Queensland Fruit & Vegetable Growers

28/09/2026

Two Hours of Power: Finding the Extra Margin 💡

Costs are high. Inputs are tight. Prices are under pressure. But could there still be extra margin sitting in your business?

National vegetable benchmark data shows Australia’s most profitable growers are spending more per hectare — and generating almost four times the profit.

So where is the difference coming from?

This practical two-hour workshop will use Riverbend Produce as a live case study to explore four key profitability levers:
🔹 Inputs to Income – which spending is generating profit, and which is habit
🔹 Labour Productivity – getting more output from the same team
🔹 Enterprise Optimisation – are you growing the right crops on the right ground?
🔹 Price Realisation – negotiating from data and confidence, not guesswork

The aim is to identify the small gains that can add up to a meaningful improvement in margin — with practical actions you can take back to your business.

📍 Stanthorpe | 20 October
📍 Gatton | 21 October

👉 Register: www.leveluphort.com.au/2026-roadshow/

24/09/2026

Want to find out how the Food and Grocery Code can protect you as a grower?

AUSVEG is delivering the Know your Grocery Code program, proudly supported by the Australian Government.

📅 When: 29 September 2026
📍 Where: Stanthorpe Showgrounds
🎟️ Cost: Free!

The training will:
-Build your understanding of the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct
-Let you know your rights and protections under the Code
-Show how you can use the Code to confidently negotiate with grocery businesses and secure a fairer deal when negotiating with large supermarkets

👉Register here: https://www.knowyourgrocerycode.com.au/event-list

21/09/2026

Succession planning isn’t just about deciding who takes over. It’s about giving yourself, your family and your business time to consider the options and plan for the future.

Through the Farm Business Resilience Program, QFVG partnered with Proagtive Succession Planning Specialists to help growers start the conversations around future roles, responsibilities and what stepping back might look like.

Because after a lifetime of building a farm business, what comes next deserves some planning too.

Read the latest FBRP article to hear what growers took away from the succession planning workshops and why starting the conversation early matters.

🔗 Read the full article:

A farm can carry a family name, support several generations and represent a lifetime of work. Planning what comes next is an important part of protecting what you have built and giving both the business and your family greater certainty about the future.

17/09/2026

QFVG CEO Scott Kompo-Harms GAICD:

“Given the seasonal nature of production in horticulture, our growers and supply chain are highly exposed to these changes, with working holiday makers comprising up to 80 percent of labour supply during seasonal peaks in horticulture.”

“It is deeply disappointing that the Minister has set his sights on a highly effective visa program that provides a steady seasonal workforce across Queensland. These aren’t the migrants that Australians are competing with for housing, these are temporary workers that are supporting the production of affordable, nutritious fresh produce across the country.”

The Queensland Farmers’ Federation and its peak body members, CANEGROWERS Australia, Cotton Australia, Queensland Fruit & Vegetable Growers, eastAUSmilk and Greenlife Industry QLD have been left bitterly disappointed by reforms to the Working Holiday Maker (WHM) visa program announced yesterday that will cut a vital supply of labour in regional Queensland.

QFF CEO Kylie Porter said the reductions to WHM visa numbers in years two and three of the program will have significant impacts on regional economies as sectors such as tourism, agriculture, and hospitality compete for a reduced labour pool.

“We’re looking at significant cuts to the numbers of backpackers in our regions with current information suggesting WHM visa numbers will be reduced by around 53 percent. On top of these cuts is the introduction of a ballot system for years two and three which will actively disincentivise backpackers from working in the regions at all,” Ms Porter said.

QFF and our peak body members strongly urge the Federal Government to restore the numbers of working holiday makers across the three-year program, to expedite the processing of WHM visas and to work actively in consultation with the agriculture sector on a path forward for reasonable regional migration.

“Agriculture must be consulted, and Australia’s regional economy must be considered, before changes are made to essential employment pathways for our sector,” Ms Porter said.

“While we welcome the naming of agriculture as a priority sector in Ministerial Direction 119, the chaos unleashed by the slowdown to working holiday maker processing ahead of the busiest time of year for food, fibre and foliage production is crippling any goodwill that may have come from the regions as part of these changes.”

Read the full release here 👉 https://bit.ly/4iBdwJw

17/09/2026

What does best management practice look like on a working orchard?

In our latest Hort360 Great Barrier Reef video case study, macadamia and lychee grower Craig Van Rooyen shares how practical changes on-farm are helping build healthier soils, improve nutrient efficiency and protect water quality.

