Target 10 Communicator
January 2011 Edition
MAKE IRRIGATION AND RISK MANAGEMENT YOUR NEW YEAR RESOLUTION
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Northern Victorian dairy farmers looking to get the most from their water allocations while minimising risk to their business should make it their new year resolution to attend a practical four-day course being offered in 2011 free of charge.
Tailored specifically for dairy farmers, the free Irrigation and Risk Management Course will be presented by the DPI and irrigation specialists in March at Shepparton and in May at Cohuna.
DPI dairy irrigation project manager Rob O'Connor said over the years there had been many changes to water availability, irrigation management, water policy and farm forage systems and this course will help farmers to better understand and manage these changes.
“The course aims to help participants identify opportunities to turn water in to profit and includes visits to see the latest technology being used on-farm,” Mr O’Connor said.
Mr O’Connor said feedback from participants who had attended the course in past years had been overwhelmingly positive.
Tongala farmer Tony Flett said after doing the course he got the excavator in.
“It was a cost-effective way of making water go further on the farm,” Mr Flett said.
Merrigum dairy farmer Greg Pell said he got a lot out of the course and encouraged others to enrol as he believed they would get terrific value out of it.
The course also contains essential and practical information on:
- assessing the pros and cons of fast flow flood irrigation
- getting the best mix of pastures and crops
- taking full advantage of the water market
- comparing the costs of permanent, temporary and leased water products and bought-in feed
- maximising opportunities with carry-over water, the On Farm Irrigation Efficiency Program, irrigation modernisation and other new water policy.
The course in Shepparton will be held on March 4, 11, 18 and 25, while the course in Cohuna will be held on May 5, 12, 19, and 26, 2011.
