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On 3 July, the Australian Government committed an additional $241.9 million to continue the International Freight Assistance Mechanism (IFAM), helping keep international freight routes and flights operating until the end of the year.
The new funding will keep high-value, time sensitive and perishable exports and vital imports, such as medical supplies and other essential items, flowing as we continue the economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis. It will also re-establish domestic connections for producers and growers in regional and rural areas that rely on air freight to get their products to customers.
This funding is in addition to the $110 million announced in April to establish the IFAM under the $1 billion Relief and Recovery Fund to support regions, communities and industry sectors disproportionately affected by COVID-19.
Read more …
Join extensionAUS and Agriculture Victoria for a series of webinars which will provide a unique opportunity for you to address on-farm connectivity issues and help you to understand available digital technology - how to measure it and how to make it work as best as possible for you and your business.
WEBINAR DATES AND TIMES
Webinar 1 – On-farm connectivity: Tuesday 21 July, 1.30 – 2.30 pm
Register or join at: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89710895573
Webinar 2 - Getting the most out of video meeting software: Tuesday 28 July, 1.30 – 2.30 pm
Register or join at: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86270444624
Webinar 3 - Internet of Things (IoT): Tuesday 4 August, 1.30 – 2.30 pm
Register or join at: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89327853496
Webinar 4 – Online networking to better communicate on-farm and service farm businesses
Tuesday 11 August, 1.30 – 2.30 pm
Register or join at: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84433966881
Contact: If you need help registering please contact
Gavin Beever, Cumbre Consultants on 0438 234 886 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY AUDIT
An opportunity exists to participate in an on-farm digital technology audit conducted by phone by Agriculture Victoria, to understand the technology you already have available on-farm and how you can improve its efficiency. Participants will be asked to identify what type of internet connectivity they have, where they have access to WiFi and how they use technology on their farm.
REGISTRATION: To register for the audit please book a time at https://bit.ly/2VbBXBK
Contact: If you need help registering or would like more information please contact Andy Clark,
Agriculture Victoria, on 0436 804 656 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The Salvation Army is delivering assistance through the Australian governments Drought Community Support Initiative (DCSI – Round 2). The second round of this assistance commenced on 19 November 2019. If you are a farmer, farm worker, farm supplier or farm contractor who is doing it tough due to the drought you may be eligible for a one off payment of up to $3,000.
To be eligible you need to be:
- Over the age of 18 years
- Be an Australian citizen or permanent resident
- Live and / or work in a specified Local Government Area (LGA – see attached)
- Have not already received this payment from The Salvation Army or St Vincent de Paul since 19 November 2019
You can apply for the drought assistance online at www.salvationarmy.org.au/drought (preferred method) or by calling the 24/7 Telephone Assistance Line on 1300 551 030.
Click here to download the Eligible Local Government areas list...
Click here to download the full article...
Download the information brochure here...
Fruit Growers Victoria (FGV) recently attended the Victorian Government COVID-19 Agriculture Industry Reference Group Meeting. Along with providing industry feedback, FGV heard from The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
DHHS provided some useful points below on what businesses need to do to ensure business continuity if there is a COVID-19 outbreak:
- Have a working Covid-19 Health & Safety Management Plan in place, please see attached document .
- Have ongoing clear records of workers, shifts, temperatures, contact details of anyone who has been at your workplace or at offsite or onsite accommodation and how they can be contacted
- Have a Hygiene and Safety Procedures Plan in place (please see Citrus Australia info)
Having all the above in place along with social distancing and strong sanitation will ensure that if there is an outbreak, the potential of a full business shut down will be minimised. If there is an outbreak in a workplace, DHHS will deploy an outbreak squad to inspect the premises and work with the business and Infection prevention team to determine next steps.
Useful resources
To VCA members,
As a result of the Covid19 pandemic there may be less air freight available this season to supply our export customers, potentially resulting in an over supply on the domestic market and depressed prices, particularly for small fruit.
The VCA committee encourages grower members to carefully consider pruning for a crop load that maximises fruit size and crop value and avoids heavy crops & small fruit.
The committee, with Cherry Growers Australia, is monitoring the air freight situation closely and will update members on developments in future newsletters.
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Thank you to the team at Cherry Hill Orchards who were kind enough to share their “Pruning for Size – Managing Cropload” video with us.
2020 Cherry Export Workshop
After much deliberation, the export workshop will be delivered via webinar over two half-days this year. Two sessions will be run with some additional opt in content for Korea and China. You must attend both sessions to be export registered for the protocol markets of Korea, China, Thailand and Taiwan from the mainland.
Session 1:
- Wednesday the 8 July 2020 from 9am–1pm OR
- Wednesday the 15 July 2020 from 1pm–5pm
Session 2:
- Thursday 9 July 2020 from 1pm–5pm OR
- Thursday 16 July 2020 from 9am–1pm.
Growers, please ask your crop monitors to attend session 2.
Please RSVP to Charlotte with your preferred session times and dates at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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Agenda – session 1
- Welcome – Tom Eastlake, CGA
- Harvest to Home data insights – Gi Lee, Nielsen
- Crop load management – Matt Whiting, WSU (live on the 8th, pre-recorded on the 16th) and Mike Omeg, Orchard View Cherries. Mike will be live for both sessions.
- Case study – Northwest cherries
- Crop load forecasting and management
TEA BREAK
- Export strategy – Tom Eastlake, CGA, Hugh Molloy, Antico International
- Diversification and mitigation of risk in a COVID-19 environment
- China trade update
- Other markets
CLOSE
Optional session:
12.30pm–1.00pm (8th July) OR 4.30pm–5.00pm (15th July): COVID-19 Update
Agenda – session 2
- Welcome – Tom Eastlake, CGA
- Accredited properties and Protocol markets – David Burns, DAWE
- Export manual & apps – Charlotte Brunt, CGA
- New market access – Korea requirements – Lisa Haywood, Cherryhill Orchards
CLOSE
Optional sessions
3.00pm–4.00pm 9th July OR 11am–12pm 16th July
- Protocol markets in detail
- Korea
- China
- Preparing product for fumigation
4.00pm–5.00pm 9th July OR 12om–1pm 16th July
- Technical information on preparing product for export inspections – Noel Bradford, Regional Assurance Manager, Authorised Officer Program, Plant Export Operations, DAWE
Please check the CGA Website for guest speaker information and latest updates on the workshop.
Address
PO Box 612, Mooroopna, 3629
and return it to: VCA Secretary, PO Box 612, Mooroopna, 3629
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