THE Queensland Farmers Federation created an opportunity to meet agriculture's leaders at a special event during the Ekka.
Sponsored by Holding Redlich and Ergon/Energex, the evening event involved 120 guests who were able to network with leaders from many of the state's food and fibre industries.
The gathering opened by Governor Dr Jeannette Young included federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt and Queensland Agriculture Minister Mark Furner.
Senator Watt said while there plenty of good news in agriculture including record production values, there were also many issued to be addressed.
These included diesel and fertiliser costs, workforce shortages, biosecurity, climate change and sustainability.
"I think farm groups and farmers have been looking for a bit more leadership at the federal level," Senator Watt said.
"I'm really keen to work with the sector and to start dealing with those challenges."
