THE Victorian Farmers Federation Grains Group is disappointed with the State Government's response to the mouse issue across the state.
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Rupanyup farmer and Grains Group president Andrew Weidemann met Minister for Agriculture and Food Security Peter Walsh on Friday to discuss mice and other issues affecting producers.
"We asked the minister if we could get a reallocation of funding from the locust rebate for purchasing bait, because there was a considerable amount of money left over from that," he said.
As of last week the Department of Primary Industries had received 611 claims totalling $777,349 for the locust scheme, which offers landholders a rebate for the cost of spray used to treat locusts between September 1 and May 31.
The government allocated $21 million for the locust rebate scheme.
"We asked the minister if we could get the treasurer to reallocate that money for the mouse issue, but unfortunately the answer was no," Mr Weidemann said.
"We were also looking for support to establish a bait station in Victoria as a mixing point, but the answer was no.
"We want to establish a mixing station somewhere in the Mallee where growers could take their own bait and have it mixed with zinc phosphide. We are still working on that.
"One thing the government did say is they support us in our approach to make sure more bait is available for growers."
Mr Weidemann said he expected the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority to issue a response to the mixing stations proposal this week.
"Mice have been, in my mind, a bigger issue than locusts for producers because of the intrusion into their homes. It's not just farmers who have been affected by mice," he said.
"Dealing with a government department, you never quite know what you are going to get. They said they had spent a lot of money with the floods and there is always a demand on the treasurer.
"We are just disappointed we didn't get more from them."