What's On

• Upcoming events

What's New

• Next steps for Victoria's electronic ID rollout for sheep and goats
• New AgTech Bytes project
• Managing stress on the farm booklet
• New laws to protect our farmers

BestWool/BestLamb

• Flystrike - the big wet makes the risk high
• Monitoring and evaluating pest predator management

BetterBeef

• Technote: Tips for maintaining fodder quality during storage
• Upgrades provide safe environment for everyone working on farm

Beef and Sheep News

• Did you miss our stock containment area webinars?
• What are the challenges farmers face in livestock farming? Have your say!
• Make the time to finalise your livestock fire plan
• Strong profits help farmers prepare for the future
• Apply now for the On-Farm Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate
• Are you planning to sow next year?

Ag Recovery

• Recovery after fire: practical steps for farmers
• Supporting landholders impacted by fires and floods across Victoria
• Financial and business support
• Regional weather and climate guides
• Recovery after storms and floods: support for primary producers

Quick Links

• Links to Feeding Livestock website, AWI, MLA, The Fast Break, Rural Financial Counselling Service and more

PLEASE NOTE: The events listed below may be subject to last minute cancellation in the event of an emergency or advice from Victoria’s Chief Health Officer.

[Back to Top]

The final step in Victoria’s five-year staged rollout of its National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) for sheep and goats will commence on January 1, 2022 when it will be expected that all sheep and non-exempt goats are tagged with a NLIS electronic tag before leaving a Victorian property.

The electronic identification of sheep and goats is a key part of Victoria’s traceability system.  Sheep and goats are tracked for food safety, disease control and market access purposes.

Victoria’s Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Graeme Cooke said electronic tags provide accurate tracking for sheep or goats from property of birth through to export or processing.

“This system provides assurances to our export and domestic markets that we can quickly trace animals in the event of a disease outbreak or food safety issue. It gives Victorian producers a significant advantage and added industry protection”.

Electronic identification (EID) was first introduced to Victorian sheep and goat farmers in 2017. Since then producers have purchased more than 51 million electronic NLIS (sheep) tags and almost 35 million sheep and goat movements have been recorded on the NLIS database.

“Electronic tagging and property identification codes are the key planks in Victoria’s biosecurity system and the entire supply chain is to be congratulated on their efforts to fully implement electronic NLIS for sheep and goats in Victoria”, Dr Cooke said.

“The hard work by industry has shown that the system is commercially viable and now integrated throughout the whole supply chain".

“It provides for excellent traceability as indicated by the recent SAFEMEAT sheep traceability evaluation which showed that Victorian EID tagged sheep were 99 per cent traceable, compared to 70 per cent traceability for interstate sheep that do not require electronic tags”.

From 1 January, there will also be changes to the duty paid when sheep and goats are traded, with the duty price rising to 27 cents per head from 1 January, 2022.

Duty payments are collected into the Sheep and Goat Compensation Fund, which gets reinvested into industry through the Livestock Biosecurity Fund grants program. The increase enables the compensation fund to grow its investment into important projects for the benefit of the sheep and goat industries and improve Victoria’s biosecurity.

See the Agriculture Victoria website for more information on the duty paid or to order NLIS tags. 

[Back to Top]

Technology for agriculture is a rapidly expanding sector, but there are still many issues with connectivity and requirements to ensure the technology is the right one and works for you. 

Agriculture Victoria’s AgTech Bytes are a series of short tech notes that provide simple and practical information about AgTech solutions. The project will also film some AgTech hack videos which will show practical solutions to AgTech troubles and implementation tricks.

The AgTech Bytes library currently includes the following information resources:

Short articles

Planning your AgTech journey with AgTech, what you need to know, this provides information on the steps to take and considerations to make when purchasing an AgTech product.
The new AgTech glossary of common terms can help you to demystify some of the language used in relation to AgTech.

AgTech Bytes

• LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network) is a network that allows battery-operated devices to wirelessly connect and send data over the internet
• A dashboard is a website or application (app.) that is used to view and interpret real-time data from devices
• Mobile networks, also known as cellular networks, are made up of a series of base stations or mobile phone towers 
• Electric fence monitor is a device that remotely monitor and reports the voltage of your electric fence.

