2014 RASC Conference in Brisbane
Preparations are well under way for the 26th Commonwealth Agricultural Conference to be held in Brisbane between the 21st and 24th of October 2014.
A flyer has been circulated to all member societies and friends which gives dates and brief details of the conference and associated tour of the agricultural district of SE Queensland.
The title of the conference is “Sustainability of Tomorrow’s Agricultural Shows”. This will allow delegates to discuss how agricultural shows remain relevant to the changing audience in the 21st century. They will also be able learn how to better utilise their showgrounds and the role agricultural societies play in promoting agricultural awareness and education. On the agricultural side delegates will learn about Australian agricultural production and Queensland’s strategy to double agricultural production by 2040. There will also be the opportunity to debate food security and the future for GM.
Before the main conference CEO’s ,Presidents and NG’s will each have a day and a half to discuss topics relevant to them.
Before the conference the RASC and the RNA will be laying on a 5 day pre-conference tour of SE Queensland which will aim to showcase the best of the area’s production with the opportunity for a bit of tourism.
Pre-conference tour attendees will have the chance to visit a top breeding station and see the latest techniques in semen and embryo production together with a 300 cow dairy farm using robotic milkers. Also on the list of visits is one of Australia’s largest field vegetable farms producing sweet corn and green beans and a large feedlot where in addition to their own cattle local farmers can get their animals contract reared. They also use the effluent to irrigate some 220 hectares of land.
A half day visit to Gatton College will also be included. Gatton College which has its origins in the Queensland Agricultural College is now a centre of excellence in veterinary science and part of the University of Queensland.
The second part of the tour will involve a visit to a Peanut farm and processing plant and one of the largest wineries in Queensland. Most of the lunches will be on farms that visited and will give attendees to see some fine old Australian cattle stations.
Overnight stays will be in local hotels and motels, but one of the highlights will be that some of the dinners will be hosted by local show societies. This will give the delegates a chance to visit some of the local showgrounds and an opportunity to meet local show society officials and volunteers.
The last part of the tour will be in the Noosa area. Noosa is a cosmopolitan resort set against a stunning beach and national park backdrop. Delegates will also have the chance to visit the famous Eumundi Markets well known for the superb handmade crafts and local foods. On the way back to Brisbane a visit will be made to the Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve a remnant of the rainforests that once covered the area.
