• Varroa mite detected in Victoria
• Bird owners urged to remain vigilant
• Avian influenza movement restrictions eased
• Applications for the Rural Women’s Network Leadership and Mentoring program are now open!
• Apiarist faces court for ignoring destruction orders
• Celebrating National Science Week at Ellinbank SmartFarm
• To clean or not to clean? Managing dam sediment
• Recording: Victoria's spring seasonal outlook
• Telehandler licence training
• Innovative solutions to biosecurity control
• Dry seasons support
• Fox and wild dog bounty
• Free financial counselling with RFCS
• In case you missed it
• What's on

Agriculture Victoria has confirmed varroa mite has been detected for the first time in Victoria at a property in Nangiloc near Mildura.

The infested hive was identified during Agriculture Victoria’s surveillance activities which are carried out each year during almond pollination.

Agriculture Victoria Acting Chief Plant Health Officer Dr Stephen Dibley said Agriculture Victoria is working with the affected beekeeper and others close by to minimise spread and guide management actions.

'This early detection of Varroa mite enables Victorian beekeepers to prepare and manage their hives effectively,' Dr Dibley said.

Varroa mite (Varroa destructor) is a parasite of adult honey bees and honey bee brood. It weakens and kills honey bee colonies and can also transmit honey bee viruses.

It was first detected in Australia near Newcastle in NSW in 2022 and is being managed through the National Varroa Mite Response Plan which is focussed on preparing industry to live with and effectively manage Varroa mite.

Varroa mite does not affect native bees.

In line with the National Varroa Mite Response Plan, Agriculture Victoria is working closely with beekeepers and orchardists to minimise the impacts on beehives and the almond pollination.

A team of 12 varroa development officers have been recruited in Victoria under the National Varroa Mite Response Plan and they are available to provide guidance directly to beekeepers on how to manage Varroa mite and appropriately utilise the chemical control options available.

There are also Varroa Management Training workshops occurring across Victoria this month, which cover monitoring and threshold surveillance actions, integrated pest management techniques, record-keeping, and chemical treatments, including organic options.

'With varroa mite established in New South Wales and measures in place to slow the spread nationally, the detection this week was not unexpected despite the requirements in place to enter the state,' Dr Dibley said.

'I encourage all beekeepers to be prepared to manage varroa in their hives by attending one of the free workshops, engaging with varroa development officers and accessing all the resources available.'

Beekeepers with concerns can contact Victorian varroa development officers at Victorian.VDO@agriculture.vic.gov.au or on 1800 958 485.

Beekeepers in Victoria are urged to check their hives and to report suspected cases of varroa mite to the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on 1800 084 881.

All Victorian beekeepers are encouraged to record all hive movements and inspections, and the results of mite testing in BeeMAX.

For more information and updates on this detection, and any further Victorian varroa mite detections, visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/varroa.

As we continue to respond to the avian flu outbreak, we’re urging bird owners to remain vigilant. 

Look out for symptoms and report any unexplained bird deaths to the VicEmergency hotline on 1800 226 226. 

For more information, visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/avianflu

A poultry housing requirement that has been in effect to control the spread of high pathogenicity avian influenza near Terang and Meredith will be lifted for some birds from today, Thursday 15 August 2024.

As no further cases of high pathogenicity avian influenza have been detected in Victoria since 24 June, changes to the control orders have been gazetted, taking Victoria one step closer to being free from the high pathogenicity avian influenza virus.

The H7N3 strain of the virus was detected at seven properties close to Meredith, the last of which occurred on 24 June, while the H7N9 strain was detected at one property near Terang on 24 May.

From Thursday, 15 August 2024:

• the housing requirement for poultry in the control areas surrounding Meredith and Terang have been lifted
• the restricted area around the Terang infected property has been reduced from a 5km to a 1.5 km radius
• the control area at Terang has also been reduced from a 15km to a 5km radius.

The control and restricted areas in the Meredith area will remain the same.

Victoria’s Acting Chief Veterinary Officer Sally Salmon said staff continue to undertake disease monitoring activities, including property visits, phone calls and dead bird collections, and testing samples collected from properties in the restricted and control areas.

