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Thursday 11 September 2025
Financial relief for drought-affected farmers
The Victorian Government is backing drought-hit farmers with cash flow relief, helping them cover costs, and continue to support the local communities and families that depend on their farms.
Minister for Agriculture Ros Spence announced the Primary Producer Support Payments program is beginning to roll out and will provide eligible farmers with the equivalent of a 40% reduction on their property rates.
Farmers in the south west have experienced the worst drought conditions in the state for more than 2 years, impacting their livelihoods, households and local communities.
The Government is working closely with the 12 councils that are administering the program, including Ararat, Moyne, Colac Otway, Pyrenees, Corangamite, Southern Grampians, Glenelg, Surf Coast, Golden Plains, Warrnambool, City of Greater Geelong, and the southern parts of West Wimmera.
The Primary Producer Support Payment is one of a suite of programs and services in the Government’s $144 million Drought Support Package that is delivering immediate meaningful support to Victorians across the state.
This package includes waivers of livestock duties and reductions in regulatory fees and charges across PrimeSafe, Dairy Food Safety Victoria (DFSV) and Agriculture Victoria for the next financial year. These measures will deliver savings of more than $10 million for our farmers and food producers.
Agriculture Victoria is partnering with food and safety regulators, DFSV and PrimeSafe, along with livestock compensation advisory committee chairs to deliver this support.
More than 2,800 farmers have accessed the Farm Drought Support Grants and more than 490 farmers have utilised the free one-on-one technical decision-making consultations. In addition, over 120 Look Over the Farm Gate community events have been approved to support mental health and wellbeing across the state.
The Premier’s Drought Response Taskforce met recently to discuss the latest seasonal, economic, and social conditions facing farmers and rural communities. The Taskforce will continue to listen to communities and monitor conditions over the coming months.
For more information on the government’s Drought Support Package for drought-impacted farmers visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/drought or phone 136 186.
Managing weeds from introduced fodder sources
Richard Smith, Dairy Extension Officer
With many farmers purchasing more fodder than usual, it’s a timely reminder about the increased risks of introducing weeds to your property.
There are key steps that farmers should follow to minimise the risk of introducing and spreading unwanted weeds and pests.
Regional Investment Corporation 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. For more on RIC loans visit ric.gov.au/loans
Ask R U OK? Any Day
Whether it’s a friend, partner, family or community member, people around us can be going through life’s ups and downs at any time, on any day.
We know that managing through drought has been particularly tough for many – so today is a good reminder to check in.
There are wellbeing and mental health services available to help manage challenging times, including:
- Lifeline: call 131 144
- Beyond Blue: call 1300 224 636
- Rural Aid: call 1300 327 624
- National Centre for Farmer Health www.farmerhealth.org.au/support-hub-victoria
- Flying Doctor Wellbeing www.flyingdoctor.org.au/vic/what-we-do/wellbeing/
- Rural Financial Counselling Service - wellbeing support: call 1300 771 741 or visit https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/farm-management/drought-support/mental-health-and-wellbeing-support
Take time to take care of yourself. More information about available supports can be found at www.agriculture.vic.gov.au/drought or by calling 136 186.
Animal health management reminders
Richard Smith, Dairy Extension Officer
Carefully managing livestock as they transition back onto pastures is crucial to avoid health issues.
Farmers currently with stock in containment areas may be tempted to shift to paddock grazing once spring hits and some lush green pick is available.
Its critical farmers manage this feed transition as the higher moisture content and lower dry matter in pastures, and sudden change in diet can lead to animal health issues such as acidosis.
To better manage the transition and reduce the risk of health issues the following strategies can be utilised:
Transitioning feed is critical
Feed transition is important to reduce the impact of digestive issues and plant poisonings. To manage this gradually reduce the amount of dry season ration offered and replace it by providing limited access to pasture (an hour or 2 each day).
This change in diet should happen slowly over a week to allow the rumen to adjust.
For more information on meeting the nutritional needs for your livestock visit www.feedinglivestock.vic.gov.au/beef-resources/
Monitor pasture composition
Keep a watchful eye out for bloat, especially in young cattle if they are grazing on fast growing legume species, such as clovers, lucerne or vetch, and ensure the stock have ready access to fibre such as straw and cereal hay.
Before grazing, inspect paddocks for weeds. If there are high levels of weed infestations, check the plant species and seek advice on their potential toxicity and how to best manage.
Manage and monitor nutrient toxicities and deficiencies
Monitor for nitrate/nitrite poisoning, which is a higher risk in the first weeks after rain, symptoms include diarrhoea, salivation, breathing difficulties, and blue/chocolate mucous membranes.
If these symptoms are detected reduce access to pastures and extend the feed transition with a more balanced diet.
For more information on drought support visit www.agriculture.vic.gov.au/drought or call 136 186.
Ag Vic Talk season 10 - Understanding Q fever: protecting dairy farmers, with Karen McLennan
Do you know the signs of Q Fever? Did you know that the disease is prevalent in Victoria, especially in Gippsland?
Tune in to our latest Farming Safe and Well episode, where we are joined by Karen McLennan from GippsDairy.
Karen shares valuable insights on the importance of vaccination, protective measures for farmers and farm workers and awareness among the dairy community.
Listen now to learn how you can create a safer and more efficient farm by understanding and preventing Q fever.
More drought support
One-on-one farm advisory service
All farmers, anywhere in Victoria, can register for a free consultation with a farm management specialist.
The advisory service offers a session of up to 3 hours (face-to-face or online) and a follow-up call, to help farmers take stock and develop a plan for managing drought conditions.
The advice is suited to your situation, from a consultant that you nominate from the registered panel.
