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We are looking for beef producers in the Colac and Hamilton areas of South-West Victoria to participate in the BetterBeef Business Benchmarking course, starting early 2024. The program includes an individual report on your business benchmarks from the Livestock Farm Monitor project and 4 workshops to build your skills in financial, production and people management.
Registration is required during December to allow time for individual benchmarking data collection.
Workshops are scheduled between January to June 2024. Venues will vary for each workshop, including on-farm visits.
Find out more about the Livestock Farm Monitor project at agriculture.vic.gov.au/about/agriculture-in-victoria/livestock-farm-monitor-project
Register here and select your preferred location.
If you have any questions, please contact the course coordinator below:
Colac
Hannah Manning on 0400 532 595 or at Hannah.manning@agriculture.vic.gov.au
Hamilton
Chris Blore on 0428 155 781 or at Christopher.blore@agriculture.vic.gov.au
This course is delivered by the Agriculture Victoria Farm Business Resilience program with support from Meat & Livestock Australia.
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This webinar on human agronomy in agricultural businesses features Sally Murfet, Chief Inspiration Officer at Inspire AG.
The webinar covers:
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Understanding how to manage and mitigate internal and external factors that influence agriculture’s ability to attract, retain and develop talent.
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How self-leadership and management practices affect an employer’s ability to manage and motivate teams.
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The need to create a positive and inclusive culture in order to attract talented employees who align with your vision, mission and values.
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How ‘employer branding’ in a candidate-short market makes your farm business an attractive choice.
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The importance of communication, relationships, and generational understanding in running a successful and profitable business.
To register visit the MLA website.
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Agriculture Victoria and Murrindindi Shire Council are offering free feed quality tests for Murrindindi farmers to check the quality of your feed sources. With a limited number of tests available, register now as tests are only available until 11 January.
This workshop will cover:
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Feed test result interpretation
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Feeding Livestock website
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Basic feed budgeting
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Flood recovery support.
Click here to register for your feed test and to attend the workshop or contact Toni Dakis, Agricultural Recovery Officer on 0428 975 728 or at Toni.Dakis@agriculture.vic.gov.au.
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Agriculture Victoria and Riverine Plains are offering free feed quality tests for Towong farmers to check the quality of your feed sources.
With a limited number of tests available, register now as tests are only available until 12 January.
This workshop will cover:
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Feed test result interpretation
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Feeding Livestock website
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Basic feed budgeting
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Flood recovery support.
Click here to register for your feed test and to attend the workshop.
For more information contact Toni Dakis, Agricultural Recovery Officer on 0428 975 728 or at Toni.Dakis@agriculture.vic.gov.au.
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Stock Sense invite you to come along and learn about biosecurity when buying and selling livestock. Topics covered will include:
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Quarantine periods
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PICs, eID and traceability
To register for this webinar visit the VFF website.
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Hosted in collaboration with the Bendigo Shire, Stock Sense and Making our Farms Safer, this free workshop is designed to ensure you are providing a safe and healthy environment for not only yourself and the animals you care for but anyone who visits your farm.
Industry experts, John Darcy, MOFS Farm Safety Advisor, and Christine Gorman, Calmer Farmer consulting will be covering the following topics:
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Farm safety for small landholders
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Correct design of yards, loading ramps and crushes
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Farm safety briefings and the importance of record keeping
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Farm Planning 101
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Assessing soil, climate, water and infrastructure to determine your capability
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Land, infrastructure, fencing, feed and welfare requirements of different livestock
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The farm journey: Where, when, and why of farm infrastructure choices and the challenges.
To register visit the VFF website.
For further inquiries, please contact the Stock Sense team on 1300 882 833.
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| Risks and records animal health planning workshops |
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Agriculture Victoria have recently run 3 Creating an Animal Health Plan sessions. The aim of these free sessions was to minimise biosecurity risks and to increase animal performance and productivity on the farm. The pilot program was rolled out in Penshurst and Colac for cattle producers and Rochester for sheep producers.
