Dry seasonal conditions
While farmers look to the ‘autumn break’, Agriculture Victoria continues to support farmers to prepare and plan for a potential continued dry season.
The past 12 months across many areas of the state have been very dry and we understand the effects this has on businesses, particularly with increased supplementary feeding and depletion of on-farm water supplies.
In the south west, dry seasonal conditions have been ongoing since winter 2023 and given the cumulative impacts, the Victorian government announced a $13.53 million Drought Support Package on 30 September 2024.
As part of this package, Agriculture Victoria has trialled a new innovative approach to support south west farmers in making good timely and informed decisions to ease what is acknowledged as an increasingly stressful situation.
The program comprises technical decision-making support in the form of a one-on-one technical advisory service, which has had great uptake, and a targeted group events program, delivered in partnership with service providers.
A range of dry seasonal conditions preparedness and management resources are also available to Victorian farmers across the state. These include a suite of water and feed calculators to support planning and decision making available on the Agriculture Victoria website.
Farm business and planning support is also available through workshops run as part of the Farm Business Resilience Program, as well as services offered through the Rural Financial Counselling Service.
One-on-one advisory service
The one-on-one advisory service for the south west offers eligible farmers a free three-hour consultation with a trusted consultant to develop a drought action plan specific to their farm’s needs. A follow-up phone call ensures ongoing support, allowing farmers to adjust plans as conditions evolve.
To date, over 70 farmers have benefited from this service, seeking advice on critical areas such as feed and water budgeting, as well as broader business management strategies. A panel of 19 consultancy businesses, featuring 21 experienced advisors, is available to provide tailored support. After registering their interest, farmers are connected with their preferred consultant by Agriculture Victoria to arrange the on-farm consult.
Group-based learning
In addition to individual consultations, the program is funding over 40 group-based learning activities across the region. Running from February the workshops, designed to complement the usual program delivery in the region, have been developed by expert consultants with regional knowledge, with a focus on 4 key areas:
- technical decision-making
- digital tools (for farm management)
- mental health and wellbeing
- business management and planning
The events program has proved successful, with a range of options available to farmers. As at mid-March 196 farmers had attended 10 events across the region.
See the upcoming drought support events
The novel approach to design and delivery ensures Agriculture Victoria can ensure ready access to practical, innovative and targeted support to drought-affected farmers.
Through one-on-one advisory services, group workshops, and digital resources, farmers have access to tools and knowledge to navigate challenging conditions and build resilience for the future.