Agronomists, livestock nutritionists, veterinarians, pasture and grazing specialists and farm business advisors, can support you with:
- feed and water budgeting
- farm safety and workload management
- farm business and financial management
- soil health and pasture re-establishment
- animal health and welfare, and more.
For more information about drought support: www.agriculture.vic.gov.au/drought or call 136 186.
CMA Drought Employment Program
Farmers, farm workers and agricultural business employees impacted by the ongoing drought conditions in the south west can now apply to be part of the Catchment Management Authority (CMA) Drought Employment Program.
The program will be available for farmers or farm-dependent workers from 11 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in south west Victoria including Ararat, Moyne, Colac Otway, Pyrenees, Corangamite, Southern Grampians, Glenelg, Surf Coast, Golden Plains, Warrnambool, City of Greater Geelong and southern parts of West Wimmera.
Eligible local farmers and farm workers can now express interest in being part of the program ahead of a recruitment process via www.ccma.vic.gov.au (Corangamite CMA region) or www.ghcma.vic.gov.au (Glenelg Hopkins CMA region).
Southern Rural Water - Farmer Helping Farmer initiative
Southern Rural Water is seeking expressions of interest from farmers in the Nullawarre region to participate in a program designed to support drought-recovery in the nearby Heytesbury region.
The Farmer Helping Farmer initiative calls an opportunity for farmers with existing private groundwater bores in Nullawarre to work with Southern Rural Water on options to provide water access to nearby farmers in need.
Southern Rural Water Managing Director Cameron FitzGerald encouraged farmers in the region to help explore effective options.
'This is an opportunity for local farmers, with local knowledge, to shape a drought response that could benefit the region for many years to come,' he said.
'Although we’ve seen a slight improvement in conditions in recent months, we still want to support farmers through their recovery curve. Particularly through the upcoming summer period.'
Delivered through $2.5 million in Victorian Government funding, this initiative was informed by input from members of the Premier’s Drought Taskforce, and forms part of a broader drought response.
If the pilot is successful, expansion opportunities could be explored in similar drought-stressed areas across southern Victoria.
The Heytesbury region has been targeted because it’s one of the most water-stressed regions in Victoria, and because it’s close to the South-West Limestone Aquifer. This presents an opportunity to better utilise this high-quality, drought-resilient resource, through the upgrading of existing private infrastructure.
For now, we are calling on landholders in the Nullawarre and Heytesbury regions to provide local knowledge and help develop effective water-security innovations.
A drop-in session will be held at the Nirranda Football Netball Club clubrooms from 4-6 pm on Wednesday, 17 September.
An online session will also be available between 4-6 pm on Monday, 15 September. To register to attend the online session and further details about the program, visit our project page.
In case you missed it 📰
What's On
Details about these events and more can be found on our website.
Virtual drought smokos with Dr Jillian Kelly
Date and time: Tuesday 23 September from 9-10 am
FREE AND ONLINE
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.
Webinar - hay or grain? Making the right call
Date and time: Monday 15 September from 12 - 1 pm.
FREE AND ONLINE
Join Agriculture Victoria seasonal agronomists Dale Grey and Dale Boyd and Nutrien Ag Solutions Elmore Branch Manager Greg Toomey for a timely and practical webinar designed to help you make informed decisions about cutting cereal crops for hay. They’ll walk you through the key questions and considerations, including:
- estimating hay yields
- timeliness of making hay - effects on quality and quantity
- cost-benefit analysis – the economics of hay v’s grain production
- key factors for making marketable hay
- impact on ground cover and long-term paddock management.
If you're actively considering your options, this session will provide valuable insights to support your decision making on whether to cut your cereal crops for hay or take them through to grain.
Planning for your farm's future - webinar
Date and time: Wednesday 17 September from 5:30 - 7 pm
Free and online
Creating sustainable, profitable farms doesn’t happen overnight. It takes years of planning. That’s why our next webinar is bringing in Agriculture Victoria expert Alison Kelly, to answer the question 'now what?' and share actions being taken across the state to lower on-farm emissions while remaining productive and profitable.
Many of these actions also build farm resilience and can help farmers adapt to an increasingly extreme climate. Alison will be joined by Victorian farmers, who will talk through the actions they’re taking now and plan to take in the future, to adapt and thrive.
Hamilton - Farm Safety Day
Farm safe and strong - Practical tips for improving safety on the land
Date and time: Friday 3 October from 9 am - 1:30 pm
Location: Agriculture Victoria Hamilton SmartFarm, 915 Napier Road, Hamilton
Join WorkSafe for a hands-on event dedicated to improving safety and well-being in agriculture – and especially during challenging times. Through expert-led demonstrations and practical advice, attendees will learn safer methods for cattle handling including loading and unloading cattle, preventing Q fever and needle stick injuries.
Whether you’re managing or working on a family farm or a large property, or you are a student in agriculture, this event offers valuable insights and tools to protect your livelihood, your team, and yourself. Come away informed, connected and better equipped for a safer future on the land.
Take a Well-Being Break workshop for women farmers and service providers – Camperdown
Date and time: Wednesday 8 October from 10:30 am - 2:30 pm.
Where: Camperdown Golf Club, Saddlers Road, Camperdown
Carrying the mental load. Being the emotional support blanket for the family. Juggling farm work, business pressures and home life. Doing all the things, all the time! It’s no wonder your energy can run low, your head feels full and you find yourself running on empty.
The Take a Well-Being Break workshop is your chance to pause, recharge and get back to thriving – both on and off the farm.
Your facilitator, Cynthia Mahoney, is an agricultural scientist and an experienced leadership coach who has worked extensively with farmers and agricultural teams across Australia. She’ll share proven strategies, grounded in brain science, to help you lift wellbeing, protect relationships and achieve more without adding extra hours to your day.
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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