seasonal conditions?
Having a solid drought plan can help you with decision making in adverse conditions.
Check out the dry seasons and drought support on the Agriculture Victoria website today.
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| Free financial counselling with RFCS |
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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.
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Early estimate frost damage – use our grain yield calculator
In recent weeks some of Victoria’s cropping regions have experienced the incidence of frost, which can have an impact on yield potential for cereal crops when at the flowering and grain-fill growth stage.
Read the full media release here.
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Top tips for calving season
We are well into calving season and the odd tricky calving which requires assistance is therefore unavoidable.
Read the full media release here.
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Recruitment open for Chair of Dairy Food Safety Victoria
Applications are now open to join Dairy Food Safety Victoria (DFSV) Board as the Chair.
Read the full media release here.
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North American study tour as part of winning GRDC award
For Agriculture Victoria plant pathologist Dr Joshua Fanning, winning the 2023 Grains Research and Development Corporation’s (GRDC) Emerging Leader Award was honour enough, but it was the icing on the cake to travel to America and Canada to tour leading research institutes and cropping regions.
Read the full media release here.
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Details about Agriculture Victoria events can be found in one spot on our website. Visit the Events page to keep in touch with upcoming events.
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| Omeo demo site paddock walk |
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When: Monday 28 October, 11:30 am to 1 pm
Where: Omeo Producer Demonstration Site.
Register here.
Join us to discuss seasonal conditions and plans for spring and summer management.
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current seasonal conditions
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management considerations for spring and into summer
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data collected from the Omeo demonstration site so far including pasture growth rates and urea and gibberellic acid trial results.
The ‘using soil moisture probes for seasonal preparedness’ Producer Demonstration Site (PDS) was established in 2022 with funding from Meat & Livestock Australia and East Gippsland Shire, supported by Gippsland Agricultural Group. The project assists producers to make timely decisions using data from the Gippsland soil moisture probe network.
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| Gippsland Agricultural Group Spring Field Day |
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When: Thursday 24 October, 8:30 am to 3:30 pm
Where: Gippsland Agriculture Centre, Bairnsdale.
Register here.
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| Variable rate irrigation (VRI) farm walk |
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When: Thursday 14 November, 10 am - 1 pm
Register here.
Come along to James Clyne’s farm in Newry to find out how he was able to get VRI to reduce water wastage and increase pasture production on his undulating centre pivot irrigated paddock. Free BBQ lunch provided.
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When: Monday 11 to Friday 15 November, 9:30 am - 5 pm
Where: Bairnsdale.
Register here.
Novice training - this is a 5-day practical shearing course for new entrant shearers to learn the skills required to be a professional shearer.
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Enjoying the Gippsland Ag News? Then why not forward to a friend or subscribe yourself.
It's easy – simply click this link.
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| Contacting Agriculture Victoria |
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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/contact-us
Don't forget to check out Agriculture Victoria's social media sites for up-to-date information and news.
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