19 December, 2011 Ms KerrynRiseley Executive Officer Education and Training Committee Inquiry into Agricultural Education and Training in Victoria Parliament of Victoria Spring Street EAST MELBOURNE VIC 3OO2 Dear Kerryn Please find attached the submission from the Victorian No‐Till Farmers’ Association to the Education and Training Committee’s Inquiry into Agricultural Education and Training in Victoria. We appreciate the extended time we have received to make this submission, based on the on‐farm harvest requirements of our members, which did not allow for the collection of information until now. Yours sincerely Vanessa Grieger Executive Officer Victorian No‐Till Farmers’ Association Submission to the Education and Training Committee Inquiry into Agricultural Education and Training in Victoria The Victorian No‐Till Farmers’ Association The Victorian No‐Till Farmers Association (VNTFA) was established in 2003 by a group of enthusiastic, like‐minded farmers who have been experiencing the benefits of No‐Till for many years. The No‐Till Farming System minimises soil disturbance by sowing with one pass only, which results in less than 20% total soil disturbance. The system also maintains crop residues thereby retaining moisture levels. By limiting soil disturbance by foregoing repetitive ploughing, no‐till farmers use significantly less fuel in machinery, which has cost and environmental benefits. No‐Till systems are geared towards sustainability and long‐term improvement of soil health. A number of innovative farm practices such as inter‐row sowing, controlled traffic and precision agriculture are tools commonly used by experienced no‐till farmers. Some of the many benefits of No‐Till include:  increased soil health  increased water use efficiency  increased nutrient efficiency and the ability to create a natural nutrient cycle by fully utilising the nutrients available in crop residues  increased water infiltration  increased flexibility and the ability to respond to climate change impacts  increased productivity and efficiency of production  increased profitability which flows through to community benefits, and  increased environmental stewardship. The VNTFA is farmer‐based, and its activities focus on sharing knowledge and providing support mechanism for farmers who use no‐till systems. VNTFA has been instrumental in the adoption of No‐Till across Victoria. The VNTFA has 530 members, the majority of which are farm businesses. The uptake of No‐Till farming is most evident in the younger age group. 2 The Importance of Agricultural Education for No‐Till Farming The Wimmera Mallee is the leading no‐till farming region in Victoria. The majority of the pioneer, or early adopters, are located in the Wimmera, and the recent drought and impact of climate change has had a significant impact on the region. “I have been using no‐till systems for 4 years now, and saw benefits almost immediately, in particular in soil structure and moisture penetration. If you haven’t converted to no‐till in the Wimmera and Mallee over the last 10 years, you probably don’t have much of a farm left.” Peter Teesdale, Rupanyup The importance of high‐quality, progressive agricultural education which teaches a range of traditional and conservation farming methods is critical to the future of agriculture in Victoria. Such education options: ‐ assist farm businesses, via the input of younger generations, to adopt their practices as required ‐ encourage the adoption of innovative practices which increase productivity and lower emissions ‐ explore all options for increasing sub‐soil moisture and reducing reliance on rainfall VNTFA plays a key role in educating farmers on no‐till practices, mainly because those methods do not receive a strong focus in formal agricultural training. The methods and technology used in modern farming change constantly, and agricultural educators do not always keep up with new ideas and technology. “No‐Till Farming systems are increasingly being looked upon as the future for agriculture in Australia. The ‘Farmers helping Farmers’ mentoring program run by Vic No‐Till is a sure‐fire way to increase the uptake of no‐till systems across the state. “Vic No‐Till exists to support all farmers who are using, or considering using, No‐Till systems. The ‘Farmers helping Farmers’ program will assist farmers who are new to No‐Till systems by sharing the knowledge and expertise of experienced members.” Evan Lewis, VNTFA President Education providers – links to industry VNTFA has a good working relationship with the Longerenong Agricultural College. While arrangements are informal, there is the opportunity for our members to address students on the benefits of no‐till farming, as well as to conduct workshops and field trips to inspect crops grown with no‐till methods. LongerenongCollege, and other agricultural educational centres would benefit from closer ties with the farming community. Agriculture is in many ways a hands‐on career, and while it is very important for young people to receive a formal education, it is also important for them to be introduced to farming life, and the support, ongoing learning and pressures it involves. Closer association between agricultural education providers and farmer‐based groups would be useful. It would assist: ‐
the dissemination of practical, hands‐on knowledge based on current methods 3 ‐
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the development of support networks for young farmers two‐way transfer of technology, allowing young farmers to share recent learnings and for them to learn up‐to‐date methodologies exposure to and experience with other aspects of the agricultural community. “We took a group of six young farmers to the Wimmera to have a look at some of the state’s best no‐till practices, and see how we can apply their knowledge to our crops down south. One of the young farmers said that he felt like he learnt more in that 2‐day trip than in his four years at Ag. College.” Evan Lewis, VNTFA President The Agriculture Industry is more than Farming It is particularly important to capture young people who are interested in sustainability and environmental science and to lead them towards agriculture. There are many agriculture‐related occupations apart from being a farmer, and closer involvement with those students and their educational institutions would be useful. The future of agriculture in Australia relies on developments being made in water usage, soil health and other areas which will increase the sustainability of the industry. The definition of agricultural education needs to be expanded to include these areas of study, where the knowledge gained by students will ultimately be used to advance the agricultural industry. There is a narrow understanding of employment in agriculture, and this inquiry may be able to assist with the public’s attitude to and understanding of the many and varied employment and study opportunities available in our industry. “No‐Till farmers have made massive advances in reducing emissions – they use 66% less fuel to produce the same outcome as traditional methods, because they only plough once, not three times. This hasn’t happened in cars or any other industry. No‐Till farmers have also made dramatic improvements in water efficiency. Why aren’t they rewarded for that?” DirceuGassen, Cooplantio (Brazil’s largest No‐Till cooperative) while visiting the Wimmera Conclusion The Victorian No‐Till Farmers’ Association exists, in part, to provide ongoing learning for its members, based on current theories, practice and technology. These are all aspects of modern farming which change constantly, and many of the methods used by no‐till farmers do not even appear in agricultural education courses yet, despite being in wide use for more than a decade. VNTFA would encourage stronger ties with agricultural educational institutions to ensure graduates are equipped with modern, up‐to‐date knowledge, as well as the support networks to enable them to continue learning. 4