Case studies

• Labour saving case study of how one family invested in several AgTech devices to see how they could better manage risks on their farm.  Devices installed included electric fence, trough, gate, and tank depth sensors. The case study covers how they addressed connectivity and device management (e.g. dashboard and software) as well as costs and how well it worked

This project will continue to provide information on AgTech through further short articles, technotes, short videos, case studies and eLearning modules. To hear updates follow the Agriculture Victoria Facebook or Twitter. 

If you would like a copy of the case study or more information on AgTech Bytes emailed to you, please complete this form.

[Back to Top]

While farmers are very willing to volunteer and help others, they are often less willing to ask for help themselves. The tendency is not to openly talk about problems or ask for support until things are absolutely desperate.

Harvest, shearing, school holidays, family visits - there is a lot to love about the festive season, but there are some things that can really raise your blood pressure.

Feeling overwhelmed and stressed as we head into summer is a common sensation felt by many Australian farmers and farming families.

There is a lot to look forward to, yet still a lot of work to do. To help keep on top of your commitments and help mitigate any unnecessary stress, download or order the free Managing Stress on the Farm booklet from the National Centre for Farmer Health.

[Back to Top]

The Victorian Government will protect our farmers and agricultural businesses from biosecurity risks, new legislation was introduced to Parliament in early December to deter trespassing on farms in the name of animal activism.

The Livestock Management Amendment (Animal Activism) Bill 2021 will address the serious impacts of trespass on Victorian farms and recognises the significant biosecurity risks that breaches from animal activists can pose.

Those who fail to comply will face penalties among the heaviest in Australia, with on-the-spot fines of $1,272 for an individual or $8,178 for an organisation.

Further penalties of up to $10,904 for an individual and up to $54,522 for an organisation could apply for more serious offending.

The proposed legislation seeks to;

• reduce biosecurity risks and the spread of diseases on Victorian farms
• deter people from trespassing on farms with the introduction of new offences
• better enable prosecutions of trespassers
• allow for the issuing of infringement notices.

Victorian farmers have been impacted by a series of events involving animal rights activists intimidating farmers, stealing livestock, and disrupting businesses.

Farmers will soon be able to implement biosecurity management plans (BMPs) which can include measures such as requiring consent from farmers before entering a property covered by a BMP.

These new measures are part of the Government’s response to the Inquiry into the Impact of Animal Rights Activism on Victorian Agriculture, which delivered its report to Parliament last year. The Victorian Government supported 13 of the report’s 15 recommendations in full.

Peak industry bodies which represent farmers and agribusinesses, as well as animal welfare organisations were consulted during the development of this legislative framework and will be further engaged as the regulations are finalised.

The new arrangements will come into effect in 2022.

[Back to Top]

Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) is urging all growers to be aware that the current wetter than usual conditions across many of Australia’s sheep regions are perfect for flies and consequently raising the risk of flystrike on their flock.

Dr Jane Littlejohn, AWI General Manager Research says, “Woolgrowers are reporting reduced protection levels to blowfly chemicals and it’s important they determine whether they’re seeing actual resistance to chemicals or if something other than chemical resistance may be reducing the protection period or the effectiveness of the chemical treatment on their property.

Understanding chemical resistance and the role that an integrated pest management approach plays in flystrike management is crucial to woolgrowers effectively preventing and treating flystrike during the fly season.

Recent research conducted by AWI and NSW DPI found increased resistance to some flystrike chemicals in blowfly samples, which coincides with the reports from woolgrowers of reduced protection periods.

In response, AWI has information available to help woolgrowers monitor, prevent and treat flystrike, as well as reduce the risk and manage the impact of chemical resistance on their property”.

