- QFF and our members Canegrowers, Cotton Australia, Queensland Fruit & Vegetable Growers, and Nursery & Garden Industry Queensland have advocated for many years for disaster recovery support to cover replanting costs and welcome the Queensland Government’s recent decision to provide this support to flood impacted growers. Read more here.
- The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) has released their election priorities for the 2025 Federal Election, with a National Food Security Preparedness Strategy topping the list of election asks. Read more here.
- Biosecurity Queensland is urging pig and horse owners to monitor their animals after Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) was detected at two Queensland piggeries. Read more here. The detection of JEV has renewed calls for greater management of the exploding feral pig population which serves as a vector for the disease.
- A new R&D program to increase the daily vegetable consumption of Australians by one serve a day is expected to contribute $3.3b to vegetable growers and across the supply chain, create 13,000 new jobs in regional communities, and lead to a $1.4bn reduction in healthcare costs – contributing a total $4.7bn in net economic benefit. Read more here.
- Cotton Australia is launching six new resources for schools with the aim of refreshing the teaching approach through the delivery of a series of engaging and educational activity sets aligned to the Design and Technology, and Science key learning areas of the Australian Curriculum. Read more here.
- Roadmap 2035: A Framework to Strengthen Far North Queensland (the Roadmap) is an ambitious framework developed by Advance Cairns working with industry, and the broader Far North Queensland community to achieve economic growth, sustainability and long-term prosperity over the next decade and beyond. Read the Roadmap here.
- Nursery & Garden Industry Queensland (NGIQ) are working with QRIDA to deliver a disaster recovery information session on Monday 3 March. This session will provide practical, step-by-step guidance to help growers apply for funding and support. Register for free here.
- Last chance to participate: QFF’s on-farm energy efficiency program EnergySQ will soon conclude, with growers in the Goondiwindi, Lockyer Valley, Scenic Rim, Southern Downs, Toowoomba and Western Downs regional council areas encouraged to express their interest here. Watch program participant Savina Lane Wines discuss the benefits of the program here.
- Grant applications are open to support projects that deliver innovative varroa mite education, training or management tools. Read more and apply here by 24 March. An outbreak of the bee parasite was recently discovered less than 5km from the Queensland border, in the closest detection to date. Read more here.
- The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport has issued an interim report into local government sustainability which recognised the considerable financial strain councils are under. Read more here.