Participants sat down with an animal health calendar and filled it in for their own farms. We talked about livestock events and what they needed to prepare for it to run smoothly. We discussed management practices such as vaccinations and drenching, timing, and costs. Participants went home with their own farm specific animal health plan.
During the workshop we had a veterinarian local to the area in attendance to discuss animal health issues and solutions to prevent and treat common diseases. The vets came from Livestock Vet Services, Rochester Vet Clinic, and Agriculture Victoria.
We also went over what records farmers need to keep, for how long and the systems that can be used to comply with the regulations and the Livestock Production Assurance Program. Animal health calendars make up part of your biosecurity plan therefore important to have it all written down and not just in peoples heads.
These events were delivered by the Risks and Records project with Funding provided by the Sheep and Goat Compensation Fund and Beef Compensation Fund through the Livestock Biosecurity grant.
These sessions were discussion-based and with lots of great questions we could learn from each other. Attendees found the workshop to be 'very worthwhile' and a 'great session that I am very glad I came to'.
If your group would like to host an Animal Health Planning session, please contact Hannah Manning on 0400 532 595 or Hannah.manning@agriculture.vic.gov.au.
More Risk and Records workshops will be delivered in 2024. Look for future events in the Events Alert and we hope to see you there!
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| Final call for national farm crime survey |
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One of the primary problems facing rural communities is incidents of crime that impact the function of pastoral, agricultural and aquaculture farming operations. To address this issue, the UNE Centre for Rural Criminology is undertaking a survey on farm crime in Australia, the first of its kind in nearly 20 years.
They need valuable information from those involved in farming who have key insights into the important issues.
Have your say in improving the safety and well-being of rural farming communities! Participate in the survey here.
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| Matching soil performance indicators to farming systems survey |
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Researchers at Federation University Australia in partnership with the Soil CRC are looking into decisions that farmers in different areas make about soil indicators to inform and support their farming practices.
Farmers are invited to participate in a survey that will help this research and takes approximately 10 minutes to complete.
A short video introducing this research is available here.
Click here to take the survey.
Further information about the research is available here: Plain Language Information Statement.
Enquiries or to request a hard copy of the survey please contact Dr Nathan Robinson, Federation University Australia at n.robinson@federation.edu.au or on (03) 5327 8436.
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| Soil security in focus: Australian farmers can lead globally significant research |
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Soil is the foundation of most food and fibre production in Australia, yet little is understood about farmers’ relationship with their soil and the farming practices which build soil security.
Researchers at the University of Sydney, in collaboration with the Australian Farm Institute and AgriKnowHow, are pioneering work to unpack the connection of land managers with soil under their care.
‘Human connectivity to soil’ is one of 5 vital factors identified by global research as influencing the security of the world’s soils. The other factors are productive capacity, condition, financial and cultural values, and land management policies.
'Currently, there is no well-established way to measure human connectivity to soil,' said Prof. Alex McBratney.
'This is the challenge we are working on, and we need the help of Australia’s farmers. From the project results we hope to provide an approach that can be applied globally to better direct soil policy, education and practice development based on firm evidence, not perceptions or conjecture.'
Help the project team develop an informed picture of Australian soil connectivity by completing this 15-minute evaluation, which you can access here.
In return you’ll instantly get a personalised soil connectivity report which highlights specific opportunities to improve your management of key threats impacting soil security.
Farmers across the country are strongly encouraged to ensure their region and commodities are represented in the completed results for this ground-breaking research. Plus, the new year is a great time to complete the evaluation so that your personalised results can be considered when making decisions on management practices for 2024.
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| Free financial counselling with RFCS |
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Have you been impacted by recent floods, fires or dry seasonal conditions?
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 click here or call 1300 771 741.
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A range of support measures are available for flood and storm-affected farmers. Information about these measures can be found on the Agriculture Victoria website.
For any urgent animal welfare needs, please contact 136 186.
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| 2023 October - December floods and storms |
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Agriculture Victoria is available to help farmers in flood-affected areas to address urgent animal welfare concerns.
Farmers who have been impacted by floods and have urgent animal welfare needs, please contact the VicEmergency Hotline on 1800 226 226.