Access a range of resources to help

Several new and updated resources on managing chemical resistance, developed in consultation with a group of experts, are available on the AWI website, including:

• chemical resistance factsheets addressing how chemical resistance occurs, how to determine if chemical resistance is an issue and how to minimise its impact
• a guide to flystrike chemical rotation
• a flystrike prevention and treatment chemical guide that helps woolgrowers identify which flystrike chemicals are available for them to use for their specific circumstances
• practical answers to frequently asked questions from woolgrowers about chemical resistance in blowflies
• a range of standard operating procedures related to flystrike treatment, chemical application and fly control.

“Remember, if you think resistance is an issue on your property, this doesn’t mean the chemicals have totally lost effectiveness”, says Dr Littlejohn. “But you may be seeing shorter periods of protection than what you previously expected. So, I encourage you to regularly monitor your sheep for flystrike, even if you have only recently treated them”. 

For information to help you monitor, prevent and treat flystrike, as well as reduce the risk and manage the impact of chemical resistance on your property, visit the AWI website.

[Back to Top]

Total lamb survival rates have increased by up to five per cent among sheep flocks using best practice predator management techniques involved in a Producer Demonstration Site (PDS) funded by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), in northeast Victoria.

Eight prime lamb and wool producers in northeast Victoria are taking part in a MLA funded PDS project called Less Predators, More Lambs.

The project started in February 2021 and will finish at the end of 2023. It is led by Dr Matt Mahoney of Agridome Consultancy and supported in partnership with Greg Mifsud, National Wild Dog Management Coordinator, Centre for Invasive Species Solutions and Lucy-Anne Cobby, Community Wild Dog Control Coordinator, Australian Wool Innovation.

This project showcases the implementation of best practice management techniques for the control of wild dogs and foxes on the participating sheep properties. These control practices are incorporated into a property specific Pest Management Control Program (PMCP).

The FeralScan app. is used by the group to record incidents of livestock attacks, implementation of control and the outcome of control programs.

The participating producers then evaluate after the lambing season if changing their predator management practices has an impact on lamb survival rates, and if so, by how much.

In its first year, the project included three training workshops involving the core producers directly involved in the project and interested community members.

The workshops focused on key sheep management topics and included refresher days on Lifetime Ewe Management, increasing lamb survival and constructing PCMPs using the FeralScan app.

There was also training and accreditation on 1080 baiting. Expert speakers on each topic were involved with running each workshop, including Department Environment Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) Senior Local Wild Dog Controller, David Klippel, on proven techniques for laying 1080 baits, and setting canid pest ejectors and traps.

The producers also formed their own FeralScan app. group whereby they could record and view their control and damage activities occurring on their properties for both wild dogs and foxes.

This readily available free app. allowed the group to create a map of where they were focusing their control activities, keep records of where they laid baits or traps and helped the group to remain connected and work with their neighbours to coordinate control to get the best outcomes.

Support also included on farm guidance from Greg Mifsud to formulate their PCMPs and use the FeralScan app. This was important to ensure each property could focus control efforts where foxes and wild dogs were mostly likely to be found.

The producers recently met to evaluate their progress so far. All the core producers involved had submitted data on lamb survival rates for the lambing season just gone for their lambing ewes monitored under their property specific PCMPs.

This was compared to previous lambing season data from each property. The results from the first year showed total lamb survival had improved on all the participating properties in the range of two to five per cent.

With more than 6000 ewes scanned to either single or twins being monitored as part of the project, this increase in lamb survival could potentially add significant dollars to the producer’s bottom line.

Post-mortems on a sample of dead lambs collected by producers were undertaken by the local veterinarian to determine cause of death. Although only 40 lambs were collected for post-mortem, 18 per cent were confirmed to have been killed by primary predation with no apparent difference in predation risk as to whether the lamb was a twin or a single.

It is hoped by increasing this dataset over the remaining life of the project this information can be further substantiated.

The producers reported they were happy with the user ease of the FeralScan app.

“The fact any employees can log into the account and see what was happening on the farm in terms of wild dog and fox activity was also considered to be a great advantage to using the app.”, Greg Mifsud said.

“The community group notification process embedded in the app. was also seen as a great function of the FeralScan app. The app. provides a notification to all the group members when one makes a report of a stock attack".

