In this edition:

• Get emergency information in your hands
• Dry seasons and drought support
• Repeat offender pleads guilty to aggravated cruelty to livestock
• Crowning Victoria’s premier wine for 2024
• Feeding livestock video series
• Ag Vic Talk Series 8 Episode 7 Biosecurity
• Hook, line and sinker supersized fish stocking this winter
• Healthy Landscapes program
• Victorian Gorse Taskforce community grants now open
• Free financial counselling
• Registration period extended for Cultivating Futures in Farming mentor program
• Faba bean aphid factsheet
• Mobile command centres to fight biosecurity emergencies
• In case you missed it
• What's on

Download the VicEmergency app and set up a watch zone to receive up to date information about the avian influenza situation straight to your phone.

VicEmergency is Victoria’s combined source of information and warnings, with everything from fires and floods to shark sightings and earthquakes. It’s handy no matter where you are in the state.

There are currently two Community Information messages about avian influenza – stay informed by downloading the app or visiting www.emergency.vic.gov.au 

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.

Recently at the Kerang Magistrates’ Court, northern Victorian farmer Bruce Cook pleaded guilty to 3 charges of aggravated cruelty, one charge of breaching an adjourned undertaking imposed in 2021 and was found guilty of transporting livestock not able to walk on its own.

His Honour Magistrate Lennon imposed a Community Corrections Order with conviction for 12 months with a condition he perform 100 hours of community service as well as an aggregate fine of $2,000.

Mr Cook was also re-sentenced for the 2021 offences which involved aggravated cruelty and failing to provide proper and sufficient drink for which he originally received an adjourned undertaking with a condition to pay $5,000.

In re-sentencing, the Court took into account the fact Mr Cook had paid the $5,000 and he was re-sentenced to a fine of $500 with conviction. Costs were also awarded in the sum of $5,288.33.

A control order was imposed for 2 years with conditions to provide proper and sufficient food, drink and water, to provide veterinary or other appropriate attention or treatment and monitoring.

Agriculture Victoria Animal Health and Welfare Compliance Manager Daniel Bode said authorised inspectors attended a property in Lake Charm in March 2022 after receiving a complaint.

‘A large, circular, concrete water trough partially buried in the ground contained seven deceased sheep plus one which was alive. All had exceptionally low body condition,’ Mr Bode said.

‘The trough was designed for larger animals as sheep troughs have shallower sides to enable them to escape if they enter.

‘The water had faeces and debris floating in it and the carcasses had started to break down. The trough was the only water source for the sheep.

‘The sheep which was alive was unable to support its own weight and was euthanised by inspectors. A lamb with an injury to its limb, unable to walk, was also euthanised.’

Mr Bode said apart from the obvious pain and suffering of the animals, animal welfare breaches can jeopardise Victoria’s reputation as a humane and responsible producer of food, which can affect all producers.

‘This is a reminder to all livestock producers that animal cruelty will not be tolerated by the Victorian Government or the community.’

Anyone wishing to make a specific complaint in regard to livestock welfare can contact Agriculture Victoria on 136 186 or aw.complaint@agriculture.vic.gov.au

Some of Victoria’s most established winemakers have been in the spotlight at this year’s Victorian Wine Show, showcasing the best wine on offer from across the state.

Premier Jacinta Allan joined Minister for Agriculture Ros Spence and Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier Nick Staikos in celebrating the winners of the Premier’s Trophy and the Premier’s Choice Award.

A panel of industry experts including winemakers and sommeliers awarded the prestigious Premier’s Trophy to a 2022 Oakdene Liz's Chardonnay. Oakdene is a boutique, family-owned vineyard on the Bellarine Peninsula near Geelong and was among the finalists at the 2023 Victorian Wine Show.

Launched in 2017, the Premier’s Trophy aims to showcase the finest local wines and promote Victoria’s diverse wine regions.

The Premier awarded her personal favourite among the finalists, selecting 2017 Midhill Blanc de Blancas the recipient of the Premier’s Choice Award, the wine was produced by Midhill at their Macedon Ranges Vineyard.

