No images? Click here ![]() Thursday 20 February 2025 Farm fire preparedness toolkit: animal welfare![]() It’s crucial to have a refuge area/paddock or stock containment area ready for your livestock during emergencies, with adequate feed and water for their safety. Use the Fire Preparedness Toolkit and web resources to start planning for stock containment areas, emergency feeding and water budgeting. Avian influenza detected at third nearby propertyAgriculture Victoria has confirmed H7N8 high pathogenicity avian influenza (bird flu) on a third poultry farm in Euroa. This new detection is in close proximity to the 2 other infected properties. Victoria’s Acting Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Cameron Bell said given the close proximity of these properties, this new detection is not unexpected, and that Agriculture Victoria staff are on the ground working closely with industry to contain and eradicate the virus. Control orders have been in place since H7 was first detected on a poultry farm on 8 February, restricting the movement of poultry, poultry products, equipment, and vehicles on or off properties in designated zones around the infected properties to prevent disease spread. These zones include a restricted area covering a 5 km radius around the farms, with a broader control area spanning east of the Goulburn Valley Freeway and including the townships of Euroa, Violet Town, Longwood, Ruffy, Avenel and Strathbogie. ‘If you are in the control or restricted areas, you cannot move birds, products (including eggs and manure) or equipment into, out of, or within the area without permit,’ Dr Bell said. ‘This includes selling or giving away eggs from your poultry – these must not leave your property.’ With the confirmation of H7N8 on a third property, a housing requirement remains in place for properties with 50 or more poultry in the restricted area. This includes Euroa and extends approximately 5 km from the affected properties in all directions. To reduce the risk of further disease, birds on these properties must be kept in cages or sheds to avoid contact with other birds. This is a proven method to minimise direct contact between poultry and wild birds. Poultry and bird owners are reminded to keep sheds, yards, aviaries and equipment clean and to restrict contact with wild birds. They should ensure their footwear is clean and wash hands before and after handling birds or eggs. New birds should be quarantined before being integrated with existing ones. ‘A strong biosecurity system relies on everyone playing their part,’ he said. ‘Immediate notification from poultry owners when they notice their poultry are unwell is crucial to us getting on top of this outbreak.’ Community members must report suspect disease and sudden poultry death by calling the VicEmergency Hotline on 1800 226 226. Dr Bell thanked the impacted properties for their cooperation and reassured Victorians that supermarket eggs and poultry products remain safe to consume. For more information, including checking whether you are in the restricted area or control area, visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/avianinfluenza Worm burdens – is it the time right to strike?![]() Dr Jeff Cave, Senior Veterinary Officer Cast your mind back to recent years, the relatively wet summers of 2021-23 led to high worm burdens in your livestock. This summer we experienced a burst of early rain in December that may have reduced the effectiveness of an early summer drench. Since then, it has been relatively hot and dry, and this may provide you a window of opportunity to give an effective, strategic summer drench. Strategic summer drenching usually involves an effective drench at the beginning and end of summer. This is to take advantage of the destruction of worm larvae on pasture by heat and the lack of moisture. The life cycle of the worm involves both your pasture and the animal. While the drench fixes the animal problem, the hot, dry conditions of summer will help eliminate the pasture problem. Before doing so, it is worth establishing which, if any, parts of your flock require drenching. Drenching is both expensive and time consuming therefore pre-drench faecal egg counts (FECs) will put some science and evidence into whether to drench. Furthermore, worm resistance, particularly to the white and clear drenches, is common in Victoria. Unnecessary overuse and the incorrect use of drenches just add to the problem. Ineffective chemicals and/or an inadequate drench procedure can reduce the effectiveness of summer drenching. After drenching, try to put your sheep onto low-risk pastures. These may be paddocks previously grazed by cattle, cut for hay or silage, or grazed by low-risk sheep such as older wethers. Ewes rearing lambs, and lambs after weaning are the most susceptible sheep in terms of worm burdens. Large reinfestations of worms can occur in as little as 3 to 6 weeks if your drenching program is ineffective. For further advice contact your local veterinarian or Agriculture Victoria veterinary or animal health officer. ![]() Spot and report: Protect Victoria from harmful weeds this summer Enjoying Victoria’s beautiful outdoors this summer? You can help protect it by stopping three harmful weeds: water hyacinth, salvinia, and alligator weed. These state prohibited weeds kill fish and frogs, threaten native plants, block waterways, pipes and drains, and – in the case of alligator weed – even risk human health. Growing, trading or sharing these weeds is illegal in Victoria. Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) – one of the world’s worst water weeds, water hyacinth blocks sunlight and clogs waterways. It kills fish and frogs and helps mosquitoes breed. Birds and floods can spread seeds and plants to nearby rivers and lakes, where it’s hard and costly to control. Look for its glossy green leaves and purple-blue flowers. Salvinia (Salvinia molesta) – Salvinia spreads quickly, infesting rivers, dams, lakes, and irrigation channels, harming farms and waterways. Its floating leaves have a hairy surface, and its submerged leaves look like roots. Small fragments from ponds or aquariums can spread this weed. Alligator weed (Alternanthera philoxeroides) – Alligator weed grows on land and in water, blocking irrigation systems and contaminating pastures. It has bright green leaves in pairs and small white flowers on stalks. Though it looks like edible greens, it is unsafe to eat. Alligator weed is banned in Victoria, and health experts warn that eating it could cause health issues. Spot and report these weeds – free removal available in Victoria. What to do – If you think you’ve seen one of these weeds, contact Agriculture Victoria: Call 136 186 Email weed.spotters@agriculture.vic.gov.au For more information, below links Raising spirits: Grants open to boost Victorian distilleriesThe Victorian Government is supporting local distillers to expand production, create innovative new products and reach more customers than ever before. Minister for Agriculture Ros Spence visited Bakery Hill Distillery in Kensington to announce the opening of applications for the Business Growth Fit-for Purpose grants as part of the Distillery Door Program. Grants of up to $200,000 are available for tailored projects that help distillers to grow their business with new equipment, technology, or promotional projects. Moyston workshops – all you need to know about waterAgriculture Victoria in conjunction with a local farmer are running a 2-day water workshop at Moyston in Western Victoria on 18 and 25 March. The 2-day workshop will cover a broad range of topics from siting and construction of farm dams, planning and designing a water reticulation system, preparing a water plan and the more practical aspects of pipeline installation and construction. Agriculture Victoria Land Management Extension Officer, Clem Sturmfels said the workshop is suitable for people new to farming as well as those with plenty of farming experience. ‘Whether you are looking at your water options, planning to build a new dam or have signed up for the new East Grampians Rural pipeline this workshop is for you. ‘The workshop will commence at 10 am and run until about 3 pm on both days. ‘Each day will start with presentations and activities in the Moyston Recreation Reserve rooms followed by a farm visit after lunch,’ he said. Mr Sturmfels said a highlight of the workshop will be a presentation by local farmer Anthony Pola who, with his wife Jane and parents John and Karyn, run a mixed farming enterprise about 10 km north of Moyston. ‘Anthony will discuss their experiences in installing more than 5 km of piping, tanks and troughs across their farm. ‘He will also touch on their experience in siting, designing and constructing a drought reserve dam’ he said. Further information on drought and dry seasonal conditions support available can be found online by calling 136 186. This project is funded by the Australian Government’s Natural Heritage Trust and delivered by Glenelg Hopkins CMA and Agriculture Victoria. Apply for an On-Farm Drought Infrastructure grant todayEligible drought-affected farmers in the south west can now apply for up to $5,000 in co-contribution grants to support establishing on-farm infrastructure such as:
For more information visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/dryseasons or call 136 186 Back on Track – National Centre for Farmer Health research trial closes 28 FebruaryBack On Track is an innovative, peer-guided mental health initiative designed to support farming communities. Funded by the Gardiner Foundation and led by the National Centre for Farmer Health, this program focuses on improving mental health outcomes for farmers by providing practical, culturally appropriate support delivered by trusted community members. ![]() France Raises A Glass To Victoria’s World-Class WinesVictorian wines will be on show at the world’s largest wine museum in France, highlighting the state’s reputation as a premium wine makers – thanks to support from the Victorian Government. Minister for Economic Growth and Jobs, Danny Pearson announced that Victorian wineries will be featured at the iconic La Cité du Vin trade museum in Bordeaux, France. La Cité du Vin is a major tourist attraction that welcomes more than 400,000 wine lovers every year. The Victorian wineries on display at La Cité du Vin include Ten Minutes by