“Not only does it notify the producer group members, but it also alerts the local wild dog management controller when a wild dog sighting or attack occurred".

"The immediate notification of the wild dog controller was seen as a key function as it had dramatically reduced the response time to incident of the wild dog attack within the group.”

The group will continue to monitor, evaluate and report their progress of the project until its completion in 2023.

Vist the FeralScan website for further information on the FeralScan app. 
 

[Back to Top]

Fiona Baker, Ellinbank

Hay and silage are an investment for future use, it is as important to ensure quality at harvest as it is to monitor and maintain quality throughout storage.

Storing hay with no shed

Bales are best stored in a hay shed, but if they have to be stored outside, there are some things that can be done to minimise quality losses.

Round and square bales can be stacked outside with a tarp placed over the top.  Stacking round bales in a pyramid shape e.g. three bales wide on the bottom, two in the middle and one on top allows the water to shed (this can work well with or without a tarp).  Square bales generally have a higher density making water infiltration more difficult. Placing a tarp or cap on only the top of the stack can be enough to protect the bales.

Round bales can be stored on their sides in single rows in a set location, ideally with a gravel base for drainage.  You will get some quality loss on the outside layers of the bale.  If you are going to have multiple rows of bales, ensure enough space is left between the rows for adequate air flow.  If uncovered rows of bales are sitting side by side with no gap, water can become trapped between the bales and cause the bales begin to break down and lose quality.  The least favoured option in terms of maintaining feed quality, is storing the bales along fence lines in the paddock (drainage under the bales when stored on soil is poor).

Storing hay in a shed

When storing bales in a shed watch for heating of the hay bales.  After baling, the internal bale temperature will rise.  This continues for a number of days, then stops. 

However, if the hay was baled too damp, heating can continue for prolonged periods – it then becomes at risk of spontaneous combustion. If you suspect the hay was baled with >15 per cent  moisture, it is best to store them unstacked with plenty of room for air to move around and monitor them for heat.  Large rectangular bales are at the greatest risk of heating if baled at the wrong moisture levels.  The larger the stack and tighter it is stacked, the less opportunity for heat to escape.

To monitor bale heat, push a crowbar well into the bale or stack.  Leave it for ~two hours, then extract and feel with your hands.

How crowbar feels and what action to take:

• if crowbar is warm but can be handled without discomfort  - continue to check temperature daily
• if crowbar can only be handled for a short time - check temperature twice daily and consider moving hay to improve air flow, if it hasn’t already been done
• if the crowbar can only be touched briefly - move hay to allow the heat to dissipate
• if the crowbar is too hot to hold - there is serious potential for fire. Call the fire brigade or have your fire suppression unit on hand before considering moving the hay.

Storing silage

Silage bales are often stored along fence lines in the paddock.  Before stock are allowed access to the paddock, ensure a suitable hotwire is in place to stop stock having access to the bales, therefore preventing possible damage to the plastic.  Check regularly for damage from birds pecking at the plastic too.

Unless you have added a few extra wraps to the bales, be aware the plastic will deteriorate from UV exposure over time and begin to allow oxygen to penetrate the bales causing spoilage.  Baled silage is generally recommended to be used within a 12-month period when stored outside.

If stacked in a shed, rodent control is essential.  Mice and rats will chew into the bales to use them for nesting.

Regardless of where the silage is stored. Any damage to the plastic needs to be repaired with the appropriate tape as soon as possible to minimise air and rodent entry, and spoilage of the silage.

[Back to Top]

A certified organic beef property in the high rainfall zone of south-west Victoria is one of more than 1000 farms to receive a Farm Safety Rebate as part of the Victorian Government’s Smarter, Safer Farms Program.

Improving safety while handling livestock was the priority for farmers Emma and Steve on their property near Warrnambool.

The couple received a rebate to replace their old cattle crush with a new modern crush that reduces manual handling risks and crush injuries when working cattle.

“The old crush had been there for 30 or 40 years and things were just starting to wear out,” Emma says.

“I always felt like we were struggling to open and close the gate, and it was really stressful working with equipment that you didn’t quite trust would keep you safe.”

