Thursday 4 September 2025

Stockyard Hill farmer pleads guilty to animal cruelty

A Stockyard Hill farmer pleaded guilty to 8 offences relating to animal cruelty and livestock traceability offences at the Ballarat Magistrates’ Court and was sentenced with conviction and a fine of $20,000, with an order to pay $383.33 in costs.

The court also imposed a disqualification order from owning or being the person in charge of sheep for a period of 5 years.

Matthew Fleay pleaded guilty to charges that occurred between October 2023 and March 2024.

Drought support for farmers across the state

• Farm Drought Support Grants of up to $5,000 to support on-farm drought management activities like infrastructure improvements, water carting and pasture re-establishment
• expert technical support through the one-on-one farm advisory service
• local workshops and events to connect with other farmers and discuss drought issues and management strategies
• fee and duty relief package to reduce costs linked to biosecurity and food safety regulations and duties.

Find more information about drought support: www.agriculture.vic.gov.au/drought or call 136 186.

Nurturing young talent for horticulture's future

The Victorian Government is helping young Victorians build the skills and experience they need in horticulture – creating pathways to more regional jobs and shaping the next generation of our farming leaders.

Minister for Agriculture Ros Spence today announced $100,000 for the Nursery and Garden Industry Victoria’s (NGIV) Branch Out program to support the learning opportunities for young people in schools across Victoria.

Branch Out gives Victorian secondary school students hands-on opportunities to experience growing and caring for plants in ways which spark passion and inspire them to consider a future career in the horticulture industry.

Boosting livestock biosecurity through grants

The Victorian Government is backing the next generation of livestock vets, making sure the agricultural sector has the best expertise to keep stock healthy and safe.

Minister for Agriculture Ros Spence announced $15 million for 22 projects that will strengthen Victoria’s biosecurity and safeguard our livestock industries as part of the 2025 Livestock Biosecurity Funds Grant Program.

As we celebrate National Biosecurity Week last week, the program supports projects that help prevent, monitor and control diseases in animals, including cattle, sheep, goats, swine and honey bees.

Prevention is key – vaccinate against enterotoxaemia

Dr Jeff Cave, Agriculture Victoria Senior Veterinary Officer

If you keep a calendar with key farm management dates, ‘vaccinate stock’ could be a key entry at this time of year.

But why, it’s an annual vaccination after all, isn’t it?

Firstly, with abundant spring growth, losses due to enterotoxaemia, also known as pulpy kidney, become a distinct possibility.

Second, a feature of the enterotoxaemia vaccine is the duration of immunity it provides may be quite short. It may only give 3 or 4 months of protection.

Therefore, a booster dose should be given before a high-risk period, i.e. before the beginning of spring.

Young stock in good condition, up to 2 years of age, are most affected by enterotoxaemia; however, deaths in older stock may also occur.

Enterotoxaemia is caused by a toxin produced by Clostridium bacteria, which is found in the bowel of normal, healthy cattle and sheep.

Enterotoxaemia occurs when a large amount of readily fermentable feed is present in the gut, leading to the rapid multiplication of bacteria and a lethal level of toxin production.

Due to the rapid progression of the disease, an animal affected by enterotoxaemia will typically be found dead in the paddock. On post-mortem, rapid decomposition of the carcass is seen.

Little can be done to treat an animal affected by enterotoxaemia; therefore, the emphasis should be on prevention.

The key to prevention is to ensure all livestock are adequately protected through vaccination.

As with any vaccination program, adult cows and ewes should be vaccinated approximately 1 month before giving birth to give their calves and lambs maternal or passive immunity through colostrum.

Passive immunity typically lasts approximately 6 weeks; after this period, calves and lambs require vaccination to gain active immunity. This is achieved by giving 2 injections at least 4 weeks apart.

Hopefully, all producers will benefit from the upcoming spring conditions without being troubled by the problems they may bring.

For further advice, please contact your local veterinarian, Agriculture Victoria veterinary or animal health officer, or in NSW, your Local Land Services.

Ag Vic Talk season 10 

We chat with Jacquie Lee from Emerging Minds about supporting children's mental health in rural areas during challenging times like droughts and bushfires.   

In this Farming Safe and Well episode, Jacquie shares valuable insights on:  

• Building strong parent-child relationships  
• Understanding and managing children's emotions and behaviour  
• The importance of maintaining routines  
• Effective communication and meaning-making  
• Creating and utilising support networks  

Listen now to learn more about supporting your families during times of stress.  

RIC Loans

RIC variable interest rate for farm business loans is on hold at 5.18% effective 1 August 2025 until 1 February 2026.

Farmers in tough financial times due to situations outside their control from drought, flood or other natural disasters may be eligible to apply for a RIC loan.

RIC’s AgriStarter Loan is also available for new farm businesses or succession planning to keep family farms in the family.

Farmers can restructure up to 50% of their existing debt to improve cash flow to gain some financial breathing space.

More information

Join the virtual drought smokos with Dr Jillian Kelly

9 September from 9 – 10 am

23 September from 9 – 10 am

Drought smokos are an hour a fortnight to get away from the paddock and catch up with a group of farmers who are all in the same boat!

