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Thursday 24 October 2024
In this edition:
Have you reviewed your farm fire plan?

A fire plan can help protect your home, livestock and vital farm infrastructure.

It will also help identify what you need to do and when you need to do it in preparation for the upcoming fire season.

Start today by downloading a copy of the Farm Fire Preparedness Toolkit.

Webinar recording: Does it make cents to finish lambs?

Did you miss our recent webinar ‘Does it make cents to finish lambs?’

Catch up on the recording here. 

Presenter Geoff Duddy talks through decision-making around finishing lambs on grain versus selling as stores.

Geoff is recognised nationally as a lamb feedlotting specialist and co-developed the Sheep CRC Lamb Feedlot Calculator.

WorkSafe - cattle crush guide
WorkSafe - a safe cattle crush is essential to operator safety, animal welfare and can improve your bottom line.

A safe cattle crush increases efficiency and reduces the risk of injury. Use this quick guide to check the safety of your cattle crush.

Visit the WorkSafe website.

Enhanced surveillance for animal disease in Victoria

Dr Jeff Cave, Agriculture Victoria Senior Veterinary Officer

Victoria’s livestock industries are fortunate to be free of most of the serious diseases that affect animals in other parts of the world.

Despite this fact, on-going surveillance for new or exotic disease is important to reassure our trading partners of Victoria’s favourable disease status and to ensure the early detection of diseases that might impact on trade, public health, and farm or regional productivity.

Agriculture Victoria has an initiative that allows veterinarians who investigate and report on outbreaks of unusual or significant animal disease to be paid a subsidy to help cover the cost of the investigation and associated laboratory fees.

This subsidy may be paid when:

  • a large number of animals are affected or there is an unusual presentation of a disease
  • an initial investigation fails to establish a diagnosis, or veterinary treatment does not produce the expected response
  • clinical signs are consistent with an emergency disease without a clear alternative diagnosis
  • findings suggest a possible effect on trade, public health or the viability of a farm, industry or region.

This will increase the likelihood of detecting a serious animal disease should one occur and assist in covering the cost to farmers of investigating and reporting an animal disease outbreak.

Payment of subsidies is conditional upon approval being given by Agriculture Victoria before the investigation begins.

When there is a genuine suspicion of an exotic or emergency disease Agriculture Victoria will undertake the disease investigation and cover the full cost of the investigation.

In summary, early detection of new or exotic diseases depends on farmers, vets and government working together:

  • producers and animal owners should call their vet when an unusual disease occurs in their stock
  • veterinary practitioners must remain vigilant and consider the possibility of new, unusual or exotic diseases
  • unusual disease incidents should be fully investigated, and appropriate samples should be submitted to veterinary laboratories.

Early detection of emerging or exotic diseases is the key to their effective management.

If you suspect an exotic or emergency disease, please contact your local veterinarian, or Agriculture Victoria veterinary or animal health officer, or the Disease Watch Hotline on 1800 675 888.

Victoria’s finger on the pulse with new research
A green leafy plant

The Victorian Government is boosting Victoria’s pulse production with new research that will help solidify Australia as an industry leader and meet growing global demand for plant proteins.

Minister for Agriculture Ros Spence recently announced $2.4 million towards a new research project at the Horsham Smart farm with the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC).

The Grains Research and Development Corporation invested $8.8 million on behalf of Australian grain growers, and $2.4 million from industry collaborators.

The four-year project will help Australian pulse producers develop varieties with traits that are driven by the market – supporting Australian farmers to market demand and ensure consumers are getting the product they want.

The national project will involve all parts of the pulse supply chain, including 13 subcontractors, food and ingredient manufacturers and processors, as well as an international partner.

The project will capitalise on the growing plant-based protein market, with demand for these foods forecast to surpass $250 billion globally by 2035.

Australia exports on average 2.5 million tonnes of pulses a year, making us the second largest pulse exporter in the world. More than 90% of Australia’s pulses are exported with prices defined by visual quality and used primarily for human consumption with a small proportion sold into the lower value, domestic livestock feed market.

Victoria is a major contributor to Australia’s pulse industry, generating $638 million in export income last financial year.

For more information about the project visit, grdc.com.au.

Funding available for irrigation demonstration trials
Funding now available for irrigation trials

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: 

  • reduce nutrient runoff from irrigated land 
  • manage salinity on irrigated land 
  • promote regional economic growth 
  • enhance cultural or social values in irrigation communities
  • 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.

10 tips to reduce the risk of harvester fires this season
Grain harvesting

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:

  1. 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.
  2. Pulse crops are substantially more volatile than cereals so extra care and vigilance is required when harvesting these.
  3. Monitoring and logging bearing temperatures with an infrared heat gun or thermal imager helps identify at-risk bearings so they can be replaced before failure.
  4. 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.
  5. Have at least the minimum required water and fire-fighting unit in the paddock being harvested.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.