Please report any agricultural losses via our online form or contact the Agriculture Recovery team on 0427 694 185 (Monday to Friday) or at recovery@agriculture.vic.gov.au.
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| Tier 2 flood recovery grant claims due 31 May 2024 |
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Applications for Victorian Government Primary Producer Flood Recovery financial support for the 6 October 2022 to 13 January 2023 floods closed on 13 July.
Applicants who successfully applied for a Primary Producer Flood Recovery grant have up to 31 May 2024 to finalise their claims for Tier 2 payments.
Rural Finance administer these programs on behalf of the Victorian and Commonwealth Governments.
More information is available at Rural Finance by calling 1800 260 425 or by checking the website at www.ruralfinance.com.au
If you applied to Rural Finance for financial support for the October to January floods and storms and are awaiting the outcome of your application, contact Rural Finance at:
Phone: 1800 260 425
Email: admin@ruralfinance.com.au
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| PRODUCTIVITY AND PROFITABILITY SERIES 2023 RECORDINGS |
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How to attract and keep good staff
This webinar features Mick Hay, Managing Director of Rimfire Resources, who discusses farm labour and how to attract and retain good staff.
The webinar covers:
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What you need to prioritise to recruit for retention?
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How to attract staff in a candidate driven market? The current unemployment rate is at 3.6% and not predicted to rise above 4.6% for next 3-4 years
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Workforce skill sets are changing – how will this impact your farm business?
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Employees want to work for employers of choice – how brand, reputation and social impact can help you become an employer of choice?
Click here to watch
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Seasonal update - Forecast implications
This webinar features Phil Graham, from Graham Advisory, who presents a current seasonal update and implications of this for producers.
The webinar covers:
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How to assess your exposure to a dry spring because the impact across southern Australia will be variable this year?
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What online resources are available to help producers assess current soil moisture?
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How to make the most of a below average spring through better pasture quality?
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The benefits of a dry summer such as lowering worm burden on pastures.
Click here to watch.
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This webinar features Dr Penny Schulz, of Shulz Livestock, who discusses the following:
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not meeting target market specifications can impact your profitability
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selection and breeding programs can influence your ability to hit your target market more consistently and efficiently
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to use all the data, feedback, and tools to assess your performance and make improvements to your breeding program.
Click here to watch.
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This webinar features Basil Doonan, of Pinion Advisory, who outlines ways to deal with the surplus, while better utilising feed to reduce waste.
The webinar covers:
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Measurement – pasture supply and animal demand
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Dealing with surplus
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Maintaining persistency and quality
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Prioritising feed based on animal needs
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Dealing in liveweight
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Marginal cost of conserving and feeding.
Click here to watch.
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BWBL Networks contact: Alison Desmond, Project Leader
M: 0409 424 274 E: alison.desmond@agriculture.vic.gov.au
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| 2023 BestWool / BestLamb Conference presentations |
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The following presentations from the 2023 BestWool / Best Lamb Conference are now available for you to watch.
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| 2023 AWI Annual General Meeting |
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Did you miss the 2023 AWI Annual General Meeting (AGM)? The recording has now been made available to view online.
Click here to watch the AGM and view the 2022-2023 AWI Annual report.
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| Merino ewe mortality industry survey now open |
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Reducing ewe mortality during lambing requires understanding why ewes die and how management practices influence this. Lifting ewe survival will positively impact lamb survival, helping improve animal welfare and productivity outcomes, which are priorities for the sheep industry.
This 4-year project aims to understand the prevalence and causes of Merino ewe mortality and demonstrate intervention strategies to determine the most practical and cost-effective management practices for Merino producers.
To better understand current management practices and the extent of on-farm losses amongst Australian Merino ewes, the project team have prepared an online industry survey.
The survey results will be used to describe Merino ewe mortality on an industry-wide basis. Findings will inform on-farm trials investigating the incidence and causes of Merino ewe mortality around the period of lambing.
Results of the 4-year project will be rolled out to industry via MLA and AWI reports and resources as well as extension activities and scientific papers.
Click here to complete the survey.
