That focus was front of mind when a Greater Whitsunday delegation travelled to Melbourne in February to attend EvokeAG 2026, Australia’s premier agrifood innovation event. This was not simply about attending a conference. It was about ensuring our region is aligned with national strategy, connected to emerging technologies and positioned to accelerate practical, on-farm adoption.

The delegation was supported through the Regional Enablers Program, funded by the Queensland Government, enabling regional industry leaders to participate in national conversations shaping the future of agriculture.

Representing Greater Whitsunday were Gillian Russell from Bowen Gumlu Growers Association (BGGA), Damian Baxter from Mackay Sugar, Kerryn Davison from Farmacist, Tony Charles from the Australian Prawn Farms Association, Chris Monsour from Prospect Agriculture, along with representatives from the Greater Whitsunday AgTech Hub. Together, they joined more than 1,500 delegates from 18 countries to examine the technologies, investment trends and policy shifts reshaping global agriculture.

Across two days, one message stood out: agriculture is entering a new phase defined by digital capability, automation and resilience. Conversations centred on climate variability, labour shortages, rising operational costs and the growing importance of sustainability and natural capital reporting. Regions that build strong ecosystems around technology adoption will lead. Those that hesitate risk falling behind.

Innovation on display ranged from robotics and AI-driven decision systems through to digital livestock management and sustainability tools. A significant development highlighted during the event was regulatory progress enabling virtual fencing technology — signalling growing momentum behind digital herd management at scale. For extensive beef operations across Greater Whitsunday, innovations such as virtual fencing, automation and digital monitoring have the potential to improve labour efficiency, enhance animal welfare and increase operational flexibility.

Investment discussions reinforced another critical point. Agriculture’s production cycles demand patient capital and realistic adoption pathways. Producers made it clear that technology must work reliably in real conditions and deliver immediate value. Without that, adoption stalls.

For Greater Whitsunday, these national conversations mirror what producers experience every day. Across horticulture, beef, sugarcane and aquaculture, businesses are already exploring soil and water monitoring, automation, AI-enabled forecasting and livestock technologies. The opportunity now is to strengthen capability, reduce risk and scale adoption in ways that suit local operating conditions.

The insights gathered in Melbourne will directly inform the work of the Greater Whitsunday AgTech Hub, which exists to build the conditions that make adoption possible. This includes:

• Strengthening alignment between regional priorities and national AgTech strategy
• Advancing capability in natural capital data capture and reporting
• Exploring practical funding mechanisms that reduce adoption risk
• Identifying technologies suitable for in-region trials and demonstrations
• Strengthening connections with suppliers, investors and research partners

The presence of our AgTech Activators ensured the region’s voice was part of the national conversation — and that the ideas and innovations shaping agriculture globally are translated into practical outcomes locally.

EvokeAG reinforced that Greater Whitsunday is not playing catch-up. With coordinated leadership, industry collaboration and support from the Queensland Government’s Regional Enablers Program, the region is steadily positioning itself as an emerging AgTech adoption hotspot. The path forward is clear: empower producers, back practical innovation and drive measurable, on-farm impact.