Latest news from QFVG
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Practices in Focus: Integrated Pest Management
Queensland horticulture growers are increasingly on the lookout for practical ways to manage pests and limit unnecessary pesticide use, to protect beneficials and reduce input costs. It’s about being more efficient and improving resilience of their farming systems.
Practices in Focus: Precision Spray
Queensland horticulture growers face increasing pressure to achieve effective spray coverage while also managing input costs, environmental conditions, compliance requirements and off-target risk.
Agronomy assistance for growers
Growers operating within the Great Barrier Reef catchment area are encouraged to apply for up to $1,000 of on-farm agronomy support currently available through QFVG’s Great Barrier Reef Project.
A goose can only be plucked so far
Eighteenth-century French statesman Jean-Baptiste Colbert is often quoted as saying: “The art of taxation consists of plucking the goose so as to obtain the most feathers with the least hissing.”
Growers must not become collateral damage of disaster funding reforms
Queensland Fruit & Vegetable Growers (QFVG) is seeking assurances that Queensland growers will not become collateral damage in proposed changes to Australia's disaster recovery funding arrangements.
Minimum wage decision another blow to growers already facing rising costs
Queensland Fruit & Vegetable Growers (QFVG) says the Fair Work Commission's (FWC) latest wage decision will increase cost pressures for fruit and vegetable growers at a time when many businesses are already struggling to absorb rising input costs.
Export success hides domestic pain for growers - food security needs action
Queensland Fruit & Vegetable Growers (QFVG) is warning against complacency on Australia's food security following the release of the ABARES June 2026 Agricultural Commodities Report, which shows export growth is increasingly obscuring challenges facing domestic fruit and vegetable production.
Fair Work Commission delivers significant minimum wage increase for 2026–27
The Fair Work Commission (FWC) has handed down its Annual Wage Review decision, confirming significant increases to both the National Minimum Wage and minimum award wages from 1 July 2026.
Leadership and friendship: Can you really be both?
This is a topic that often comes up in leadership programs and is something that a lot of managers (particularly first-time managers who have been promoted internally) face.
Returning to work after illness or injury
When an employee experiences illness or injury, returning to work can be a significant transition for both the employee and the employer. Whether the illness or injury occurred at work or outside of work, a successful return to work process requires understanding, communication and cooperation from everyone involved.
IR Unpacked: Your 1 July Fair Work Update
Over the past 12 months, the industrial relations landscape hasn’t just shifted - it’s accelerated.
Federal Budget delivers mixed outcome for horticulture
Queensland Fruit & Vegetable Growers (QFVG) says the 2026–27 Federal Budget delivers several positive measures for horticulture businesses, particularly around fuel and fertiliser security, tax certainty, and small business investment, but significant concerns remain around future investment in drought resilience and regional agricultural programs.
Have we learnt nothing?
Last year, QFVG argued that food should be treated as a national security asset - not just an economic output or social issue. Recent events suggest we’ve learnt less than we thought we had.
Red Valley Farms: Growing a legacy from the ground up
In the rich volcanic soils of Lakeland, three hours north of Cairns, Red Valley Farms stands as a powerful example of what long-term vision, calculated risk, and family commitment can achieve.
Local fertiliser solution on the horizon
With fertiliser costs rising and supply becoming increasingly uncertain, growers are being forced to rethink how they secure one of their most critical inputs. An Australian company, PlasmaLeap Technologies, is developing a different approach - one that could bring fertiliser production closer to the farm.
Support for growers needed to keep fresh food on supermarket shelves
Queensland Fruit & Vegetable Growers (QFVG) says pressure continues to build for horticulture growers despite recent Federal Government measures aimed at supporting freight and input costs.
Payroll tax settings not working for the regions
Queensland Fruit & Vegetable Growers (QFVG) is calling on the State Government to review payroll tax settings and adopt a more reasonable compliance approach, warning that current arrangements are creating inequity and placing additional pressure on growers already battling soaring input costs.
Balancing complexity when every link counts
Queensland horticulture relies on a finely balanced supply chain. Growers need efficient, predictable transport to move produce from farm to market. When that chain is disrupted - by fuel spikes or supply chain shocks - the impact is felt immediately at the farm gate.
General Protections claims on the rise
General Protections (GP) claims continue to rise at a pace that is outstripping other Fair Work Commission (FWC) applications, prompting procedural changes from both the Commission and the Federal Court.
When the cost of getting to work becomes a barrier
Rising fuel prices are starting to show up in the workplace in a very real way. We’re increasingly hearing from growers that employees are raising concerns about the cost of simply getting to work.