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BetterBeef Networks contact: Darren Hickey, Project Leader
M: 0457 609 140 E: darren.hickey@agriculture.vic.gov.au
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| Fixed-time artificial insemination in beef cattle |
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In October the Western District BetterBeef Network group hosted an information session on the use of fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI) and the management of Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Virus (BVDV - Pestivirus) in beef herds with specialist veterinarian Dr Enoch Bergman.
The group heard from Enoch about how to improve productivity by integrating FTAI into their commercial beef enterprises and how to best use recording and monitoring of data to help improve their success. The session included a detailed discussion on various FTAI protocols and the benefits each can bring to the producer’s business.
The systematic management of BVDV for individual beef producers was another topic and passion of Enoch’s that was discussed in depth and using biosecurity systems producers could better manage their risk.
It was a valuable session for the producers that came along, with many sticking around to continue discussions with Enoch after the session.
The report and findings from the Producer Demonstration Site that Enoch’s group looked at Improving Heifer Productivity by Integrating FTAI into Commercial Cow Enterprises, can be found on the Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) website here.
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Pink eye, bovine kerato-conjunctivitis, is a term used to describe a disease of the eye in cattle. There is a great deal of information available on the subject.
It is a costly disease for the cattle industry nationally with estimates of up to $23 million per year due to lost production, treatment and reduction in sale value.
An article on this topic written by Dr Chelsea Hair, veterinarian with Herd Solutions in East Gippsland has been published in the December 2023 newsletter of Gippsland Agricultural Group.
It can be incredibly frustrating and distressing for producers to see an outbreak of pink eye in cattle, despite best efforts to prevent and treat it. In the article, Dr Hair bring readers up to date with some of the latest thinking in the veterinary world about this disease which could help you deal with this issue in the future.
Firstly, what are the signs? Initially producers will notice that some cattle have weeping eyes and may have tear staining below the eye across the face. The animal is blinking all the time or closing its eyes due to irritation and sensitivity to light. On closer inspection, the eye may appear red and inflamed, and there could be the classic white spot in the centre of the eye. This is an ulcer.
The cornea of the eye reacts to this by growing blood vessels making the eye appear pink. It could heal with prompt treatment, leaving the animal with a normal looking eye, or a bluish scar can remain which can impact on vision. Left untreated, this can become a serious animal health and welfare issue.
Young cattle are more susceptible and breed type also has a role. Summer is traditionally the worst time due to higher levels of UV light, flies and dust as well as summer vegetation and grass seeds which can cause damage and trauma to the surface of the eye.
Dr Hair points out there remains limitations in current scientific understanding of the cause of pink eye, because there are more than one. Other bacteria have been found to be associated with pink eye lesions in cattle, so it’s not just one type of bacteria which is the culprit.
This then affects the options available for effective and successful treatment. This is leading to many vets taking a new approach to diagnosis and treatment. Up until now, it was thought the bacteria Moraxella bovis was the cause combined with the predisposing factors, with some of the main factors mentioned above.
Thinking has now progressed in the veterinary community to pink eye being better described as a collective of diseases or trauma of the eye, and what producers are seeing, is the result of the animal’s system responding to the trauma or disease.
The call to action for producers is:
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Question your own assumptions and knowledge about pink eye, and how you respond to it
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Read Dr Hair’s article in the December 2023 edition of the Gippsland Agriculture Group’s newsletter. Some good information about risk factors and treatment options is included in the article
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Consult your veterinarian when you see signs of pink eye in cattle to ensure you are giving affected stock the best chance of recovery and preserving the value of your stock.
References
Seeing Pink Eye with New Eyes. December 2023. Dr Chelsea Hair, Herd Solutions. This article cites information from: Kneipp, P. (Mac), February 2022. Epidemiologic investigations into pinkeye disease of cattle in Australia. University of Sydney. https://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/bitstream/handle/2123/29541/Kneipp_PM_Thesis.pdf?sequence=1
Pink Eye in cattle. November 2019. Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development Western Australia. https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/livestock-biosecurity/pink-eye-cattle
Pink eye in cattle. January 2007. NSW Department of Primary Industries. https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/103904/pinkeye-in-cattle.pdf
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