The diversity of Queensland’s agriculture sector has always been well complemented by our state’s natural beauty and vibrant regional communities. This week, these two threads have officially come together for the first time with the launch of a new peak body, Agritourism Queensland.
Launched this week, Agritourism Queensland provides support to farming enterprises who have diversified into agritourism to ensure they have a strong voice at the table to mitigate challenges and leverage opportunities. The peak body will also seek to support farmers who are considering diversifying Into agritourism.
The establishment of Agritourism Queensland is timely, with prior work conducted by QFF revealing that agritourism has the potential to reach a value of $4.28 billion by 2030. This is driven in large part by consumers who are keen to get a better understanding of where Queensland’s world leading food, fibre and foliage comes from and how it is produced.
Agritourism Queensland is a peak body for farmers run by farmers with QFF Vice-President Kay Tommerup, who owns and runs Tommerup’s Dairy Farm, taking on the role of Agritourism Queensland’s inaugural President. Kay is herself an experienced agritourism operator, whose 6th generation Scenic Rim dairy farm offers farm stay experiences and access to a range of farm products.
With the connection between farmers and consumers probably at an all-time low, agritourism not only offers incredible leisure experiences for people but also and important education and awareness opportunity. At the same time, agritourism offers farm businesses the opportunity to unlock new and diversified revenue streams, including direct-to-consumer sales.
Agritourism Queensland will offer farmers greater support and guidance in establishing and maintaining their agritourism operations, while undertaking the critical policy engagement work required to maximise the incredible opportunity agritourism presents.
With the 2032 Brisbane Olympics on the horizon, it is important that industry and government are able to work together to overcome the current barriers to growth and leverage the opportunities.
Agritourism Queensland’s website is now live, serving as an entry point for farmers looking to learn more about entering the burgeoning industry. I encourage anyone considering the potential for agritourism opportunities on their farm along with supply chain stakeholders to visit the website at www.agritourismqueensland.au and follow along on social media via @agritourismqld.