Working with livestock significantly increases health and safety risks. The size and temperament of the animal, environmental factors, site design and handling methods all increase the risk of being seriously injured or killed.

“We want to make sure that for us and for our family members who come and help us, or for anyone coming from off-site, like vets, when they come to work they feel like they're working in a safe environment,” Emma says.

“We don't want to put people in a situation they don't feel comfortable working in.”

“The crush is now in place and it has made a huge improvement to our cattle workflow. We’ve also had a few vets say how much safer they feel when they come and work in the yards.”

Since receiving the rebate, the couple have upgraded the crushes at their other properties and moved gates and fences to improve the flow of cattle and improve the safety of those working with the livestock.

Emma and Steve continue to prioritise safety by working through an Occupational Health and Safety plan for their business. You can hear more of Emma’s story on the AgVic Talk podcast.

For more information about improving farm safety for you, your family, workers and contractors, contact one of our partner organisations:

The Making our Farms Safer Safety Advisors can help identify safety equipment and infrastructure that would be beneficial for your farm. For more information contact John Darcy 0432 156 223 or Richard Versteegen 0499 772 472.

WorkSafe Victoria provides agriculture safety information in addition to the occupational health and safety (OHS) Essentials program - a free workplace safety consultation service, delivered by independent OHS experts. The service is a great way to receive free, independent and personalised advice to manage safety at your workplace, call 1800 136 089 for more information.

Kidsafe Victoria has resources including the Farm Safety Checklist and a Parent’s Guide to Kidsafe Farms, call (03) 9036 2306 for more information.

Funded by Smarter, Safer Farms a $20 million Victorian Government commitment to improve skills and safety outcomes for Victorian farmers.

[Back to Top]

Stock Containment Areas (SCAs) are a versatile management tool for Australian sheep and cattle producers. Our webinars, as part of the Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) productivity and profitability series, covered the planning, design and use of SCAs.

Part 1: Where does a SCA fit in a farming system? 

• considerations for site selection
• how does a SCA fit into your farming system
• using stock containment areas during emergencies.

Part 2: SCA design

• design, including the welfare requirements for stock density
• feed systems, water systems and water quality
• design considerations for year-round usage.

Part 3: Nutrition, management and risks in stock containment 

• managing livestock in SCAs
• tactical SCA use for farm management
• nutritional requirements of different classes of stock
• common animal health risks and mitigations.

To view the three webinars online, visit the MLA website. 

[Back to Top]

If you have experience in livestock farming, please complete this survey to help us understand the on-farm issues and challenges that negatively impact livestock outcomes. This will include questions about the farmer, farm, animals, nutrition and husbandry, as well as challenges to improvement.

This survey forms part of a larger PhD thesis being completed by Natarsha Williams from the Melbourne Veterinary School, University of Melbourne.

Eligibility criteria: Participants must be at least 18 years old and have worked with non-dairy: cattle, sheep and goats for at least six months.

Participation in the survey is voluntary and all submissions will remain anonymous.

You can access the survey online. The survey will take 15-20 minutes to complete.

[Back to Top]

Dr Jeff Cave, Senior Veterinary Officer

Victorian farmers know how important it is to be prepared and have a plan in place for their livestock during fire season.

The 2019/20 bushfires damaged fencing, and other infrastructure, facilities and supplementary feed stores, burnt pastures, and resulted in the loss of thousands of sheep and cattle.

Farmers were also required to move around 160,000 livestock to alternative locations across Victoria and interstate urgently both prior to, during and post the bushfires.

Now is the time for livestock owners to get prepared and have a clear strategy to put in place in case a fire breaks out on their farm.

A key factor in minimising the threat to livestock during a bushfire or on extreme fire danger days, is to identify safer areas on-farm where livestock can be moved to.

The area you choose will depend on the type of livestock and their expected behaviour during a bushfire.

