Far North Qld Food & Agribusiness

Far North Qld Food & Agribusiness

The Wet Tropics region is located along the coast of Far North Queensland (FNQ), between Townsville and Cooktown. Fertile soils and high rainfall have historically supported significant agricultural production and by the middle of last century, agriculture had become the region’s dominant economic driver.

Over the past 50 years, the region’s agricultural profile has continued to change. The sugar, maize and beef industries have remained constants, while a number of other industries emerged including tobacco, dairy and horticulture, to become significant contributors to the region’s economic and social fabric. While horticulture, particularly bananas, remain significant industries within the region, tobacco has disappeared and dairy has declined.

Today, seafood, horticultural tree crops, vegetables and beef cattle are the big growth opportunities among the region’s high-value food commodities.