A 2022 De Bortoli Rutherglen Estate Sangiovese from the De Bortoli Shelley’s Vineyard took home the international award. This wine was chosen by a Japanese judge and was featured at Tokyo FoodEx in March 2024 – Tokyo’s premier food and beverage expo – with the support of the government.

Wine is an integral part of Victoria’s regional economy, providing jobs at wineries, vineyards, and cellar doors while serving as a popular tourist attraction.

The government is working with industry representatives to develop a new Wine Strategy to help shape the future of the industry. Consultation will begin via EngageVic in July, supported by a series of focused, regional forums.

For more information about the Victorian Wine Strategy, visit the agriculture.vic.gov.au.

Many producers are facing a challenging winter ahead. Our short ‘How to’ video series is a great resource for key considerations when feeding livestock.

The series covers how to:

• calculate what to feed
• costing out your feeds
• how much to feed
• estimating animal performance.

The calculations in the videos are easy to follow and can be adapted to a range of feeding scenarios for cattle and sheep.

Visit the Feeding Livestock website to watch the series.

Taryan Mathews from Precision Alpaca Group brings large amounts of fodder onto her property to feed 600 alpacas. 

This means biosecurity is front of mind to manage the risks of pests or disease entering her property.

Taryan provides some practical steps that farmers can take to manage biosecurity risks and keep livestock healthy. 

Listen via the AgVic website.

The Victorian Government is making sure Victoria’s little anglers can get hooked on a new hobby these winter school holidays – with more than 35,000 catchable-size rainbow trout being stocked into 80 lakes across the state.

Minister for Outdoor Recreation Steve Dimopoulos recently stocked more than 400 rainbow trout in Karkarook Park Lake in Moorabbin, which has helped us reach a record-breaking stocking of 11.5 million this year – smashing our previous record of 10 million.

More fish are stocked in Victoria than every other state and territory combined – with Murray cod, golden perch, brown and rainbow trout, threatened Macquarie perch, dusky flathead, Australian bass and more bolstering world-class fishing experiences that are easy and accessible for every Victorian to enjoy.

The Victorian Government’s $96 million Go Fishing and Boating Plan has backed the Victorian Fisheries Authority to stock more than 29.5 million fish since 2021 – attracting more families and friends to every corner of Victoria to enjoy this great activity.

From Ouyen to Warrnambool, Gippsland to Shepparton, lakes across Victoria feature pontoons or jetties, accessible paths and parking for fishers of all abilities as well as other nearby facilities like barbecues and toilets to make it easier for families across Victoria to wet a line and enjoy the great outdoors this school holidays.

There’s never been a better time for Victorian kids to start their fishing journey thanks to the government’s Little Angler Kits program which has delivered 95,000 kits to every grade 5 student in Victorian schools so more young anglers can try their luck at their local lake.

The kits also include a kids’ guide to fishing with safety messages and educational videos that teach budding fishers tips for catching fish as well as responsible fishing practices – inspiring kids to discover this active, healthy pastime and giving families the information and equipment they need to get started.

To view the full list of Family Fishing Lakes and see what’s been stocked, head to www.vfa.vic.gov.au/holidaytrout.

Commencing on 2 August 2024, Healthy Landscapes will again be running its successful Holistic Grazing Management course.

The course is designed with six meeting days over nine months to assist land managers in improving their skills and knowledge about grazing livestock, to increase soil health and perennial pasture species, including native species.

The Healthy Landscapes program is delivered as a partnership between Macedon Ranges Shire Council, Hepburn Shire Council, Mount Alexander Shire Council, the City of Greater Bendigo, A Healthy Coliban Catchment project (North Central Catchment Management Authority and Coliban Water), Melbourne Water and the Upper Campaspe Landcare Network. Places are available to rate payers from City of Greater Bendigo, Hepburn, Macedon Ranges and Mount Alexander.

For more information and to register, visit Healthy Landscapes.

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 rfcsnetwork.com.au or call 1300 771 741.

