Rural

PERMANENT sheepyards to test working dogs have been installed for use in this year’s Sheepvention, much to the delight of organisers.

AGENTS yarded 6049 head consisting of 3394 lambs and 2655 sheep at Hamilton on Wednesday, where the quality was mixed and very plain, with very few good quality lambs on offer.

MORE than 100 food and fibre, government, commercial and community leaders came together for a powerful showcase of regional and industry leadership to driving climate action through sustainable, innovative and community-led endeavours at the Great South Coast Sustainable Energy Forum on Wednesday.

THE Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) says the move by Coles to lift their own brand milk price is welcoming for farmers, and reflects the mounting costs being incurred by producers at the farm gate.

MOYNE Shire Council is supporting calls for extra biosecurity measures to be taken to protect the local, vital agriculture sector and ensure it remains free from the highly contagious viral foot-and-mouth (FMD) disease.

THE offices of Western Region MP, Jaala Pulford, and the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions (DJPR), confirmed in identical responses on Tuesday that “while several positions (at Hamilton SmartFarm) may be impacted by workforce changes … staff have an option to apply for new roles”.

AUSTRALIA is the only inhabited continent in the world to remain free of the destructive varroa mite, but local beekeepers have been watching a recent developing situation in NSW which could have ramifications for more than just the local honey industry.

AFTER two years of reduced capacity, the 2022 Sheepvention Rural Expo is finally set to return to normality.

CATTLE prices in Australia are tipped to stay around current record levels for at least the next two years, but the sheep industry has been heavily impacted by lockdowns and lack of labour availability, according to ANZ’s latest agri commodity report.

BRAND new activities are in store for Sheepvention 2022, including the new Entertainment Centre that will be full of activities to keep the children entertained, while parents relax with a coffee and bite to eat in the café.

LAMBS are becoming a feature of the countryside all around the Southern Grampians, as the newly-born animals frolic and keep their mothers close for milk and protection.

ENERGY Safe Victoria is reminding farmers of the ‘Look Up and Live’ campaign as farm equipment gets bigger, while powerlines are not lowering with thousands of powerlines and poles situated on farms.