North-East Node update: business-risk workshops, caution still around Tallangatta and nitrogren

 

As the Vic Hub’s North-East Node Lead, Riverine Plains has been continuing its consultations with farmers and advisors across the region.

 

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A reasonable start, but nitrogen is a key concern

 

Following early March rains, many grain and mixed farmers got their sowing programs underway, making the most of the opportunity to sow annual pastures and long season/grazing cereals and canola for early livestock feed.

The dry April paused programs until widespread rains in May properly kicked off the main sowing season. Better autumn rainfall in the eastern and southern parts of north-east Victoria is reflected in better crop and pasture establishment and early growth in these areas compared with the northern and western areas. While some late paddocks are still being sown, the bulk of annual sowing programs are now complete.

Although the availability of starter fertiliser (MAP) and diesel did not overly impact main-season sowing programs, many farmers managed risk by purchasing and storing increased quantities of diesel at peak prices, which will have an impact on farm margins this year.

Nitrogen fertiliser availability and cost remain a key concern, with uncertainty impacting decisions ahead of the rapidly approaching application window in June-July. To help address this, Riverine Plains is hosting a webinar on nitrogen management, to support decisions in the context of both the season at hand and nitrogen cost and availability.

Due to low rainfalls over the summer, there is real concern that livestock water supplies may run short in some areas over the coming months.

 

Tallangatta Expo

 

Riv Plains’ Michelle Pardy attended the Tallangatta Expo in mid April, as part of Towong Shire’s Recovery Hub.

The region was affected by bushfires in 2026, with extended drought and recovery from the 2019-20 bushfires being ongoing concerns. The loss of housing and infrastructure due to bushfires, and delayed reconstruction from the 2019-20 bushfires has had a big impact on mental wellbeing in the area. As such, a number of support services were in attendance alongside Riverine Plains, including Red Cross, Towong Shire’s Relief and Recovery Team, fellow Vic Hub partner Agriculture Victoria, Gateway Health, Headspace Albury and AgBiz Assist.

Key topics raised by landholders on the day included fencing, re-vegetation and the protection of waterways (rivers, springs and dams) and vulnerable landscapes. Rainfall outlooks, diesel and fertiliser management, and livestock data-recording systems for increased efficiency were other topics raised on the day.

From a farming perspective, recent good rainfalls in the area supported good early autumn pasture growth, helping the region’s livestock farmers reduce costs associated with feeding, though limited run-off meant that dams hadn’t yet been replenished at the time.

 

Upcoming workshops to focus on business, risk

 

In consulting with farmers, Riverine Plains has identified business and risk management as significant areas of interest to farm business managers.

To address this, we’re hosting a GRDC Hyper profitable crops & machinery investment (Riskwi$e) workshop at Mulwala in June, to provide insights on big machinery purchases. We’ll also be hosting a series of workshops in October, including Office Efficiency and Cash Flow and Budgeting workshops (as we did in October last year), with more details available shortly.

Farmers are invited to join us for a field day at Murchison in July which focuses on production decisions in mixed farming systems. Drawing on Riverine Plains’ long-term trials, the day will cover cropping and grazing strategies, feed and end-product options, and how different system choices may affect farm performance over time. The program will also feature a grain storage session with Chris Warrick, with a view to managing risk this harvest.

For the full list of dates and programs, visit the NE Node lead’s event website: riverineplains.org.au/events

 

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Contact the NE Node lead

 

For further information about Riverine Plains’ involvement in the Victoria Drought Resilience Adoption & Innovation Hub, please email Riverine Plains Senior Communications Manager, Michelle Pardy, at michelle@riverineplains.org.au.