To reduce potential injury and death to livestock you should consider relocating stock to designated low risk areas during days of high fire danger and Total Fire Bans. Low risk areas include:

• ploughed paddocks, areas cultivated and kept free of combustible vegetation
• bared-out paddocks, provided they are well defended by fire breaks
• irrigated paddocks or paddocks containing green summer crops (green feed does not burn easily)
• stockyards that can be wet in advance. However, the yards must be well defended as the fire front passes.

All low-risk areas should have sufficient drinking water to enable stock to remain in the area for extended periods of high fire risk and high temperatures, be protected by firebreaks and be free of leaf, twigs and bark build-up. Areas where there are dams and swamps are another possible option.

For more information on stock containment areas for emergencies visit the Agriculture Victoria website. 

Stockyards have been known to successfully hold livestock during a bushfire, if protected by a firebreak. If this is your preferred option, consider using a sprinkler system, similar to stock being held together on a hot day, as they can suffer heat stress.

Horses should not be locked up in small areas or stables but moved to an open paddock with minimal vegetation, so they can move freely.

Horses are good at moving themselves to safe open areas and usually suffer minimal burns if left to do so.

If equipment such as rugs, halters and flyveils remain on horses, the plastic may melt, and metal buckles can burn the animal. Therefore, consider using rope halters for easier handling and management.

It’s crucial not to open gates that may allow stock access to public roadways, as any animals will be a hazard to traffic in smoky conditions.

On days of extreme fire danger or on the day before, stock should be moved into lower risk areas on-farm, or to a safer property.

Agriculture Victoria advises livestock owners to act early and not get caught trying to move stock as a bushfire approaches, listen to weather forecasts and observe your own environment to help you decide when to put your plan into action.

For further information on preparing a farm and livestock bushfire plan visit the Agriculture Victoria website or contact us on 136 186.

[Back to Top]

Victoria’s livestock producers have recorded some of their best profit performances in almost 20 years and are using the good times to prepare for the future.

Agriculture Victoria Farm Business Economist, Sam Henty, said the results of the 51st Livestock Farm Monitor Project showed 97 of the 113 participating farm businesses recorded a positive 2020-21 profit result.

“The 2020-21 project results identified strong red meat prices and good seasonal conditions helped keep farm incomes and stocking rates high,” Mr Henty said.

“Sheep and cattle producers are using the favourable conditions to prepare for future challenges, such as climate change, by investing in new or upgrading machinery, repaying debt and applying capital fertiliser to pastures.”

The South-West had the highest profit of all the regions with farms maintaining quality pastures and increasing stocking rates to the second-highest level ever recorded.

The livestock sector has faced seasonal challenges in Gippsland and Northern Victoria with drought, fires and floods in recent years and the improved performances in these two regions is welcome news.

Farmers in Northern Victoria doubled their profit in 2020-21 compared to the previous year and recorded the highest average gross farm income in the project’s history for this region.

Northern Victorian farmers achieved this by increasing livestock and feed inventories and using the additional pasture growth to rebuild stock numbers, particularly in sheep enterprises, to the highest levels recorded in 17 years.

Favourable rainfall at key times in East and Central Gippsland increased pasture availability and reduced variable costs due to a lower reliance on supplementary feed.

Gippsland farmers took advantage of the record high beef prices, with farms recording their third highest profit in 17 years of the project.

Participation in the 2020-21 project was the highest in 12 years with increased participation underpinned by Agriculture Victoria’s sheep and beef networks known as the BestWool/BestLamb (BWBL) and BetterBeef (BB).

Livestock Farm Monitor participants’ identity is kept anonymous and each receives a confidential individualised report to use to understand the cash, profit and wealth position of their business which helps inform investment decisions (including loan applications), on-farm decision making and resilience building.

Read the report in full on the Agriculture Victoria website. 

[Back to Top]

Are you a farmer living in the East Gippsland or the Wellington local government areas seeking to be better prepared for drought? If so, you may be eligible to apply for an On-Farm Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate.

The $1.9 million scheme, co-funded by the Commonwealth and Victorian Government, is providing eligible farm businesses a one-off 25 per cent rebate up to $25,000 (GST exclusive).

Rebates can be used to purchase, deliver and/or professionally install water infrastructure for grazing livestock and permanent horticultural plantings that make your farm business more resilient to drought.