Tractor, William Downie, Bests Great Western, Yarra Yering, Brown Brothers, and Chambers Rosewood Vineyards. As part of the two-year partnership, other Victorian wineries have the chance to be displayed in the future. The wineries on show are from Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula, Gippsland, Grampians and Hume – highlighting the diversity and vibrancy of the wines we produce as part of our $9 billion wine industry. Episode 3: Dr Madeline Mitchell![]() Interested in attracting investment for your AgTech startup? Dr Madeline Mitchell, previously from Breakthrough Victoria discusses how her organisation identifies and invests in the agrifood startup ecosystem. She also shares some insights on how you can better position your startup for success. In case you missed it 📰![]() What's OnDetails about Agriculture Victoria events can now be found in one spot at agriculture.vic.gov.au/events. On-Farm Emissions Action Plan Pilot updateJoin our upcoming webinar to hear from our On-Farm Emissions Action Plan pilot team. The team has been working with 250 farm businesses across Victoria to estimate their emissions profile and identify actions to manage and reduce emissions while maintaining productivity. The team will provide an update and share insights on the emissions pilot and participant Jonathan Jenkin will discuss his experience with the program and how they have used their action plan and knowledge of their emissions to make changes on the farm. Click here for more information and to stay up to date with our upcoming climate webinars. Date: 27 February, 12 - 1 pm Review and Renew – Feed and Fertiliser Workshop: Allansford and ColacThis workshop delivered by WestVic Dairy will provide participants with strategies for improving their farm business planning. This includes skills for calculating feed requirements, post drought pasture re-establishment and maintaining pasture for optimal utilization for stock or fodder. Allansford Date: Friday 21 February Time: 11 am – 2 pm Location: Allansford Hotel, 1-3 Graves Rd, Allansford. Colac Date: Tuesday 25 February Time: 7 – 9:30 pm Location: Colac Bowls Club, Central Reserve, Gravesend St, Colac. These events are part of the Victorian Government’s Drought Support Package for south west Victoria. Find out more or call 136 186. Weathering the Dry – A farmers’ gathering in BeeacFarmers Arms Hotel, 87 Main Street, Beeac from 6 – 9.30 pm Come join us for meal and evening of networking and discussion at the Farmers' Arms Hotel! 2 course meal provided. Drinks at bar prices. Supported by Agriculture Victoria, this event will focus on sharing strategies for weathering the challenges of the current dry season. Connect with local farmers, discuss issues and opportunities, and gain valuable insights to help you manage your situation. We will also share with you resources, and other support available. Don't miss out on this opportunity to come together as a community and support each other through this dry season. See you there! Uncertain Times – New Year, Recover, Reset and Regenerate: HarrowThe workshop will provide the skills knowledge, decision making triggers and resources appropriately timed for the next phase of decisions and farming activities leading up to the potential ‘autumn break’ period for mixed farming business’s in the western district of south west Victoria. Fully catered; please advise of any dietary requirements upon registering. Harrow Date: Friday 21 February Time: 9 am - 4 pm Location: Harrow Bush Nursing Centre, 24 Blair St, Harrow. These events are part of the Victorian Government’s Drought Support Package for south west Victoria. Find out more or call 136 186. Horticulture food safety – drop-in sessionsCome and have a chat to Agriculture Victoria Food Safety staff. Information and resources will be available to help growers navigate the new Food Safety Standards for berries, melons, and leafy vegetables. Date: Thursday 27 February Time: 1 - 2:30 pm Location: Werribee - Velisha Farms, 372 Duncans Road, Werribee South. ![]() ![]() Looking after your livestock, looking after youFarmers are invited to a one-day workshop to help keep your animals and you going during challenging times. Locations: Goroke Community Centre, 85-101 Main St, Goroke North Park Community Sports Centre, Lamont Street, Stawell Dates: 13 March, 9 am - 3 pm (Goroke) 31 March, 9 am - 3 pm (Stawell) Climate change and farming workshop with Graeme Anderson The Surf Coast and Bellarine Bestwool/Best lamb group invite producers to learn more about climate change with Graeme Anderson, Agriculture Victoria’s Climate Specialist. Graeme comes with 35 years experience in science, farm planning and agricultural industry development. Date: Monday 3 March Time: 9:30 am - 2:30 pm Location: Boronggook Drysdale Library, 2-8 Wyndham St, Drysdale. ![]() All you need to know about water workshopEverything you need to know about farm water. Location: 2 Moyston Great Western Road, Moyston
![]() Contacting Agriculture VictoriaCall 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-us/contact-us This newsletter is distributed by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action. Were you forwarded this email? Subscribe now. |