Craig’s orchards are Hort360 Reef Certified, helping demonstrate how productive farming and good environmental outcomes can go hand in hand.

🎥 Watch Craig's story to learn more about the practical steps being taken in Craig's orchards: www.qfvg.com.au/news-room/water-quality-from-top-to-bottom

15/09/2026

Your QFVG membership gives you direct access to:

✔️First call to Focus HR included in your membership
✔️Alerts on major industry issues including annual wage updates
✔️Monthly IR/HR news to help you manage your people and your business
✔️12 HR templates & resources

PLUS, access over $3,600 worth of horticulture HR support with our 'HR Booster'

Just more reasons why it pays to belong. Become a member today: www.qfvg.com.au/membership

13/09/2026

🐝 Growers are being asked for input on Australia’s pollination system

The Australian Pollination Security Status Report 2026 is examining the pressures facing pollination across Australia, including climate change, habitat loss, biosecurity risks such as Varroa destructor, and changes within the beekeeping sector.

The consultation is open to growers and others involved in pollination. Feedback will help test the report’s findings, identify gaps and inform the development of the Australian Pollination Strategy.

The survey takes around 8–12 minutes to complete.

Submissions close Wednesday, 30 September 2026.

👉 Complete the survey: https://www.wheenbeefoundation.org.au/our-work/research-projects/australian-pollination-strategy/pollination-security-survey/?fbclid=IwdGRjcAUOBtFwZG9mBWZkaWQWUOHDjWmN3w2qBlVhXi47VoRLPO-rCWV4dG4DYWVtATAAYWRpZAGrNl8RLRWPc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQKNjYyODU2ODM3OQABHuqssS8t3kYAPiyvUi2vkAcBYdXTxMSe8_rCwkFi9uR0k6EyeWRD3U08tLpE_aem_8UY7CXpK7EIiSiD1UUnbUA&utm_source=meta&utm_medium=paid_social&utm_campaign=aps_consultation_beekeepers&utm_content=video_beekeepers

Australia’s first national overview of pollination security, outlining the risks facing food production, biodiversity and ecosystems.

11/09/2026

Join QFVG and workplace advisors Focus HR for Performance Management That Stands Up, a practical webinar designed to help horticulture businesses navigate underperformance with clarity and confidence.

You’ll learn how to:
🔹 Identify and document underperformance using clear, objective standards
🔹 Understand the difference between performance, capacity and misconduct
🔹 Structure effective Performance Improvement Plans and formal warnings
🔹 Avoid common mistakes highlighted by Fair Work Commission decisions
🔹 Navigate tricky situations, including bullying complaints, personal leave and psychosocial hazards

From the first performance conversation through to formal warnings, PIPs and potential termination, Focus HR will share a practical framework to help you manage performance fairly — while protecting your business.

📅 Wednesday, 30 September
⏰ 12-noon - 1pm
💻 Online webinar
🎟️ Free for QFVG members
👉 Register now: https://www.qfvg.com.au/events #!event/2026/9/30/webinar-performance-management-that-stands-up

This webinar is for HR professionals, business owners and managers responsible for managing people.

10/09/2026

📰 The latest edition of Fruit & Vegetable News is out now!

Inside this issue, we’re getting out into the paddock and around the kitchen table to hear directly from growers about what’s really happening on farm and what would make a difference.

You’ll also find a closer look at new approaches to growing, including strawberry grower Brendon Hoyle’s trial of pulse fertigation, and a look at the future of pineapple farming following the 2026 Pineapple Field Days.

Plus, plenty more industry news, grower stories and practical insights from across Queensland horticulture.

Keep an eye on your letterbox!

10/09/2026

Queensland’s horticulture industry is calling on Federal Immigration Minister Tony Burke to act on delays and uncertainty affecting the Working Holiday Maker visa program.

Working Holiday Makers are an important part of horticulture’s workforce mix, helping growers meet significant seasonal demand for labour when crops are ready to harvest.

Horticulture should not be caught in the crossfire of broader debates about migration numbers. Working Holiday Makers are temporary workers who fulfil a specific role in meeting seasonal workforce demand — and reducing access to them will not solve housing or infrastructure pressures in our cities.

🔗

Queensland Fruit & Vegetable Growers is calling on Federal Immigration Minister Tony Burke to act on delays and uncertainty affecting the Working Holiday Maker visa program, ahead of a meeting with the Minister next week.