Agriculture

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Tuesday, 24 December 2024

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Agriculture

Watch for heating hay

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...

Positive outlook for dairy

Comparatively high farmgate milk prices and favourable weather in some regions ensured the 2023/24 season finished strong for Australian dairy farmers, however the outlook is more cautious for the remainder of the current season, according to Dairy...

Benefits of early pregnancy testing in beef cattle

During a difficult season, some cows will have a tough time getting back in calf. Many spring calving herds are joining their cows and in some cases these cows are in poorer condition than normal. Limited feed availability makes getting back in calf...

Be an agricultural leader

Farmers, land managers, and agricultural professionals are invited to apply for the inaugural 2025 Gippsland Agricultural Leadership Program, to be delivered early next year. The agriculture-focused program is designed to equip participants with the...

Animal health issues following recent rain

Recent rain and humid weather have provided ideal conditions for a suite of issues that can impact animal health, including Barber’s pole worm, flystrike and an associated increase in toxic weeds. Agriculture Victoria senior veterinary officer Jeff...

Livestock excellence in on-farm challenge

Almost 400 head of cattle were entered in this year’s Leading Edge Genetics on-farm competition, with a remarkable display of excellence in livestock breeding, marking its 15th year as one of the largest competitions of its kind in Australi...

Consider early weaning to save feed and water

Feed and water shortages are likely as we move into summer, so consider weaning your beef calves early to save on requirements. Agriculture Victoria livestock industry development officer Hannah Manning said early weaning can help your cows maintain...

Record crowd celebrates women in dairy

About 180 of Gippsland’s dairying women packed into the Moe Racing Club for the annual GippsDairy ladies’ lunch on November 29. The theme of the day was Wise Words, with attendees hearing from local farmers Lyn Hornby, Thelma Hutchison, and Chris...

Finding a successful forage mix for pastures

Pasture 365 is a research project aiming to find forage mixes that could potentially provide feed for all 365 days of the year. Agriculture Victoria is measuring whether species-diverse pastures can grow feed all year round to negate the...

Prepare your livestock fire plan

Victorian producers are more aware than most of the importance of being prepared and having a plan in place for livestock during a fire. With the fire season almost upon us, now is the time for livestock owners to get prepared and have a clear...

Words of wisdom from dairying women

GippsDairy’s annual women’s lunch will be held this year at Moe Racing Club on Friday, November 29. The much-anticipated event is organised by the Gippsland Women in Dairy Working Committee and celebrates the hard work and achievements of dairying...

New research aims to add value to dairy waste

About 710,000 tonnes of Australia’s on-farm milk production is discarded as waste each year but new research could see it transformed into a range of valuable products. Researchers from the Dairy UP team are investigating fermentation opportunities...

Understanding and managing facial eczema

Facial eczema is caused by cattle ingesting spores of the fungus Pithomyces chartarum through pastures. Once ingested, the fungus produces a toxin called sporidesmin in the gastrointestinal tract. This toxin causes damage to the liver and mammary...

Continual weed battle

The invasive weed African lovegrass was under the spotlight at the recent Gippsland Agricultural Group’s Spring Field Day, with 79 plots and several management strategies dedicated to finding the best way to manage it. The key message from the Toms...

Edging towards drenching

Is it time to drench? If so, step back and consider a few things. Worm burdens will vary between different classes of livestock. Therefore, it’s important to first establish what really needs drenching. In doing so, you may save yourself time and...

Learnings on show

More than 150 people made for record numbers at the Gippsland Agricultural Group’s fifth annual field day recently, where demonstrations and trials were put under the microscope. GAgG chief executive officer Trevor Caithness said it was an...

Cream of the crop

A number of West Gippsland dairy farmers have enjoyed the accolades of being recognised in Dairy Australia’s 2024 Countdown Milk Quality Awards.  Awarded by Dairy Australia annually since 2002, the awards celebrate farmers who have produced the...

Enhanced surveillancefor animal diseases

Victoria’s livestock industries are fortunate to be free of most of the serious diseases that affect animals in other parts of the world. Despite this fact, on-going surveillance for new or exotic disease is important to reassure our trading partners...

Insight to dairy leadership

Traveling at 95 kilometres per hour on a jet boat in Queenstown may not seem like your typical professional development activity – but for Gippsland dairy farmer Miranda Knight, it was a thrilling end to her eight-day New Zealand study tour. “It...