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With Valentine’s Day to fall on a Sunday this year, hopeless romantics are being urged to arrange their flower deliveries for this coming Friday 12 February to ensure their loved ones don’t miss out.

Geoff Maguire, President of Flowers Victoria suggests sending a floral gift to those at the office on Friday so that cupid’s special message still reaches that special person in time for Valentine’s Day.

“Sales of all fresh flowers double on Valentine’s Day, with about 55 million roses worldwide - mostly red - being given on this one day alone,” said Mr Maguire.

Goulburn Murray Water’s (GMW) approach in dictating who represents the Pyramid Boort irrigation community is yet another ill-conceived and heavy handed decision, following on from its sacking of the duly elected Pyramid Boort Water Services Committee late last year, said the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF).

VFF President Andrew Broad said GMW sacked the Committee for allegedly being dysfunctional and ineffective, despite many members of the Committee having served for extensive periods and having the support of the community which it represented. 

“This was a wrong decision made worse by today’s announcement. This heavy handed approach is contrary to the wishes of the Pyramid Boort irrigation community who believe that the sacked Committee should be reinstated,” said Mr Broad

The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) has said that the loss of 80 jobs as a result of the closure of the Murray Goulburn Co-operative plant at Leitchville in Northern Victoria should be an alarm bell for both State and Federal Governments.

President of the United Dairyfarmers of Victoria (UDV), the dairy commodity of the VFF, Chris Griffin said that the reason given for the plant’s closure, a fall in milk supply due to the drought, was not surprising.

“Irrigation districts across Northern Victoria have struggled to maintain production, with record low water allocations over the past few years, together with uncertainty surrounding infrastructure upgrades and the Federal Government’s water buyback program,” Mr Griffin said.

The United Dairyfarmers of Victoria (UDV), the dairy commodity of the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF), has raised concerns that the Department of Sustainability and Environment’s (DSE) Dairy Shed Water Licence Transition Program will lack the support of Victorian dairy farmers unless significant changes are made.

UDV President Chris Griffin said the program, which included an amnesty period for eligible farmers to apply to license water used in dairy sheds without penalty, had a number of flaws which needed be amended before the amnesty ends on 26 February 2010.

“The program will not maintain the support of dairy farmers and achieve its intended objectives unless their concerns are adequately addressed. These include the issues surrounding unregistered farm dams, Goulburn-Murray Water’s (G-MW) license fees, and the metering requirements for licenses issued under the program,” Mr Griffin said.

Members of the Victorian Farmers Federation’s (VFF) Board met with representatives of the major bank lenders to agribusiness at a meeting in Melbourne on Monday convened between the VFF and the Australian Bankers Association (ABA).

VFF President Andrew Broad said the meeting was an opportunity for farmers and bankers to discuss the current financial position of the farming community.
 
“The VFF has always encouraged an honest dialogue between farmers and the banks, both at an organisational level and locally,” Mr Broad said.

The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) has launched the 2010 VFF/Elders Insurance Young Agricultural Apprentice of the Year Award, with the search now on to find Victoria’s most talented young farmer.

VFF President Andrew Broad said the VFF/Elders Insurance Apprentice of the Year Award sought to acknowledge and celebrate the exceptional contribution that young apprentices make to their workplaces.

“Victoria has a plethora of young, talented agricultural apprentices. This award aims to recognise their contribution to our industry and to reward Victoria’s best farming apprentice for their achievements,” Mr Broad said.

The United Dairyfarmers of Victoria, the dairy commodity of the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF), has welcomed this week’s announcement by Murray Goulburn Co-Operative to increase its 2009/10 farmgate milk price.

UDV President Chris Griffin said the price increase followed a step up from a number of other dairy companies and was a sign of confidence in a strong future for the Victorian dairy industry.

“It is fantastic to see another Victorian dairy company move towards lifting its milk price. Victorian dairy farmers can breathe a little easier for the time being, with a number of Victorian dairy companies increasing their milk price over recent months,” Mr Griffin said.

The National Farmers’ Federation, with support from the Australian Government, is hosting free seminars across regional Australia from September 2009 to help agricultural producers understand how new workplace relations laws will affect agricultural employers.