Voluntary grain harvesting guide to be trialled by Warracknabeal CFA groups

THE Victorian Farmers Federation and the Country Fire Authority will launch a trial to manage harvest fires.

Burnt wheat paddocks on Gowers farm at Carwarp.

THE Victorian Farmers Federation and the Country Fire Authority will launch a trial to manage harvest fires.

The lobby group announced in July it would trial a voluntary code of conduct this harvest to prevent header fires.

It is based loosely on the South Australian code, which prohibits harvesting when conditions reach 35 on the grassfire danger index.

The voluntary grain harvesting guide will be trialled by local CFA groups around Warracknabeal over harvest this year.

The guide uses the grassland fire danger index model to give growers parameters about when they should stop harvesting.

The GFDI takes into account average wind speed, temperature and relative humidity, and the code has a sliding scale which calculates a figure, and stipulates grain harvest should be suspended when this figure exceeds 35.

VFF Grains president Brett Hosking and CFA chief officer Euan Ferguson will launch the trial on Friday (October 31) at Cannum Fire Station near Warracknabeal, with local VFF and CFA members.

Mr Ferguson said the initiative was important, especially given the fire season would start early this year.

“We want to do everything we can to prevent costly fires in equipment and in valuable grain crops at this crucial time of year,” he said

“If farmers can consider suspending harvesting during the few hours of highest fire danger we should see a reduction in fire starts.”

“Early indications suggest that the fire season may be two to three weeks earlier than in past years … so important that we’re all well prepared across the state.”

VFF Grains president Brett Hosking said the advantage of this scheme is that it provides a straightforward, user-friendly, and objective way for growers to manage potential fire risk on their individual properties and uses data which most growers would have on hand.

“The guide which we have developed this year in conjunction with the CFA is based on a system that has been in operation in South Australia for many years, ” Mr Hosking said.

“We know that there has been pressure mounting from some quarters that harvesting should stop on total fire ban days.

“However this view does not take into account that harvesting of our food crops is seasonal and must occur in summer as the crops ripen in hot dry conditions”.

He said this approach was a more targeted approach and much better than applying blanket bans on entire regions for days at a time.

The VFF and the CFA have produced a sticker with the GFDI matrix which farmers and header operators can put in header cabs and utes.