The scheme is open – so don’t delay, apply today!

For full details visit the Rural Finance website.

[Back to Top]

The 2022 Victorian Crop Sowing Guide is now available to support growers with their variety choices ahead of next year’s sowing programs.

The guide provides the most up-to-date information on crop variety performance and crop disease resistance ratings, based on the national variety trials data from the previous five seasons. View the guide online.

[Back to Top]

An updated recovery guide is now available to help farmers rebuild and provide a one-stop reference to the support available. The guide includes steps to take immediately after the fire and for short-term recovery and longer-term rebuilding. It covers re-fencing, dealing with erosion and flooding, pasture recovery, pest and weed control and preparing for the next season.

The printed booklet is available from Agriculture Victoria, by contacting our agriculture recovery managers (details noted below) or phone 136 186 or digital version online.

[Back to Top]

The Victorian and Commonwealth Government are supporting landholders impacted by fires and floods across Victoria.

For more information on bushfire recovery programs or recovery from floods/storm events, visit the Agriculture Victoria website or phone 136 186.

Regional Agriculture Victoria recovery managers;

• North East – Kylie Macreadie 0428 975 728 or email
• Gippsland – Darren Hickey 0457 609 140 or email

Visit the Bushfire Recovery Victoria website or 1800 560 760.

[Back to Top]

Rural Financial Counselling Service

The Rural Financial Counselling Service (RFCS) have an experienced team ready to assist primary producers and small rural business in recovery planning. Financial counsellors can help develop financial forecasts and business plans required for lenders or investors, plus connect with support agencies and services. RFCS provides free financial counselling to farmers and small related businesses who are in, or at risk of, financial hardship. They can also assist with filling in forms and grant applications. For more information or to book an appointment call RFCS Gippsland on 1300 045 747 or RFCS North East on 1300 834 775.

[Back to Top]

The Regional Weather and Climate Guides project is part of the Commonwealth Government Drought Assistance Package. The project aims to improve the resilience of farming businesses by providing localised facts about the likelihood, severity, and duration of key weather variables in regions across the country.

The weather and climate information will be delivered through a set of guides corresponding to Australia's Natural Resource Management regions. The project is a collaboration between the Bureau of Meteorology, the CSIRO, and FarmLink Research. The guides have been developed in collaboration with representatives from each NRM region to ensure the information is tailored to the needs of local farmers and agribusinesses.

For more information visit the Bureau of Meteorology.

[Back to Top]

Agriculture Victoria’s Ag Recovery Team can provide support to producers following the June storms and floods across Victoria.

There is Agriculture Recovery support available in each of the regions affected including Central and southwest Gippsland, Central Highlands, Macedon Ranges and Yarra Valley and surrounds, to provide support with issues in livestock, dairy, cropping, irrigation and horticulture.

Agriculture Victoria can offer technical advice on:

• Pasture recovery and grazing management
• Soil erosion management
• Animal health, nutrition and feed budgeting
• Whole farm planning
• Water quality, budgeting
• Farm water reticulation and dam management
• Farm business planning.

Producers and growers are encouraged to contact the Agriculture Victoria Ag Recovery Team on 0427 694 185 or email. 

[Back to Top]

Visit Agriculture Victoria’s website for the latest information and resources relating to livestock and animals.

Agriculture Victoria is delivering workshops, farm walks and information sessions online. Virtual events might include webinars, teleconferences or livestreams. Visit Agriculture Victoria events for a comprehensive list of upcoming activities.

The RFCS provides free financial counselling to farmers and small related businesses who are in, or at risk of, financial hardship. Counsellors can also assist applicants to apply for the Farm Household Allowance (FHA).

For more information visit the RFCS or call the national toll free number on 1300 045 747 (select option four for Victoria).

The National Centre for Farmer Health (NCFH) provides health and safety education and advice to farmers and their families via the Online Ag Health program. 

For more information visit the National Centre for Farmer Health or contact Cecilia Fitzgerald on (03) 5551 8533

[Back to Top]