3 November 2025. Shane McCarthy, AgForce General President.
It was great to welcome the Indonesian Ambassador to Cloncurry for the Recent Beef Up event that continues to go from strength to strength.
Dr Siswo Pramono also spent time touring four local properties the next day to see first hand the beef breeding side of things, which was a first for the Ambassador. He was amazed at the scale, pride and passion which producers displayed.
This came about from the herculean efforts of the AgForce Cattle board - firstly by being part of a delegation to Indonesia earlier this year, and then taking the opportunity to build on those relationships with a trading neighbour so vital to Queensland by then inviting him here.
Because Queensland holds 50% of the National herd we are rightly seen as a vital partner, and going forward these relationships are crucial to ensure the future of live trade.
There's other big wins to celebrate too. A long-held vision to export bulk grain directly from the Port of Townsville has finally become a reality.
What started as a dream to better support North and Central Queensland growers has led to the first bulk shipment of chickpeas from Townsville to India and Pakistan - a significant milestone for the region's agricultural and logistics industries.
It's not overstating to say that this truly marks the beginning of a new era for grain exports from North Queensland, unlocking opportunities that simply weren't available previously for producers and traders from these regional communities.
The Port of Townsville offers significant advantages for grain transport logistics, as it has the capacity to receive product from inland farms from triple and even quad road trains. While the port doesn't yet have permanent bulk grain loading infrastructure, there is mobile ship-loading equipment to enable shipments to proceed smoothly.
Seeing grains and pulses leave Townsville in bulk for the first time brought home to me how this is a win not just for individual producers but for the whole supply chain.
This on top of the latest forecast from the Queensland Primary Industries department of record growth over the past financial year, with new Agtrends figures showing a rise of 18 per cent across the sector from 2023-2024.
After a decade of decline, this is a pivotal turnaround, and brings renewed confidence in the future of Ag.
The increase was across a number of key commodities such as cattle - both at the farm gate and in cattle prices - and also rising demand for chickpeas, poultry and bales.
And it was also a joy to honour 20 remarkable women who made the list of Queensland's incredible and under-appreciated rural women as part of International Day of Rural Women celebrations.
They are the hidden powerhouses reshaping Queensland's landscape against the odds, all breaking down barriers and driving innovation. And four are AgForce members! Congratulations to AgForce's own - current Cloncurry Councillor and Southern Gulf NRN Board Director Jane McMillan, lifelong farmer Skye Titmarsh, fifth generation farmer and chartered accountant Emily Coggan and Toowoomba livestock producer Amanda Burchmann.
The International Day of Rural Women gives us all the chance to acknowledge these often unsung heroes of Queensland - the farmers, producers, Mums, activists and business owners who lead their communities through the incredible highs and lows of rural living.
