Ag sector on Darling Downs bounds ahead
FLA helps to capture opportunities for region
❝The brightest innovators and entrepreneurs will be showcased at the annual 400M Food and Ag Innovation Forum. — Bruce McConnell
IN THE past month we have seen Toowoomba and surrounding regions become the centre of attention for the state.
The State Government’s Regional Cabinet initiative allowed FLA and TSBE to present all of the successes in the region to the state ministers and in turn, they announced significant projects for the region.
Projects particularly relevant for the food and ag sector were the announcement of Mort & Co’s Grassdale expansion to 80,000 head of cattle, with associated gas-fired power station and fertiliser manufacturing facility, a boost to rural firefighting services and the $7.0m Rural Centre of Excellence as part of the TAFE Queensland, Toowoomba campus redevelopment.
This last announcement is a significant game changer.
This will give the region the ability to build industryrelevant, up-to-date vocational education courses to prepare employees for the new and emerging technologies coming to our region and a scale not seen elsewhere in Australia.
In terms of what those new technologies will be, Food Leaders Australia will bring them to the region on November 21.
The brightest innovators and entrepreneurs will be showcased at the annual 400M Food and Ag Innovation Forum.
Now in its third year, the forum is set to continue to grow and improve the ingenuity and prosperity of the region.
We are on the cusp of an ideas boom, and the future of agriculture lies in the development and acceptance of new systems and technologies to streamline every aspect of production and supply, which is why 400M Food and Ag Innovation Forum is there to set the scene, to capture the opportunities that are presenting themselves in the region. This year’s event has advanced to include new food technologies allowing participants to sample new food systems, such as Freeze Dried Industries showcasing their product range and Atmosblue providing the event water straight from the humidity in the air. Other presentations this year will include new data analysis for producers, animal tracking ear tags, new drone designs, and virtual and augmented reality training systems.
We’re also pleased to welcome the head of Virgin Startup, Ian Mason, from London, to bring a global perspective to the event whilst also hearing from Telstra on its new investment in the region and how that will enable large-scale development in a new digital ecosystem.
For more information on the 400M Food and Ag Innovation Forum, visit www.tsbe.com .au/400m or call on
(07) 4639 4600.