As Growcom’s Project Communications Officer with a previous life in the academy, I attend forums our growers may not have the time or resources to attend. It seems my seat at the recent Australian Academy of Science’s National Symposium, however, may have been better occupied by a grower in the flesh.

This week’s news of the controversial biosecurity levy progressing to the Senate is yet another fork in the back for Queensland’s horticulture industry.

With Australian labour costs being some of the highest in the world, the adoption of emerging technologies could be the answer we’ve been looking for to keep the sector competitive.

Last week a major news outlet suggested that data does not back up farmers’ claims that the industry is in crisis. The data they were referring to, was a predicted 3% increase in production due to improved growing conditions.

In an industry renowned for being too hard and too complex, the task of educating decision makers to support them in making good decisions and keep them from making bad ones, is a full-time gig.

Fresh produce advocates like QFVG are very aware that the time is now to go hard, be brave and use political pressure around the cost-of-living crisis to drive change for our industry. Recent comments from the Prime Minister however, have left many growers angry and frustrated, and rightfully so.

Third generation Innisfail banana and papaya farmers Matt and Ben Abbott have worked quietly and consistently to future-proof their family’s farming operations.

A love for people in the agricultural sector is what drew Amy Nash to her new post as the Queensland Agriculture Workforce Network (QAWN) Officer for South East Queensland.

In Queensland, experiencing disasters is practically a rite of passage. As Australia's most disaster-prone state, with over 100 events since 2011 ranging from storms to fires to cyclones, we've become adept at navigating the aftermath. Yet, amidst our expertise, there's always room for improvement.

Monday night's standout TV program in Australia was undoubtedly the Four Corners special, "Superpower." For those in horticulture who missed it, it's a must-watch.

With this week's media around Coles (once again) requesting that suppliers look at reducing their own costs so they can make more money for their shareholders and look good in the eyes of the consumer, rather than looking inward at their own practices and profitability, growers around the state are collectively rolling their eyes. 

For many years, Infopest has been Australia’s number one AgVet chemical database. Originally developed by the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (then DPI), QFVG (then Growcom) took over the product in 2012.  

The fresh produce market is complex – a sentiment we will keep on repeating to anyone who will listen. When assessing influences on pricing great care must be taken to understand the dynamics at play.

In the aftermath of a challenging few weeks marked by intense scrutiny of the practices adopted by major retailers, it seems reasonable to assume that a significant amount of damage control is underway behind the scenes.

Albert Einstein once said, "If you can't explain it to a six-year-old, you don't understand it yourself." The labyrinth like world of Queensland's fresh produce supply chain certainly lives up to this complexity.

Summer 2023/4 has proven to be volatile for Queensland growers. While parts of the state sweltered through heat and bushfires, the far north contended with Cyclone Jasper and flooding, and the Southeast received storms as a rather unwelcome Christmas visitor.

Late last year we met with banana, papaya, mango and vegetable growers in the far north, the same growers who helped shape our national We Give a Fork campaign. It was time to ask what they thought of the campaign. What was the verdict?

While the Year of Horticulture may have come to a close our eye is firmly on what lies ahead in 2024 - the year #WeGiveAFork and a year of Partners Who Care. In fact, the two go hand in hand.

Connection in the bush is in crisis. That’s what growers told us during our recent state-wide connectivity push. And if it wasn’t so serious, it’d be a joke.  

Many of us this week will be in the throes of planning and shopping for our Christmas feasts with colourful decorations, unusual salad combinations, and yummy desserts featuring plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts taking centre stage.