More than 200 producers, industry leaders and stakeholders gathered in Cloncurry last night for All About Beef 2026, celebrating the strength of Queensland’s cattle industry.
Jointly hosted by the AgForce Queensland Cattle Board and Cattle Australia, All About Beef has become a flagship event for the North-West cattle industry, connecting producers directly with industry leaders and providing a forum for discussions about the opportunities and challenges facing Queensland beef.
AgForce Cattle President Lloyd Hick said the strong turnout reflected the value producers placed on coming together and looking ahead as an industry.
“Queensland beef has a great story to tell, but we also have some big issues to work through. All About Beef puts producers at the centre of those conversations, giving them direct access to industry leaders and the opportunity to have frank discussions about where our industry is heading.”
The scale and significance of Queensland’s cattle industry is reflected in the latest Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) State of the Industry figures, with Queensland accounting for almost 45% of the national cattle herd and more than half of Australia’s beef and veal export volumes.
Nationally, Australian beef exports reached $14 billion in 2024, highlighting the industry’s substantial contribution to Australia’s economy and international trade.
Mr Hick said Queensland producers played an enormous role in that success.
“Queensland really is the powerhouse of Australia’s beef industry. We’re responsible for more than half the nation’s beef exports, and that’s something our producers and regional communities should be incredibly proud of.
“But we can’t take that success for granted. We need to keep building markets, investing in our industry and making sure Queensland producers have a strong voice in the decisions that shape our future.”
The free event at the Cloncurry Equestrian Centre Shed featured industry updates, networking and a dinner showcasing Queensland beef, with renowned meat trader and analyst Simon Quilty and MLA Managing Director Michael Crowley among the guest speakers.
Mr Hick thanked the speakers, sponsors, organisers and producers who contributed to the event’s success, acknowledging the significant effort involved in bringing the industry together in regional Queensland.
Cattle Australia CEO Will Evans said the organisation was proud to once again support All About Beef and valued hearing directly from beef producers about the issues that matter most to them.
“The best way to engage with our industry is to be in the regions, hearing first-hand from the people who run the cattle.”
AgForce CEO Niki Ford said the real value of regional engagement was ensuring producer concerns translated into meaningful advocacy and action.
“Our job is to make sure the issues raised by producers don’t stay in Cloncurry. They need to be taken directly to the decision-makers who can do something about them.
“Whether it’s protecting landholder rights, tackling regulatory pressures or challenging policies that fail to recognise the realities of agricultural production, AgForce will continue pushing for outcomes that make a real difference to producers and their businesses.”
The event was supported by sponsors MLA, AgriWebb, Halter, Nutrien Ag Solutions, Austrex, Rabobank, JBS, NAB, Westpac and Elders. Austrex also supported the Breakfast with our Speakers. Special thanks also to Cloncurry Regional Council for its support of the event.
All About Beef was followed by AgForce’s Cloncurry Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Roadshow, continuing the focus on providing practical information and support to regional producers.
The EPBC Roadshow is helping producers understand what the latest EPBC Act reforms could mean for farming and grazing operations, while providing a direct avenue to raise concerns and share feedback to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The conversation doesn’t stop in Cloncurry, with further AgForce EPBC Roadshow events to be held throughout October and November.
Producers are encouraged to attend and have their say.
View upcoming EPBC Roadshow events and register: https://www.agforceqld.org.au/knowledgebase/article/AGF-03255/
