Toowoomba and its surrounding regions which include the Maranoa, Western Downs, Southern Downs, Goondiwindi, Burnett and Moree regions, is a food producing powerhouse for Australia.
The food and fibre capability of these council areas are driven by the diversity of fresh and value added products grown and produced in these locations.
Key agricultural outputs for this catchment include cotton, grain, beef, pork, poultry, dairy and fruit and vegetables. Aiding the regions food and fibre capability are the regions' research facilities, including the University of Southern Queensland’s Institute for Agriculture and the Environment which focuses on developing solutions for a sustainable and profitable future for the rural sector.
Main Commodities
Cotton
- Cotton production in the region is worth upwards of $100 million annually.
- With the broader Darling Downs region home to nearly half of Australia’s cotton growers.
Broad Acre Crops
- There are about 1400 operations in the region consistently growing a range of broadacre crops, including sorghum, wheat, barley, maize, chickpeas and sunflowers.
- The region also produces a range of opportunity crops, depending on seasons and these include chickpeas, mung beans, faba beans and soybeans.
Meat
- Our meat industry encompasses a broad range of produce, including beef, chicken, pork, lamb, goat, and turkeys.
- 21% of Queensland’s total annual pork production comes from the region.
- Our member regions are also host to Australia’s largest concentration of feedlots supplying product to a cluster of local meat processors, all of whom are accredited for export.
Eggs
- Toowoomba region egg producers account for 85.4% of Queensland’s total egg production worth $127 million annually.
Dairy
- Recent times have seen our region make up 22% of Queensland’s total dairy herd.
The Darling Downs is a significant dairy region. It has a mix of large and small dairy farms and favorable conditions for milk production. In 2022/2023 it is estimated that the annual production of milk was approx. 100 million litres.
Horticulture
- Approximately 981 hectares are used for the production of fruit and vegetables in our region.
- The region produces a wide range of products including avocado, blueberries, rhubarb, watermelon, lettuce, cauliflower, cabbage, pumpkin, olives, walnuts, persimmons, beans, herbs, onions and broccoli.
- Toowoomba houses one of the largest lettuce growers in the southern hemisphere.
- 80% of the avocados sold in Australia are grown in the Toowoomba region.
