QFF to celebrate Queensland agriculture alongside our members at Ekka 2024

The 2024 Royal Queensland Show, or Ekka Festival, begins this weekend running from August 10-18. For almost 150 years the Ekka has been bringing the country to the city and inviting hundreds of thousands of visitors to celebrate Queensland’s agriculture sector. From animal shows and art competitions to carnival rides and the iconic Ekka strawberry sundae, the weeklong event has something for everyone.

As Queensland agriculture’s largest annual event the Ekka presents the state with an opportunity to celebrate our regional communities, and the important role our primary producers play in feeding and clothing the nation.

By blending entertainment and education, Ekka offers Queensland farmers an opportunity to meaningfully connect with a metropolitan audience that can often be disconnected from the origins of their food, fibre and foliage.

At last year’s Ekka QFF peak body members CANEGROWERS Australia and Cotton Australia used virtual reality headsets to entertain and teach people more about their respective industries, giving attendees an opportunity to view cotton harvest and sugar processing operations ‘up close’.

Queensland Fruit & Vegetable Growers (QFVG) used Ekka 2023 as an opportunity to gather consumer insights to share with their members while promoting the incredible diversity of Queensland horticulture.

QFVG recently hosted a horticulture session in collaboration with Health and Wellbeing Queensland to promote fruit and veg to primary school students as part of Ekka Education’s Rural Discovery Days. Students from across southeast Queensland took the opportunity to meet local growers, learn more about their work and get their hands dirty with seed planting.

This year Cotton Australia, Canegrowers and eastAUSmilk will all be hosting information stands at the Ekka to educate and engage with attendees. QFF staff will be joining our peak body members, so if you are attending make sure to stop in at these stands and say hello.

QFF will also be hosting our annual Celebration of Queensland Agriculture Ekka networking event, bringing agriculture leaders from across the state and country together to celebrate all things agriculture and give our members the opportunity to network with key stakeholders and policy makers who play an important role in forging the future for Queensland agriculture.