| Thursday 28 November 2024 |
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| Growth in Food Safety Standards for berries, leafy greens and melons |
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New Food Safety Standards for growers of berries, leafy green vegetables and melons will come into effect from 12 February, 2025, maintaining the state’s reputation as a responsible producer.
Food Standards Australia and New Zealand introduced the new food safety and compliance standards in 2022 to the National Food Standards Code.
Agriculture Victoria Horticulture Standards Engagement Officer, Emily Scott said the standards will assist in lifting food safety standards across the industry.
‘We are working closely with industry bodies and growers to support businesses implementing the new standards with a timely awareness and engagement campaign. Current food safety arrangements are recognised where possible, and our online system assists in documenting and verifying requirements’, said Miss Scott.
‘The Standards apply to businesses of any size that grow or complete primary or ‘early-stage’ processing such as washing, trimming, sorting, sanitising or storing of berries, leafy vegetables or melons.
‘It is worth noting that many businesses are already meeting the requirements in the standards, through their participation in industry food safety schemes.
‘However, there will be new registration requirements which are managed through Agriculture Victoria Connect.
‘If you grow leafy greens, melons or berries in Victoria, I encourage you to visit the Agriculture Victoria website to learn more about the implementation of the Standards across Victoria, and to sign up for the Food Safety Standards e-news and keep up to date with upcoming events.’
Agriculture Victoria is holding a webinar on Tuesday 10 December for berry, leafy vegetable and melon producers to learn more about the new Primary Production and Processing Standards. Register for the webinar.
The webinar will cover key microbial food safety risks, what is required to comply with the Standards for each industry, how Global Food Safety Initiative schemes will be recognised, indicative costs and where to access useful information and resources. Growers of all sizes are encouraged to attend.
All producers are still obliged to ensure food for sale is safe and suitable for human consumption prior to this new Standard commencing on 12 February 2025.
Find out more about the standards.
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By Michele Jolliffe, Agriculture Victoria Dairy Extension Officer - Hamilton
Every hay season several hay stacks spontaneously combust across Victoria, in single moist bales or in a stack of any size.
Once the hay has been stacked it’s important to regularly monitor it for heating and act quickly.
Unfortunately, even with technological advances in machinery for harvesting conserved fodder, there is still nothing cost effective to help monitor the internal temperatures of haystacks.
So, it’s back to some very simple techniques to keep an eye on your hay stacks.
Watch for signs of heating
Keep an eye out for signs that haystack is heating. Steam condensation on the shed roof, mould growth, acrid fumes and hot, humid air at the top of the stack are all good indicators.
When building stacks with suspect wet hay, stack the bales loosely to allow air movement and spread the stack over a wider area, for example, over several bays, thereby reducing heat build-up.
Most heating will occur over the first 1 or 2 weeks but has been known to reach ‘flash point’ up to 8 weeks after baling. Monitor the stack temperature regularly.
Determine the stack temperature?
Stack temperature can be measured using a crowbar inserted as deep as possible into the stack and left for 2 hours. After 2 hours, the crowbar can be removed and felt by hand to give you a rough guide of the internal stack temperatures.
The temperature of the bale is up to about 50°C if you can hold the crowbar without discomfort. It is up to 60°C if the bar can be held for a short time only and up to 70°C if the bar can only be touched briefly. If you can't hold the bar, temperature is above 70°C and fire is a real possibility. Treat the stack with caution.
In the past it has been suggested to push a small pipe into the stack and lower a small thermometer to the end of the pipe to measure the temperature of warming hay.
However, this technique should not be used for severely heating hay as It may oxygenate the inner section of the stack and cause a fire to start.
What can be done if the stack heats to danger levels?
If a stack starts to get ‘dangerously hot’ pull it apart as quickly as possible.
Be aware that as the bales are pulled out of the stack, especially in a tightly built stack, oxygen will now get access to the hot spot and potentially cause ignition.
Make sure that water is readily available and suitably qualified people able to assist in fire suppression if required.
Safety Warning!
Avoid walking on the stack as the extremely high temperatures may have charred the centre of the stack. Any extra weight on the stack may cause the stack to collapse into the dangerously hot centre and cause serious injury.