CFF is a free program designed for our ‘next generation farm managers’ and facilitated by Pinion Advisory.

Participants learn from mentors, experts and peers to gain confidence in decision making and how to develop the financial, business and people management skills for running a farm business.

The program consists of face-to-face workshops (including farm visits), online webinars and individual coaching sessions.

If you missed our recent Zoom webinar on the ‘Cultivating Futures in Farming’ (CFF) mentor program you can catch up here.

Passcode: Bupcq7

Registrations for the 2024-25 program close Wednesday 7 August.

Visit the Cultivating Futures in Farming page on the Agriculture Victoria website to learn more and apply.

The VGT annual Community Grants Program is now open for 2024/25.

The Victorian Gorse Taskforce (VGT) with support from Agriculture Victoria offers funding support for community-led gorse control projects.

Community grants program objectives:

• Reduce the impacts of gorse on environmental, agricultural, and social values
• Strengthen community and stakeholder connections for better gorse outcomes
• Build community knowledge and capacity in managing gorse
• Promote best practice gorse management.

Funding
Community groups may apply for funding up to $8,000 for on ground gorse control works on private land. All participating landholders involved may receive up to $1,500 in grant funding and must match this with their own monetary contribution.

Eligibility
Grants are available to all Victorian community group organisations that have a focus on improving natural and agricultural areas.

How to apply
Visit vicgorsetaskforce.com.au/community-projects/community-grants/ and download a copy of the 2024/25 VGT Community Grants Funding Guidelines and Application Form.

Once you have completed your application, email info@vicgorsetaskforce.com.au.

Applications close on 12 July 2024.

For more information, contact the VGT on 0417 593 250 or send an email to info@vicgorsetaskforce.com.au

Faba bean aphid (FBA) is an emerging pest of faba beans, broad beans, vetch, and potentially other legumes and pulses. It persists in hot, dry conditions, and mostly impacts mature, moisture-stressed crops in spring and is a vector for bean leaf roll mosaic virus and pea seed-borne mosaic virus.

The frequency and severity of FBA outbreaks have increased and spread through the northern and southern grain growing regions.

The Grains Research & Development Corporation (GRDC) and Cesar Australia have published a fact sheet for growers about this pest and management options.

Download the fact sheet from the GRDC website.

Two new state-of-the-art Mobile Incident Command Centres have been deployed to Meredith to boost efforts to fight the current avian influenza outbreak in Victoria.

Minister for Agriculture Ros Spence today launched the two purpose-built Mobile Incident Command Centres and attended the first meeting of the Biosecurity Reference Group at Agriculture Victoria’s Attwood Centre.

The trucks were previously used by State Emergency Services (SES) and have been refurbished and equipped with enhanced IT including satellite access and audio-visual equipment – allowing Agriculture Victoria’s biosecurity team to be on ground where outbreaks are occurring and still have access to key facilities and equipment.

Agriculture Victoria’s field operations teams have benefitted from the connected workspace already, with seamless communication and coordination between the officers at the outbreak and the Local Control Centre Incident Management Team set up in Ballarat.

The first truck was completed in May and has been stationed in Meredith since the avian influenza incident began, the second truck is now complete and will make its way to Meredith today.

The refurbishment was carried out by R.A Bell in Sunshine, a Victorian design and manufacturing company of emergency response vehicles.

Each truck is named after former Animal Health Officers – Aileen Eccles, the first female Animal Health Officer appointed in Victoria in 1980 and Alan Ross who was the longest serving Animal Health Officer for 55 years with Agriculture Victoria.

Victoria’s Biosecurity Reference Group met today to discuss the biosecurity risks and challenges facing Victoria, including the current avian influenza outbreak. The group of 15 experts represent all areas of the biosecurity system, including Traditional Owners, agricultural sector, supply chains, community and environment.

Since 2022, the Victorian Government has invested $43 million to deliver dedicated emergency animal disease (EAD) preparedness – backed by $12.9 million from the Victorian Budget 2024/25 for EAD preparedness, coordination, waste disposal, technical and specialist capability, surge workforce readiness, and traceability systems.

