Thursday 12 June 2025

Drought support for south west farmers

Agriculture Victoria continues to support drought-affected farmers in south west Victoria with an ongoing program of events. Check out the events being delivered as part of the Drought Support Package.

Stay up to date with what’s on at the calendar of events. 

Expanded drought support package

Assistance for farmers and communities 

The Victorian Government has announced a new and expanded Drought Package – with an additional $37.7 million in funding.

Eligible farmers across the state will be able to access grants of up to $5,000 to support on-farm drought management.

For eligible farmers in the south west, the grant has been increased to up to $10,000.

The Premier has also established a Drought Response Taskforce.

More details will be available soon at www.agriculture.vic.gov.au/dryseasons

Farmers can lodge an Expression of Interest for the grants by emailing Rural Finance at: admin@ruralfinance.com.au

Be alert for triple fungicide resistant Barley net form net blotch

Barley growers in Victoria should keep watch for signs of net form net blotch (NFNB) disease following the recent confirmation of a triple fungicide resistant mutant of NFNB at Streatham.

Agriculture Victoria cereal pathologist Dr Hari Dadu said NFNB mutant was discovered after a suspected fungicide resistance sample of RGT Planet barley was sent to the Centre for Crop Disease Management (CCDM) for analysis. This NFNB mutant may have existed for several years prior to its detection.

‘This mutant form of NFNB is resistant to several active ingredients within 3 different kinds of fungicide: Group 3, Group 7 and Group 11,’ Dr Dadu said.

Helping Victorian farmers access interstate fodder

Importers looking to bring fodder into Victoria from interstate can go through Agriculture Victoria to apply for a Plant Biosecurity Permit (PBP) to ensure biosecurity risks are properly managed.

Agriculture Victoria is providing a free service to suppliers, transporters and farmers to navigate permit requirements and expedite access to fodder.

Ongoing drought conditions have created serious challenges for Victoria’s livestock industry, particularly a critical shortage of hay and fodder - so farmers are needing to look interstate for source supplies.

All imported fodder requires a PBP to manage key biosecurity risks from entering Victoria from interstate, including Annual Ryegrass Toxicity (found in all states but NT and Tasmania), Green Snail (found in WA), Red Imported Fire Ant (found in QLD), and Electric Ant (found in QLD).

Agriculture Victoria Chief Plant Health Officer Dr Stephen Dibley said all fodder imports will require a PBP, except for NT and Tasmania.

The Crop Density tool – AgVic’s latest agronomy tool

An early estimation of crop emergence in these challenging, dry winter conditions is an important agronomy tool to later manage canopy density for the season and spring outlook. If plant establishment is poor it can have a major influence on final crop yield.

Agriculture Victoria Seasonal Risk Agronomist Dale Boyd said successful crop establishment depends largely on soil moisture which has been limited due to May’s decile 1 rainfall.

‘Having the planting equipment and good quality seed can really help make the most of what moisture is there.’

‘The crop density calculator can be easily downloaded to your home screen of a Smartphone, and is part of the soil moisture dashboard, which provides real time moisture profiles across the state.

Agisting? Manage the biosecurity risks

Richard Smith, Dairy Industry Development Officer, Agriculture Victoria, Tatura

If you’re considering agisting cattle on your property alongside your own herd or sending your stock for agistment elsewhere, taking some simple precautions may help avoid the risk of a costly disease outbreak.

There are 3 main considerations to protect agisted stock, where possible:

1. Follow your biosecurity plan and the procedures you have put in place to manage risks that could impact your stock or property
2. Request or provide as much information as possible about the health of the stock prior to agistment (i.e., ask for or provide a National Cattle Health Declaration)
3. Segregate livestock from different properties into designated paddocks. At a minimum, quarantine newly introduced animals in separate paddocks until their health and disease status is confirmed.

What's On

Details about these events and more can be found on our website.

Water Wise Workshop

When: 17 June, 9:30 am to 1 pm 
Where: The Meadows, 795 Meadows Road, Rokewood

Inviting all producers and industry stakeholders to participate in a free workshop with Clem Sturmfels, Adam Buzza from Agriculture Victoria, Southern Rural Water and Michelle McClure, Southern Farming Systems.

Exploring your water options:

• On farm water self assessment
• Water Planning
• Small Farm Dams Project
• Inspecting Small Farm Dams Project Site

Looking after your livestock, looking after you

When: 18 June, 9 am to 4 pm 
Where: Chetwynd Hall

A free workshop with Dr Julie Rowse from Healthy Mind and Soul and Dr Jane Gaussen, The Livestock Vet.

Fully catered, bookings essential.

Glenelg Grass Growers - What to do about water workshop

When: Thursday 19 June, 11 am - 4 pm 
Where: 'Cobbity', 249 McFarlanes Lane, Pigeon Ponds

Join us for our next BWBL session designed to help you with the decisions you are currently facing regarding stock water.