If there is the slightest risk of a fire starting due to wet hay, never keep machinery in the hayshed and don’t allow children to play in or near heating stacks.
The Country Fire Authority website has good information about hay fire risk. Search ‘hay fires’ at www.cfa.vic.gov.au
For more information about dry seasonal conditions and drought support visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/dryseasons or call 136 186.
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| The Gippsland Farm Forestry Program grants are closing soon! |
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Grants are available for landowners to grow trees for timber as well as other benefits including:
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providing shelter for stock, crops and pastures
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improved farm amenity and biodiversity
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carbon storage.
The program supports the planting of:
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wood lots
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shelterbelts
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wide space plantings.
Grants are open until 7 March 2025.
More information.
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| Celebrating our Upskill and Invest Young Farmer Scholarship recipients |
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Pictured: James Campkin-Smith
Congratulations to James Campkin-Smith, one of this year’s Upskill and Invest Young Farmers Scholarship recipients!
James works alongside his parents in their beef breeding and finishing business in South Gippsland.
He’ll be advancing his skills with a course in artificial insemination and fertility management, and investing in new AI equipment to help him breed top quality cattle to meet MSA standards.
For the full list of recipients and more info on the program, visit our website.
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| Will emergency services know where to come in the event of a fire? |
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As part of your fire season planning, make sure roadside numbers are visible, vegetation around gates, culverts and bridges have been cleared, and gates are wide enough and easy to open.
Check out the tips and templates for developing your farm fire preparedness plan in the Farm Fire Preparedness Toolkit.
Download a copy of the toolkit here.
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| Farm Business Resilience Program case study - Successful farm people |
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Watch the video here.
‘A good team that works together in good times and in bad is just invaluable.’
Agriculture Victoria’s Helen Chenoweth and Hannah Manning, and farmer Georgia Buckholz talk about the importance of developing people skills and successfully handling succession, to improve farming businesses for the long term.
Find out more about our Farm Business Resilience Program here.
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| Weed data sharing survey closing tomorrow |
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The Victorian Serrated Tussock Working Party, Victorian Gorse Taskforce, and Victorian Blackberry Taskforce are exploring opportunities and challenges for recording and sharing data on invasive plant species across different land tenures.
Their aim is to reduce the threat invasive species pose to our environment, agriculture, and communities.
They would appreciate hearing about your experiences with recording and mapping weeds and other invasive species.
The survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete, and your response will be instrumental in helping enhance data collection and sharing processes.
CLICK HERE to access the survey.
The survey closes on 29 November at 5 pm.
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| Join the Design Reference Group and help shape the future of Agriculture Victoria Connect! |
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We are excited to announce Agriculture Victoria's new online system designed to streamline your regulatory compliance such as chemical use authorities or food standards.
As we build Agriculture Victoria Connect, we want your input! Whether you use this system for regulatory services or simply have an interest in the process, your feedback is invaluable.
We invite you to be a part of the Design Reference Group, where you can play a vital role in representing the community that uses Agriculture Victoria Connect.
Meeting every 6 weeks, members will share feedback and ideas to guide the development of services, ensuring the system is effective and user-friendly for both agriculture businesses and community members.
Your voice matters – help us shape a better system!
For more information and to join, contact avcproductteam@agriculture.vic.gov.au
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| Grants up to $1 million to support businesses development and create jobs |
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Dahlsen’s Steel Truss and Frame at Newmerella, a joint venture between Dahlsens and Built QA. They received a $500,000 grant in Round 1 of the Forestry Transition Fund grants program.
The Forestry Transition Fund aims to support business development and the creation of jobs across all industry sectors in towns or communities affected by the end of native timber harvesting.
Following the successful delivery of round 1 of the Forestry Transition Fund grants program, round 2 is now open with grants between $10,000 and $1 million available to eligible businesses and industry groups to expand, diversify or start new businesses.
Successful grant applicants may also be eligible for a Transitioning Timber Worker Employment Incentive Payment of up to $20,000 per ex-native timber worker the project employs.
