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What we do

Rural Financial Counselling Services are:

  • Free, independent and confidential
  • Staffed by qualified and experienced Rural Financial Counsellors (RFCs) who understand farming and business – our RFCs are required to have a Diploma of Financial Counselling as minimum qualification, and have years of experience in assisting farming businesses
  • For primary producers of livestock, milk, honey, fruit, crops, wool, meat, vegetables, eggs, fish, plants, trees and logs
  • For small businesses who mainly support primary production such as: fencing, shearing sheep, controlling weeds or agricultural pests, managing stock, planting crops etc.
  • Able to assist farm or small agribusinesses experiencing or at risk of financial hardship
  • Able to come to your place of business or you can come and see us.

Assistance when

Rural Financial Counselling Services can assist businesses affected by:

  • Drought/water issues
  • Low commodity prices
  • Natural disasters
  • Structural adjustment
  • Industry downturns
  • Low equity/tight cash flow
  • Difficulties with lenders or access to finance
  • Unpaid creditors/debtors
  • Market disruptions
  • Changes in personal circumstances
  • Farm accidents or illness
  • Share farming/succession agreements/ contracts.

How can we help you

Rural Financial Counselling Services can help you:

  • Understand your financial position and the viability of your enterprise
  • Identify options to improve your financial position
  • Develop a plan to implement your chosen options, and implement that plan
  • Provide information, referrals, and support to access, government or industry grants and programs
  • Assist you to deal (whether through meetings or otherwise) with lending institutions in relation to:
    • Applications and contracts with those institutions; and
    • Processes relating to farm debt mediation
  • Assist you to identify the need for advice from professional service providers, and provide support with preparation for meetings with professional service providers.

News

NE Regional Soil Health Conference

NECMA conference

North East Regional Soil Health Conference - 14 May 2021 at Beechworth is for ALL land managers, agriculture industry groups and soil health service providers in North East Victoria.
Read more ...

Farm Finance getting prepared 2021 Webinar

Farm Finance

The team at the Young Farmer Business Network have put together a series of sessions designed to build skills in financial planning and business resilience for your farm business.
Read more ...
blog rru
Regional Round-up is a monthly newsletter providing an overview into the environmental and business conditions affecting farmers and rural businesses in the Goulburn Valley and North East Victoria.

Overall, May was a month that brought some good rainfall. Prices for livestock continued their trends from April and some crops emerged. Hay and fodder prices continued to escalate while supply continuesd to decrease. Milk processors announced some encouraging milk prices.

Dairy

Most processors announced their opening prices. These vary from $6.60/kg MS to $7.10/kg MS with a range of incentives on offer for higher production and quality. Dairy farmers are waiting for the remaining milk buyers to announce their pricing before making any commitments to suppliers.
Autumn calving cows are milking well for those with access to good grazing pasture.

Cropping

May rain has been highly beneficial with many crops germinating. Despite the rain this month, low sub soil moisture is likely to limit crop yields however.  
Some frost occurred late in the month with minimal impact.
With lower than avearge of the rainfall, pasture growth is well behind average for the greater north eastern/northern regions of Victoria.
Hay is increasing difficult to source and stocks are particularly low. As a result of this, alternative lower quality feeds are in high demand. With much of winter still to come, this is an alarming trend.
Grain pricing:
Wheat $380-390 / t
Canola meal $470-480 / t
Lucerne hay $600-700 / t

Sheep

Lamb prices remained strong and continued to rise as a result of strong export demand and ongoing limited domestic supplies. Trade lambs at 31 May reached 879c/kg cwt.
The wool EMI dropped to 1,768c/kg, though premium wool prices remain strong.

Beef

Prices continued to ease in response to low demand, amid extraordinary feed prices and low feed availability. Producers continued to unload livestock with record numbers of females being sold to abattoirs. This is largely due to the extended poor seasonal conditions.

Irrigation

Temporary water is trading at $550 - $570 per ML.

Service Area Map

rfcs vic ne region map

Local Government Areas

The RFCS VIC-NE Region includes the following Local Government Areas;

  • Alpine
  • Benalla
  • Campaspe
  • Greater Shepparton
  • Indigo
  • Mansfield
  • Mitchell
  • Moira
  • Murrindindi
  • Strathbogie
  • Towong
  • Wangaratta
  • Whittlesea
  • Wodonga

Call 1300 834 775 to find out what assistance we may be able to provide you, or make an appointment with one of our experienced Rural Financial Counsellors.

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Contact Us

Rural Financial Counselling Service Victoria - North East.

102 Hume Street

Wodonga VIC 3689

PHONE: 1300 834 775

EMAIL: info@rfcsvicne.org.au

FAX: (02) 6100 6123