Apply for new Future Drought Fund grants to support Aussie farmers
A farmer in a field, walking towards a tractor. The text reads: Future Drought Fund grants

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

Gippsland Dairy Industry Strategy – Consultation workshops

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.

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: 

  • promote Gippsland's strengths for attracting investment in dairy
  • provide a strategic document to influence planning and decision making by government, private enterprise, and regional planners
  • 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. 

To register for one of our workshops, please follow the links below.

 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.

Dry seasons support

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.

Free financial counselling with RFCS
A dog on the back of a ute. The text reads: free financial counselling with the Rural Financial Counselling Service - 1300 771 741

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.

In case you missed it

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.

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.

What's on
Image of a group of people at an event in a green paddock listening to a presenter with the text 'what's on: online and on-farm events'

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.

Omeo demo site paddock walk
soil moisture probe

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.

We will discuss: 

  • current seasonal conditions
  • management considerations for spring and into summer
  • 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.

Webinar: Hort Innovation – consumer insights on sustainability

How is sustainability influencing how Australians shop for fresh produce – and what does sustainability even mean to people in this context? 

Join Hort Innovation research team as they share insights about:

  • How sustainability is shaping what produce Australians buy, and how this has changed over the last year
  • How ‘best before’ dates influence what consumers do with fresh produce
  • What consumers think about packaging – plastic packaging in particular
  • What can be done to reduce food waste in households.

This webinar is ideal for those engaged in marketing, sales and category management for fruit, nuts and vegetables, but is open to all who are interested.

Date: Monday October 28, 11 am to 12 pm 

Register here.

Carbon Farming Outreach Program

The Carbon Farming Outreach Program gets underway this month and is open to all Victorian farmers.

The program assists farmers and land managers to understand and make informed decisions on carbon farming, including:  

  • the fundamentals of carbon farming  
  • sources of emissions and options to reduce emissions and store carbon
  • how to determine your emissions profile 
  • understanding and navigating carbon credit markets. 

Hosted by Catchment Management Authorities, these sessions will share the latest information about carbon farming. 

For more information and to register for updates, visit the Carbon Farming Outreach Program page on our website.

This program is delivered with funding from the Commonwealth of Australia as part of the National Carbon Farming Outreach Program.

Healesville Business Skills for the Future workshops

Calling horticulture businesses and commercial beekeepers - join our upcoming Business Skills for the Future workshops in Healesville.

Gavin Beever from Cumbre Consulting will cover topics such as profitable decision making, cash flow budgeting, understanding key business performance ratios, succession planning and more. 

When: Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13 November, 
from 9:30 am to 3 pm 

Where: Healesville RSL.

Register here.

Variable rate irrigation (VRI) farm walk
Variable rate irrigation farm walk

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.

Regional Victorian Artificial Intelligence Forum

Regional Victoria’s showcase on AI in industry.

Learn how AI and the latest cutting-edge technologies can help transform and revolutionise your business. 

Join us at Regional Development Australia Melbourne’s (RDAM) upcoming Artificial Intelligence Forum, to be held in Bendigo on 15 November. 

This forum will highlight the importance of understanding and harnessing these innovative technology solutions, their benefits and practical applications in business, as well as address concerns surrounding risk, compliance, and legislation of AI in industry.  

For early adopters of AI or for businesses starting to explore the space, the forum will inform, showcase, and inspire. 

Showcasing demonstrations of real-world adoption of AI and digital innovation, we will talk to and hear insights from industry leaders and businesses driving productivity and innovation through the integration of AI.   

With keynotes, panel discussion and collaborative conversation, this will be a platform to connect and explore the array of opportunities in AI businesses are undertaking in regional areas and beyond. 

Speakers include:

  • Simon Wilson, CEO Founder of Australian Regional AI Network and CEO of RegGrid
  • Jannat Maqbool, Manager of Industry Programs at ARM AI Adopt Centre. Jannat has 25 years of experience in IoT and smart cities, financial services innovation, digital engineering, and AI, across Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore, and is actively engaged in the technology ecosystem.

Case study presenters/demonstrators include:

  • Stef Cola, Director of Engineering at CultureAmp, and founder of Ligantic  (Innovative chat tool powered by AI)
  • Briana Cowan, founder of Mingle Media, runs workshops on leveraging AI to boost productivity in business
  • Edward Barraclough, founder of Drone-Hand, autonomous livestock and total property monitoring

Tickets are available here.

Shearer Training Course
Australian Wool Innovation Limited event

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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Contacting Agriculture Victoria

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.

 

'Like' our Agriculture Victoria Facebook page.

 

Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) @VicGovAg

 

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Privacy | Email: makayla.rimington@deeca.vic.gov.au

 
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