25 March 2025. Shane McCarthy, AgForce General President.
If I can take a minute of your time, here's the reality.
The challenges that face Queensland broadacre agriculture producers are mounting to a degree that is becoming unsustainable.
AgForce members met recently in Emerald to set policy priorities for the next two years - priorities chosen by Queensland producers like you to shape the future of our industry going forward.
After that gathering, some AgForce cattle directors and I headed to Darwin to coordinate with our NT counterparts to ensure a unified response to the pressures we face.
Agriculture has never been without its battles, but the pace and scale of threats today are accelerating at an alarming rate.
The gaps are closing between policy battles and regulatory threats, with multiple fronts stacking up at once.
There is no time to catch our breath before the next fight begins.
In a sense, it is a war of attrition, with some of these anti-farming groups expecting to grind us out of the game.
Whether it's in the paddock or defending our industry, producers have always done more with less and adapted to what's been thrown at them.
But right now for one commodity - cattle - we are staring down battles on a number of fronts.
There's the ludicrous campaign against Buffel grass, growing anti-live export sentiment that is fast becoming a federal election policy, a pipeline of sustainability metric legislation built on shaky ground, and a volatile global trade environment that could just as easily shift in our favour or against us.
That's all before factoring in everyday production pressures, or the reality of navigating all of this in the middle of an uncertain season in some areas. Though for now, many are busy dealing with the aftermath of flooding.
Every other commodity I know could rattle off a similar list of concerns.
Active advocacy is not optional anymore, it is critical. The pressures facing your commodities, thrive on division, disengagement, and last minute panic. Those that oppose our way of life are organised, committed and united.....WE NEED TO BE TOO.
Some wins have been lost because, as producers, we did not feel we had the experience to get involved with our representative bodies or assumed that someone else would take care of it. It’s time to get off the fence.
It only takes a small effort from everyone getting involved to ensure less effort overall is needed to defend our right to produce, thus allowing us to focus on what matters - producing food and fibre. As Executive General Manager, Pastoral Operations AACo Michael Johnson said in a recent speech at the NTCA gala dinner, "We all need to come together as an industry to be stronger."
I am here to say - your experience is extremely valued by your representative body.
AgForce is that body in Queensland. It is your direct channel to raise issues with Government, but its strength grows as more producers engage. A stronger representative body means a stronger industry.
We will always be here for the industry. As they say, "On the Shoulders of Giants we stand", but we still need you with us to be the strongest version of it.
Remember Tomorrow is too late to Win.