‘Everyone’s cooperation has been critical in allowing this easing of restrictions,’ she said.

‘Every text replied to, phone call answered, dead bird report, and live bird testing has, and will, help us get to the next step of lifting restrictions further.

‘Affected properties are continuing to be supported during ongoing decontamination, and egg and litter disposal activities to ensure their properties are free from the disease.’

Poultry and bird owners are reminded that movement controls are still in place for both the Meredith and Terang areas and permits are required for the movement of birds, poultry products and feed.

The housing requirement remains in place for poultry located in the restricted areas around Meredith and Terang, meaning all birds need to remain in their enclosures, to avoid any contact with wild birds.

‘Movement controls that have been in place since May have been effective in reducing the number of infections and have helped to stop the disease spreading beyond the restricted areas,’ Dr Salmon said.

‘We would like to thank the poultry industry, and the businesses and affected properties for their ongoing assistance during this response. Without their cooperation and reporting it would not have been possible to control the spread of this disease outbreak.'

Poultry farmers, backyard flock and bird owners are urged to continue to be vigilant and report any cases of unexplained bird deaths to the VicEmergency Hotline on 1800 226 226.

While cases among humans in direct contact with animals infected with high pathogenicity avian influenza viruses are possible, the current risk to the public remains low.

If you have had contact with birds on an affected property and you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms, call your doctor or the Department of Health on 1300 651 160 for medical advice.

A list of resources and contact details for industry and individual support, including technical, financial and mental health information, support and services, is available in our resource directory.

More information, including movement permits, maps, compensation details and mental health resources, are available online at agriculture.vic.gov.au/avianinfluenza.

All rural and regional based women working across the agriculture supply chain are encouraged to apply for the Rural Women's Network Leadership program.

This program is being delivered by LeadershipVic over 2 residential retreats and aims to develop and empower women as leaders and change makers in their careers and in their communities.

All study and accommodation costs to participate in the program are covered, with additional capped allowances for childcare and travel provided to those who require this support.

Applications close 2 September 2024.

Click here for more information.

Beekeepers are being reminded to report and treat notifiable diseases after a large scale commercial western Victoria apiarist was found guilty of failure to manage American foulbrood (AFB) in hives.

Agriculture Victoria prosecuted apiarist Sharon Oakley in Horsham Magistrates Court on Monday 4 August on six charges under the Livestock Disease Control Act 1994 and Livestock Disease Control Regulations 2017.

The apiarist operation was heavily focused on pollination contracts and hives were regularly moved between South Australia and Victoria.

The charges included a failure to notify Agriculture Victoria of the presence or suspicion of disease, failure to take action to control diseased hives, and exposing hives infected with disease, allowing bees access to the hives which had not been disinfected.

Agriculture Victoria officers served isolation and destruction orders and provided education on good biosecurity practices dating back to March 2022.

On one visit in 2023, inspection of hives revealed that 56% of the 345 hives present were found to be infected with AFB.

After failing to follow Agriculture Victoria’s direction to destroy infected hives and hiveware, Agriculture Victoria disposed of the materials to manage the biosecurity risk to the industry.

The court found in favour of Agriculture Victoria, ordering the defendant to be of good behaviour for 12 months and pay a $500 fine.

Apiary Biosecurity Manager Nikki Jones said the case should serve as a reminder of the importance of responsible beekeeping.

'American Foulbrood is an endemic, highly contagious, notifiable disease within Victoria that results in the death of the hive,' Ms Jones said.

'There is no treatment for AFB. As the disease weakens the hive, it becomes susceptible to robbing by other colonies resulting in the rapid spread of the disease within apiaries and to surrounding apiaries. Therefore, the early detection and management of the disease is vital to reduce the risk of spread.'

When purchasing used equipment beekeepers need to be aware of the risk of AFB infected equipment. To ensure the equipment is safe to be used in an apiary it must be irradiated.

More information on American foulbrood is on the Agriculture Victoria website.

To celebrate National Science Week we are shining the spotlight on our 5 SmartFarms across regional Victoria.