For more information and to RSVP call or text Tim Leeming 0427 797 or Jane Gaussen on 0488 249 814.

Know Your Number, Control Your Future

Join North Central CMA to learn how understanding your farm’s number can help you improve efficiency, boost soil health, and gain access to emerging markets, while providing practical insights to help future-proof your business and maintain profitability.

Free workshops will feature locally relevant strategies and be delivered by people who have practical experience in agriculture.

Drop-in sessions at:

• Boort - 18 June
• Kerang -19 June
• St Arnaud - 2 July
• Castlemaine - 3 July

Setting Strategies for Farm Business Success – Underbool, Ultima and St Arnaud

When: 30 June and 1 July, 8:30 am to 3 pm 
Where: Underbool Bowling Club, Reservoir Road, Underbool

When: 3 and 4 July, 8:30 am to 3 pm 
Where: The Ultima Hotel, Ultima

When: 23 and 24 July, 8:30 am to 3 pm 
Where: St Arnaud Sporting Club, 26 Dunstan St, St Arnaud

Join Gavin Beever from Cumbre Consulting for a Setting Strategies for Farm Business Success 2 day workshop series commencing in Underbool Wednesday 23 July followed by workshops in Ultima and St Arnaud.

Learn:

• What an effective business plan is and how to define success
• Cashflow management
• Dealing with downturns
• How to undertake a business fitness check
• Identifying success drivers and benchmarking

Catch up with Ag Vic experts Dale Grey and Jim Moran to discuss seasonal risk and biosecurity concerns. Hear Brendan Williams from Autonomous Ag talk about latest in AgTech.

Drought Ready Think Tank

When: Thursday 3 July, 9 am - 4 pm
Where: Horsham Town Hall

Hear about Wimmera Southern Mallee's 11 drought resilience projects and help shape the region’s drought ready future.

Talking trees webinar

When: Thursday 3 July, 5:30-7 pm 

Join this Landcare webinar to learn more about how trees can benefit your farm while being used to generate additional revenue through agroforestry, carbon farming, or biodiversity markets.  

Winter drought feeding 'Smoko Sessions'

When: 25 June, 9:30-11:30 am
Where: Ballan Recreation Reserve

Join Rumenate and Ag Vic for a yarn at smoko and pick up practical tips to stay on track during a tough season.

• Getting livestock through winter - Jess Revell, Rumenate
• Decision making and mental wellbeing - Ken Solly, Solly Business Services
• Paddock therapy and recovery - Allan Reid, Reid Rural Solutions
• Financial advice and planning

Drip Irrigation Monitoring and Maintenance Course

When: Wednesday 18 June, 8:30 am to 12:30 pm 
Where: 308-390 Koorlong Ave, Irymple

Get the most out of your system and join Agriculture Victoria for a half day session on drip irrigation monitoring and maintenance aimed at maximising farm profitability and efficiency.

Cost: Free

Presenters: Jeremy Giddings (DEECA) and Peter Henry (Netafim)

Interpreting soil moisture monitoring equipment

When: Thursday 26 June, 9-11 am 
Where: Robinvale Hospital Conference Room

When: Friday 27 June, 9-11 am 
Where: 308-390 Koorlong Ave, Irymple

Agriculture Victoria, in conjunction with irrigation monitoring and management services company Green Brain (now owned by CropX), is offering a half day workshop for irrigators looking to have a greater understanding of interpreting soil moisture monitoring data.

Emissions and productivity: What farmers need to know with Cam Nicholson

When: Tuesday 15 July, 10 am — 2:30 pm
Where: Apsley Golf Club. 

This workshop will provide an overview of the external forces driving the need to track farm emissions.  
It will assist farms to position their business for a low carbon emission future and highlight the relationship between emissions and productivity.  

Why should farmers attend? 

New legislation requires large business and financial institutions to report their carbon emissions. Many global and national businesses have signed up to voluntary targets and emissions reporting. This means there will be increasing supply-chain demand to provide your farm’s carbon emissions.  

Presenter
Cam Nicholson

Learn more on the GRDC events page.

Emissions and productivity: What farmers need to know with Dr Cass Schefe

When: 22 July, 10 am — 2:30 pm
Where: Kaniva LINK Neighbourhood House. 

This workshop will provide an overview of the external forces driving the need to track farm emissions. It will assist farms to position their business for a low carbon emission future.

Why should farmers attend?

New legislation requires large business and financial institutions to report their carbon emissions. Many global and national businesses have signed up to voluntary targets and emissions reporting. This means there will be increasing supply-chain demand to provide your farm's carbon emissions.

Presenter
Dr Cass Schefe

Learn more on the GRDC events page.

Talk the talk workshop

When: 22 July, 3:30-5:30 pm
Where: Harrow Golf Club

A free workshop to help community leaders and farm supplier and service providers support people facing mental health challenges.

Bookings essential by 17 July.

GRDC events

Birchip Cropping Group events

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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