At the recent Annual General Meeting, members were provided with an update on BGGA’s financial position and core activities over the past year. Membership numbers have remained steady, with the organisation moving to a flat-rate membership fee of $500 to improve accessibility, noting a corresponding reduction in membership income. Sponsorship support has also remained consistent, with ongoing work focused on strengthening value perception, deepening engagement, and facilitating meaningful connections across industry. BGGA’s in-house programs — VegNET, QAWN and POTC — continue to be a central part of the organisation’s offering, and sincere thanks were extended to Gill, Richelle and Helena for their dedication, collaboration and innovation, particularly while delivering outcomes within tight budgets. Appreciation was also given to Kerry for her ongoing support, communications delivery, and engagement with members and sponsors. The Bowen Food Futures project continues to progress well and remains an important initiative contributing to the region’s long-term resilience.
Looking ahead, BGGA outlined a strong pipeline of projects and partnerships. The Farm Jobs Qld platform is scheduled to launch in January following an extensive development process, alongside a Workforce Connect funding submission for FreshHR — a proposed HR support toolkit for growers, including induction resources and a dedicated platform. Additional collaborations are underway with CQUniversity and BFVG on capsicum and chilli quality research, with James Cook University and Building Queensland to host a PhD student focused on biosecurity and engagement, and with QFVG and Growcom to support the final stage of Hort360. BGGA will continue working through the outcomes of the recent priorities survey to ensure training, workshops and future funded projects align with member needs. The organisation also confirmed that the transition to North Queensland Farmers will be formally launched in January, subject to the completion of paperwork with the Office of Fair Trading, with updates to be shared with members as the process progresses.
We thank everyone who was able to attend the 2025 AGM and End of Year celebration.