The Ellinbank SmartFarm in Gippsland leads dairy innovation, fast-tracking innovative technology solutions in a research environment and showcasing them to the dairy industry.

Did you know this SmartFarm also aims to be the world’s first grazing-based carbon-neutral dairy farm by 2026?

Find out more about our SmartFarms here.

Farmers in Victoria may be considering cleaning out sediment from their dams after a dry autumn season.

However, Agriculture Victoria Land Management Extension Officer Clem Sturmfels, is encouraging farmers to think carefully before proceeding.

‘Cleaning out dams at this time of the year can be difficult, dangerous and expensive. Handling wet dam sediment requires specialised equipment.

‘Using a bulldozer to remove this sediment is slow and tedious work and excavators usually don’t have the reach to do this work efficiently,’ Mr Sturmfels said.

Dams with fresh deposits of soil, manure, and other organic matter are more likely to grow algae and bacteria. Allowing these deposits to dry out over summer allows the material to be removed using a scraper or bulldozer.

‘It’s important to closely monitor the dams while waiting for them to dry out to avoid any animal health issues.

‘Dams with older sediment are less likely to have water quality concerns and a metre or so of sediment will have little impact on dam capacity.

‘Assessing the depth of sediment in a dam can be difficult. Farmers can make an estimate by measuring the depth of the dam and comparing that to the dam’s dimensions.’

A depth sounder or Damdeep measuring device can be used. A video of making and using Damdeep can be viewed here.

Farmers are encouraged to consider the following when undertaking dam cleaning activities:

• the sides of dams can be slippery and pose a risk to humans, stock and plant operators
• dam sediment should be placed in a location where it cannot re-enter the dam or other waterways
• steepening the sides of the dam can result in erosion and further sedimentation
• avoid any works which impact the structural integrity of the dam or associated outlet devices.

It’s recommended to contact the local rural water authority in your area prior to commencing sediment removal works, as a permit may be required.

Rural water authority’s details can be found here.

Further information can be found on our website: Agriculture Victoria.

In this webinar recording, Seasonal Risk Agronomist Dale Grey discussed the recent seasonal conditions including rainfall, temperature and deep soil moisture levels across the state.

We looked at what the latest global models are forecasting for spring and shared information on the dry seasons support available to farmers.

Climate Specialist Graeme Anderson, and Dale, took a deeper look into the current seasonal risks and helped bust some common myths around making sense of forecasts.

VIEW THE RECORDING HERE

Duration: 67 minutes (including questions)
Password: Climate

This webinar was originally presented on Wednesday 14 August at 12 pm.

All climate webinar recordings can be found on our website.

Now available: Licence training for non-slewing telehandlers with rated capacity more than 3 tonne.

Learn more and sign up at worksafe.vic.gov.au/telehandler

Victoria’s biosecurity system will be strengthened with a $6.1 million investment by the Victorian Government for projects that help prevent, monitor, and control diseases in cattle, sheep, goat, swine and honeybee industries. 

Minister for Agriculture Ros Spence recently announced 16 organisations will receive grants to deliver 38 projects that provide ground breaking solutions and use emerging technologies to improve livestock biosecurity in Victoria.

The Livestock Biosecurity Funds Grant Program reinvests funds raised through duties on the sale of livestock and beekeeper registration fees back into the sector to help meet emerging biosecurity challenges head on.

Warragul based Veterinary Support Services will receive $1.4 million to deliver a 2 year Victorian Livestock Veterinary Scholarship program.

This includes clinical supervision and training that provides early-career veterinarians with skills, experience, networks and support to launch and sustain a livestock veterinary career in regional Victoria.

Western Plains Pork has been awarded $155,000 to run a pilot program to map contact between feral and domestic pigs to understand disease transmission risks.

This program will enhance participation and engagement from land managers – improving the industry’s preparedness and reduce the impact of diseases on the Victorian pig industry.

The Livestock Biosecurity Funds Grant Program was established collaboratively between Agriculture Victoria and the 4 Livestock Compensation Advisory Committees, representing a shared responsibility between government and industry to boost Victoria’s biosecurity and provide real benefits to industry.