Avian influenza detected at eighth farm in Victoria

Avian influenza virus has been confirmed at an eighth Victorian farm, which was already in quarantine.

Read the full media release here

Choosing the best feed this winter

When choosing the best feed to purchase for sheep or cattle, there are a few things to take into account – especially when feeding over winter.

Read the media release in full here:

Research investment digs into the future of soil health

Two Victorian research projects are soon to be underway to protect the health of one of Australia’s most important living assets – soil

For more information about the National Soil Action Plan, visit agriculture.gov.au/agriculture-land.

Birchip Cropping Group Farm Tech podcast series featuring Tim Rethus

The first episode of On the Horizon: Farm Tech is out now! Listen to Wimmera farmer Tim Rethus, who shares his insights into new farm tech and when to pull the trigger.
Listen at https://buff.ly/3t0s5ik or search 'Shared Ag Solutions by BCG' wherever you get your podcasts.

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.

Join BCG for a farm walk and hear a local grower share why their family prioritises safety, and how they have implemented safer farming practices. At the event, we'll share practical approaches to improving safety in key areas such as around silos, machinery shed, chemical shed and shearing shed.

You'll also learn more about how to develop and implement safety policies, and effective communication strategies for having safety conversations.

📅 Tuesday 2 July
🕓 9:30 am - 11:30 am
📌 Corner of Lah Angle Rd & Lah East Rd, Lah, VIC 3393
🍞 BBQ lunch provided

Learn more and register at www.bcg.org.au/event/farm-safety-walk/

The GSSA conference at Bendigo on 17-18 July will offer something for everyone.

The central theme will focus on ‘Evidence Based Decision Making’ and the topics have been built around what farmers need to know.

Delegates will be able to choose from 2 bus tours.

One to a property north of Bendigo integrating lucerne into a profitable livestock system and one to a higher rainfall perennial pasture property south of Bendigo.

Topics will include:

• Carbon - An informed farmers perspective
• Carbon neutral livestock production - is it possible?
• Soil carbon and fertility
• Measuring and knowing your soil carbon levels
• Old clover identification and sub optimal clover nodulation
• Paddock livestock weighing
• What bugs you?
• Use of drones in agriculture
• Facial livestock recognition
• Remote pasture measurement
• Running lambs on improved varieties of perennial ryegrass vs more persistent Victorian ryegrass - animal responses above yield responses
• N efficiency and endophytes in ryegrass pastures
• Introduction to fertiliser calculator tool.

Click here for more information – 2024 GSSA Annual Conference

The upcoming Irrigation Insights Conference, scheduled for Wednesday, 24 July, and Thursday, 25 July, at the Rich River Golf Club in Moama.

The conference is a collaboration between dairy, grains and cotton with the aim of providing information for profitable and sustainable farm business. Our program features sessions covering the latest research, technological advancements, and sustainable practices.

Conference highlights:

• Exploring marketing and consumer trends - Ron Storey, Storey Marketing
• New technology in weed control - Michael Walsh, Gulbali Institute for Agriculture, Water and Environment, Charles Sturt University
• Latest advances in nitrogen fertiliser - Helen Suter School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne.
• Over the gate - practices and innovation driving on farm productivity Panel - hear what other farmers are implementing to ensure productive sustainable businesses into the future.
• Grain, forage and fodder - mitigating risk of summer crop options (cotton, maize, sorghum) - Kieran O’Keefe Regional Extension Officer, CottonInfo and Yvette Williams, Research and Innovation Coordinator Murray Dairy
• Seeds of hope: The Aussie Hay Runners' Journey - Peter Wuthrich Aussie Hay Runners

The Gala Dinner on the evening of Wednesday 24 July, will commemorate our 25 years of the Irrigation Farmers Network achievements in RD&E. Featuring Renee Anderson, farmer and ag industry advocate as our special guest speaker.

For more information, please click here

Book tickets now 

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