Applications will be accepted from business and industry groups, including chambers of commerce and associations, peak bodies and business networks, as well as councils and incorporated not-for-profit organisations that act as a business .
Expressions of Interest are now open, and applications close at 5 pm on 31 October 2025.
For more information and to view the guidelines visit the Forestry Transition Fund or call 1800 318 182.
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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.
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| Free financial counselling with RFCS |
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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.
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New premises for National Centre for Farmer Health
The National Centre for Farmer Health (NCFH) is moving into a brand-new premises to continue its nation leading efforts to improve the health and wellbeing of farmers and their communities.
Read the full media release here.
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Landmark tax ruling - a win for native timber workers
Native timber workers will get more money in their pockets when they receive support from the Victorian Government, following a landmark class ruling by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).
Read the full media release here.
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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.
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| Webinar: New Food Safety Standards for growers of berries, leafy green vegetables and melons |
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New Food Safety Standards for growers of berries, leafy green vegetables and melons will come into effect from 12 February 2025.
The standards apply to businesses of any size that grow or complete primary or ‘early-stage’ processing such as washing, trimming, sorting, sanitising or storing of berries, leafy vegetables or melons.
Join our webinar on Tuesday 10 December at 12 pm to hear more about how your business will meet the new standards.
Register here.
Find out more about the New Food Safety Standards on our website.
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| Tactics For Tight Times MID |
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When: Wednesday 4 December, 10:30 am - 2 pm
Where: Macalister Demonstration Farm, address provided after registration
Register here.
Have you got a game plan? Know your numbers and take stock of your situation.
Come along to the Macalister Demonstration Farm to hear Matt Harms talk about Tactics For Tight Times. Benn Thexton Chair of the MCCC ( Macalister Customer Consultative Committee) will also be attending.
The group will discuss water budgeting and allocations, how much can you pay for temporary water and other options are there, feed on hand, feed needed to purchase, spill or no spill what is your course of action? Light lunch will be provided.
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| Pasture comparisons, complementary cropping and getting the best from your Kikuyu |
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When: Wednesday 4 December, 9:30 am - 1 pm.
Where: Gippsland Agricultural Group, 345 Bengworden Road, Bairnsdale.
Register here.
Look at the trial site pasture comparisons and discuss suitability for your region.
We get a snapshot of what complementary crops have worked for some farmers.
Then wrap up with shared experience on how to get the best out of Kikuyu and ryegrass seasonality.
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| Pregnancy Scanning Heifers |
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When: Thursday 5 December, 2 pm.
Where: Gippsland Research Farm stock yards, Bengworden
Register by calling Alister on 0418 576 957.
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| Are you struggling to control African Love Grass on your farm? |
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When: Saturday 7 December, 10 am.
Where: Gippsland Agricultural Group.
Register by calling 0409 436 133.
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| Understanding Farm Carbon Workshop - Warragul |
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When: Wednesday 11 December, 10 am - 2 pm
Where: Mercure Warragul, 23 Mason Street, Warragul
Register here.
Understanding and measuring greenhouse gas emissions (or carbon footprint) on dairy farms is vital. It provides farmers with valuable information for improving productivity and sustainability, and preparing for regulatory and market changes.
The Understanding Farm Carbon workshop supports dairy farm businesses to understand the drivers of greenhouse gas emissions and how to reduce their carbon footprint.
From understanding industry requirements to assessing potential productivity and environmental benefits, the workshop provides farmers with essential information and practical steps.
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When: Wednesday 18 December, 10 am - 2 pm
Where: Riverslea, address will be released closer to the date.
Register here.
Join GippsDairy on farm for a short farm tour and discussion of the findings of recent research into the effects of heat on the dairy herd.
Heat stress can be effectively managed with a proactive whole-of-year approach including changes to animal nutrition, on-farm infrastructure, and breeding programs.
The group will discuss strategies to help you minimise the impact of heat stress on your cows, optimise milk yield, and ensure the overall well-being of your herd.
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Enjoying the Gippsland Ag News? Then why not forward to a friend or subscribe yourself.
It's easy – simply click this link.
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| Contacting Agriculture Victoria |
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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.
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