We will talk about the science of feeding, how much, which commodities, pros and cons, cost, different options, trigger points and planning.

Dr Jillian Kelly is a vet and nutritionist from Coonamble, in north-west NSW. She ran drought smokos every fortnight through the 2018–20 drought and it made a difference to hundreds of farmers and thousands of livestock.

While you don't get to taste her scones, you do get to learn all that she knows about feeding livestock in tough conditions, and to enjoy an hour of mateship away from the feed cart.

Corryong – Farm budgeting masterclass

9 September from 9 am to 3 pm at Upper Murray Events Centre, Strezlecki Way, Corryong 

In this workshop Carmen Quade of AgriFocused will look at strategies for farm budgeting.

Taking a profit-focused perspective, you will learn how to use a budget as a tool to manage difficult times as well as speed recovery and growth.

What we will cover:

• how to estimate income and expenses realistically
• saving money on overhead expenses
• tracking and reviewing budgets
• the programs you can use to write and monitor your budget
• negotiating better deals or finance with your bank
• drought support availability

Online – Intro to lean and drought support business planning

Join us for a practical, online workshop to help business owners and senior leaders navigate the challenges of drought, economic shifts and industry changes.

10 September from 12.30 to 2.30 pm.

What you’ll gain

• introduction to lean business management and how it applies to your farm business
• Moshie’s tools for identifying waste and improving efficiency to increase profitability and resilience
• simple business planning templates to identify areas for improvement
• straightforward costing tools to improve decision-making and resource management
• strategies for risk management, building drought resilience and long-term business sustainability
• 12 months of access to an exclusive online portal, with workshop resources.

Also discover other relevant support programs, including:

• drought one-on-one advisory service – discover how to sign up for free, personalised business planning support with Moshie’s expert team
• on-farm infrastructure grants.

Who should attend

• turf, agriculture and horticulture business owners
• farmers, growers and primary producers
• retail and supply chain operators
• anyone managing business costs and resources.

Rochester, Tatura and Echuca dairy seasonal planning workshops

Feed and water reserves are tight, what’s next? The next 6 weeks are critical, and it’s time to start planning.

Workshop dates – all workshops run from 10:30 am – 2 pm

• Thursday 10 September – Rochester (Acocks Farm, 232 Bonn Road)
• Tuesday 16 September – Tatura (Tatura Middle Hotel)
• Wednesday 17 September – Echuca (Caledonian Hotel)

If you’re a young dairy farmer in northern Victoria, don’t miss these seasonal planning workshops designed to help you make confident decisions about feed, water, and herd management this spring.

 What’s covered:

•  current conditions
•  water use and irrigation decisions
•  feed planning plus budgeting
•  herd numbers across all classes
•  financial impacts of your choices.

With expert advice from Tom Farran (Farmanco Consultant)

Free to attend – but registration is essential.

Supported by Agriculture Victoria’s Drought Support Package.

For more information, please contact Tom Farran on 0447 377 820.

Euroa – Farm office efficiency and record keeping 

10 September from 9 am to 3 pm at the Euroa Football Club Function Room, Slee Road, Euroa

In this workshop we look at strategies, tools and tips to speed up office work:

• managing the email overload
• systems for keeping receipts and invoices
• dealing with paper records
• IT security
• cloud-based storage
• strategies for keeping up to date
• what you need to keep and how to find it again
• apps and programs that can help.

Numurkah – Farming stronger

11 September from 10 am to 2 pm at the Shamrock Hotel, 5–13 Melville Street, Numurkah 

Farming is more than just hard work – it’s about working smart to ensure you can keep yourself performing even in challenging times, make good decisions, keep your mindset positive, maintain good relationships and have the energy you need to run a profitable farm business.

This free Farming Stronger workshop will give you simple, evidence-based tips and tools to help you stay sharp, energised and ready for what’s next, without burning out.

You’ll learn how to:

• make better decisions when the pressure’s on
• manage your mindset to stay positive, focused and confident in good times and bad
• manage stress so it doesn’t manage you
• keep your energy up for the long haul
• lead and motivate the people around you
• create a farm culture that helps everyone work well together and that supports healthy performance and wellbeing.

Your facilitator, Cynthia Mahoney, is an agricultural scientist with a Masters in Farm Business Management Economics and a leadership coach. She has worked extensively with farmers and ag teams across Australia. She’ll share practical, proven strategies from brain science that you can use straight away to lift productivity, protect relationships and get more done – without adding more hours to the day.

This is not a ‘sit and be talked at’ workshop. It’s a relaxed, fun and hands-on session for men and women farmers and agricultural service providers from all ag industries who want to perform at their best and better support the people they work with. There’ll be plenty of time to connect with others, share ideas and have valuable conversations while learning together.

You’ll get a workbook to take home, lunch on the day, and a few new ideas to make life on the farm a bit easier.

Mooroopna – Understanding water markets and preparing for drought

11 September from 1 to 3:30 pm at Bill & Beats, 106A McLennan Street, Mooroopna 

A half-day workshop, ‘Understanding water markets and preparing for drought’, will be held in Shepparton on Thursday 11 September, commencing at 1:00 pm following lunch at a local restaurant.

