Rural

VICTORIAN Liberals leader Matthew Guy and South West Coast MP Roma Britnell were on the notorious Woolsthorpe-Heywood Road to announce a $1 billion spend, per year, for ten years, if they win the next state election.

IT’S now two years since Terry and Shannon Blasche swapped the warmth of northern NSW for the, let’s say, seasonal conditions of south-west Victoria. During that short time a lot has changed on the farm they now call home at Jancourt East.

FRIDAY, November 4 marked the official start of the Cattle Australia Constitution and the transition of Cattle Council of Australia (CCA) to Cattle Australia and the commencement of the inaugural democratic Board election process.

SOUTHERN Cross University (SCU) and the Environmental Analysis Laboratory (EAL) are inviting farmers and land managers across the country to participate in a Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry incentivised soil sampling and analysis program.

AS we approach the State Election, the recent disastrous floods are still fresh in our minds, even though Victoria’s Western District was relatively unscathed.

THE annual Dairy Farm Monitor report has revealed that in 2021-22 Victoria’s dairy farmers experienced the fourth best financial returns since the project began 16 years ago. Despite this, and a strong 2022/23 opening price, milk production continues to decline across the region.

SOUTHERN Grampians Shire Council adopted the 2022 Hamilton Regional Livestock Exchange (HRLX) Strategic Vision as developed by the HRLX Advisory Committee (HRLXAC) at Wednesday’s ordinary Council meeting.

INSPIRED by an ABC program on waste – Willie Van Niekerk saw a real need to help address the waste problem. That of course, was the start of an incredible four-year journey, that has brought Willie to recycling milk bottles and tops into furniture and fence droppers.

EMOTIONS ran high in the gallery of about 180 farmers and stock agents, mostly in favour of keeping the Warrnambool saleyards open, at Monday night’s Warrnambool City Council’s (WCC) public meeting.

RENOWNED Glenthompson kelpie breeding and training facility, GoGetta Kelpie Stud is holding an online auction in a few weeks where 15 of their dogs will be sold to the highest bidders.

WITH wet conditions and flooding across the district, it has been a slow start to the silage season.

ANIMAL welfare is critically important but, after reading the Plan for Victoria’s new animal care and protection laws, I am terrified that this is a complete power grab – being pushed through quickly and quietly, before anyone has a chance to stop it. Rarely, in my opinion, have I ever seen such a blatant and over-riding plan put forward to control animal farming.