Get ready… summer is coming
Queenslanders are no strangers to wild weather. And as the weather warms up so too do our eyes move to the sky.
Meteorologist and hydrologist are just two of the many hats horticultural growers wear every day, so this stuff isn’t new. They know what needs to be done. The difficulties come in trying to set aside the time to get ready. It’s not easy, but it is worth it.
Although I’m sure we can all understand how fatigued Queenslanders are when it comes to weather warnings; the messages keep coming, the latest – it’s time to get ready.
Fortunately, there is a plethora of information and resources available to growers - including the QFVG-developed Natural Disaster Toolkit. This handy toolkit steps the reader through planning for themselves, family, and business, and can be found in our QFVG Resource Centre: www.qfvg.com.au/resources
QFVG also continues to roll out the Farm Business Resilience Program state-wide supporting a future where growers can confidently tackle the interconnected risks of climate, market changes, and modern farm management with practical advice, tools, and support.
On a policy front, there is still much to be done.
QFVG is calling for a range of policy and funding changes we hope will be adopted by government to enhance the state’s disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.
Shifting away from the status quo of reactionary, delayed, and short-term recovery processes that are failing our growers and taking far too long to bring agribusinesses back on-line after a disaster.
We would also like to see changes to various guidelines administered by Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority (QRIDA) that are overly restrictive.
These include the exclusion of in ground and tree crops as eligible recovery activity, the exclusion of normal employee wages as an eligible cost for the immediate resumption of business, as well as the limited scope of who a primary producer is for the purposes of disaster assistance.
Here’s hoping for a summer storm season of mild proportions and in the coming months may the rain fall softly on your fields, the wind be at your back like a gentle breeze, and the sun shine warmly upon your crops.