The workshop is designed to support Victorian fruit growers in managing water risk by improving their understanding of how the southern Murray–Darling Basin water market operates, how to interpret water prices and how to plan for reduced water availability during drought conditions.

Benalla – Farm budgeting masterclass 

11 September from 9 am to 3 pm at DEECA office, 89 Sydney Road, Benalla 

In this workshop Carmen Quade of AgriFocused will look at strategies for farm budgeting.

Farm budgeting is all about knowing where you are up to and what you can do to best manage the seasons you are presented with. In this workshop we will cover.

• how to estimate income and expenses realistically
• saving money on overhead expenses
• tracking and reviewing budgets
• the programs you can use to write and monitor your budget
• negotiating better deals or finance with your bank
• drought support availability

Online – Doing agriculture differently – Experiences of First Nations farmers

12 September at 10 am

The barpangu yurpangu speaker series is a calendar of speaker events created for the purpose of fostering greater awareness of First Nations culture and communities, First Nations experiences and viewpoints on agriculture and self-determination.

The events provide opportunities for people involved in agriculture to build their awareness of First Nations narratives and thought leadership and to provide a platform for First Nations people to contribute and engage in narratives around agriculture and self-determination.

This event is focused on ‘Doing agriculture differently – experiences of First Nations farmers’, with Josh Williams from Tumpinyeri Growers and Cory Robertson from Booma Foods.

Josh and Cory will chat with Beth Jones, Agriculture Victoria CEO, about their respective businesses, including how they solved challenges of access to land and how being First Nations farmers informs their business model in agriculture.

Webinar – Hay or grain? Making the right call

Join our agronomists Dale Grey and Dale Boyd and Nutrien Ag Solutions Greg Toomey, for a timely and practical webinar aimed to help you make an informed decision to cut your cereal crops for hay or to harvest them for grain.    

Monday 15 September from 12-1 pm 

For more info contact Rebecca Mitchell on 0438 111 994 or at rebecca.mitchell@agriculture.vic.gov.au 

Corryong, Benalla and Mansfield – From vision to action: building your farm business strategy 

• Corryong - 16 September from 9 am to 4:30 pm at RSL Hall, 42 Donaldson Street

• Benalla - 17 September from 9 am to 4:30 pm at Lakeside Community Centre, 2A Bridge Street
• Mansfield - 18 September from 9 am to 4:30 pm at Delatite Hotel, 95 High Street.

Join Pinion Advisory consultants Esmée de Looff and Nathaniel Modra as they guide you through the process of developing a strategic plan tailored to your business.

You’ll leave with a renewed sense of clarity, practical tools and a roadmap to move forward with confidence. Whether you’re planning for growth, succession, or simply want to run a more streamlined operation, this workshop is designed to help you take action.

Bring your business partner(s) along to make the most of the opportunity of going through the process, and collaborate, reflect and plan together.

Topics of the workshop:

• Business strategy and culture
• Identifying strategic priorities
• Action planning for key initiatives
• Systems for business efficiency
• Risk management
• Team roles and responsibilities.

Mansfield – Fodder production in a challenging season

Needing to produce fodder after the tough season? Or will you be buying in fodder to get through spring? Come along to one of our fodder field days to get the most out of your pasture hay or silage this spring.

Wednesday 17 September at the Mansfield Golf Club. 24 Kidston Parade, Mansfield

Presenter: Frank Mickan - Frank is an industry-renowned specialist in fodder and pasture conservation, providing insights into producing high-quality hay and silage.

Topics include:

• How to make the best quality hay and silage
• How fodder quality influences livestock production
• Understanding the ensiling process
• Including additives
• Storage systems and minimising wastage
• Feed testing.

For further information, contact Toni Dakis Agricultural Recovery Officer on 0428 975 728 or toni.dakis@agriculture.vic.gov.au

Numbers are limited. Registration is essential for catering purposes.

Leneva – Herbaceous weed control workshop

20 September from 10 am to 1 pm at Leneva Hall, 3081 Beechworth-Wodonga Road.

Herbaceous weeds are more than just a nuisance; they pose serious threats to our landscapes. These invasive plants can take over pastures, outcompete native species, shelter pest animals, and reduce the productivity of both farmland and natural areas.

Join us to learn how to identify priority species and apply proven control techniques as part of a broader, collaborative approach to weed management across the region.

What you’ll learn:

• how herbaceous weeds impact biodiversity, agriculture, and waterways

• how to identify common and priority weeds in our region, including:

1. Paterson’s curse
2. St Barnaby’s thistle
3. Wild watsonia
4. Chilean needle grass
5. African lovegrass
6. St John's wort.

• best practice control methods: manual, mechanical, chemical, and biological
• importance of safe and effective herbicide use
• ideas for the most effective control strategies on your property
• local case studies and success stories
• hands-on guidance in identifying herbaceous weeds in the field.

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 us through the National Relay Service at 133 677 or visit the National Relay Service.

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

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