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Pollination under pressure: Preparing growers for varroa mite
Growers are no strangers to disruption. Market downturns, natural disasters, rising input costs and supply shortages are all part of the risk landscape. But varroa mite brings a different kind of pressure.
Training program drives employment success
After 10 weeks of training, 10 Lockyer Valley locals are now equipped with licences and skills needed to support horticultural businesses across the region.
Building healthy soils, protecting waterways
For second-generation pineapple grower Col Hawken, farming has always been about more than producing a crop.
Webinar: IR Unpacked 2026
In this webinar, QFVG's Partner Who Cares, Focus HR provides a comprehensive breakdown of the significant industrial relations changes and the new minimum wage decision that came into effect on Wednesday, 1 July 2026.
Building a legacy through practice change
Every farm is different, but most growers share a common goal: leaving their land and business in a stronger position for the future.
Budget delivers investment, but regions need continued support
Queensland Fruit & Vegetable Growers (QFVG) welcomed investment in water assets as part of the 2026–27 Queensland Budget, however warned that ongoing commitment and future funding will be needed to ensure these assets deliver their full potential.
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.
Growing connections from paddock to the Reef
Nearly 40 growers and industry members swapped their paddocks for the waterfront in late March, gathering at Grunske’s by the River on the banks of the Burnett for Hooked on Hort – Casting for Cleaner Waters.