Minister Spence has also appointed chairs and members with a broad range of industry skills and experience to the four Livestock Compensation Advisory Committees to provide advice on the administration of these funds.

For a full list of the 2024 Livestock Biosecurity Funds Grant Program recipients as well as Livestock Compensation Advisory Committee members please visit our website. 

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.

Victoria’s bounty collections continue.

Please check our website for the latest information, collection centres and dates. Click here.

For any assistance, please speak to our bounty collection staff on collection days or call our customer service centre on 136 186.

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.

Groundwater tables high across Macalister Irrigation District

The central Gippsland region has recorded high groundwater levels for 3 consecutive years, the highest since records began in the 1990s.

Read the full media release here.

Stronger businesses for Gippsland farmers

Farmers in central, south and west Gippsland are invited to attend upcoming Farm Business Success workshops to support their business and action planning to build a stronger business for tomorrow.

Read the full media release here. 

Protect your paddocks with a stock containment area

Farmers are encouraged to consider containment feeding to protect pastures and paddocks from soil erosion over the next few months.

Read the full media release here.

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.

Join us for the future planning Farm Business Success workshops.

Gippsland farmers are invited to attend these free workshop series to strengthen their business and plan for managing risks in a changing climate.

Sessions will cover:

• action planning and farm risk management
• farm finances and profitable decision making
• managing people and farm safety
• adaptation and natural resource improvement.

Join Paul Blackshaw, farm business consultant with Meridian Agriculture. Paul has vast experience working with farmers through tight seasons and has many valuable lessons to share.

When: 21 August, 12:30 to 1:30 pm

Register here.

Your ticket includes:

• a series of speakers covering a range of topics 
• an expo of local legal and financial businesses, and other low or no-fee services
• free document certification and witnessing
• a free or discount follow up with providers at the event.

Orbost: Thursday 29 August, 9 am - 2 pm, Orbost Golf Club, 96 Bonang Road, Orbost.

Register here.

Bruthen: Friday 30 August, 9 am - 2 pm, Bruthen Mechanics Hall, 49 Main Street, Bruthen

Register here.

Maffra: 

• Tuesday 27 August, 10 am to 2 pm.
• Duart Homestead, 20 McLean St, Maffra.
• Register here.

Wonthaggi: 

• Tuesday 3 September, 10 am to 2 pm.
• The Clubhouse, 11 Dr Sleeman Drive, Wonthaggi.
• Register here.

Looking after your well-being and connecting with others is important in challenging times. This fun, practical Take a Well-Being Break workshop brings farmers/couples/families and service providers in your community together to provide well-being tools and information, connect and share ideas, and to identify strategies you can immediately implement to positively impact your well-being.

$20 per farming family/couple/person.

Lunch provided.

The workshop is funded by the Farm Business Resilience Program, which is jointly funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund and the Victorian Government’s Future Agriculture Skills Capacity Fund.

The Farm Business Resilience Program is supporting farmers to develop the knowledge and skills they need to improve their farm business and be better equipped to manage the impacts of drought and a changing climate.

Agriculture Victoria, in partnership with Cumbre Consultants, is inviting you to join other farmers in a free online short course with specialists on the following topics:

• Business planning and risk management
• Farm finances and profitable decision making
• Managing people on farm, farm safety and wellbeing
• Climate adaptation and natural resource improvement including soil, water, crops and pastures.

Course dates:

• Wednesday 28 August, 11 am to 2 pm
• Monday 2 September, 11 am to 2 pm
• Friday 6 September, 11 am to 2 pm
• Monday 9 September, 11 am to 2 pm
• Monday 30 September, 12 pm to 2 pm

Location: Online.

Register here.

Enjoying the Gippsland Ag News? Then why not forward to a friend or subscribe yourself.

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Call 136 186 from anywhere in Australia for the cost of a local call (except for mobiles and public telephones).

If you are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment contact the National Relay Service on 133 677 or www.relayservice.gov.au.

All contact points can be found at: agriculture.vic.gov.au/about/contact-us

Don't forget to check out Agriculture Victoria's social media sites for up-to-date information and news.