When it comes to mother nature, Queenslanders tend to keep one eye on the sky and the other on the forecast. The state’s severe weather season – which extends from October through to April – can bring the full gamut of extreme weather events from heatwaves and bushfires to floods and cyclones.

Far North Queensland growers are no strangers to nature’s challenges. But when Ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper swept through in late 2023, it left damage and disruption that would rattle even the most experienced farmer.