Food Capability

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 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 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 Toowoomba regional council area 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 Toowoomba 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

  • Toowoomba’s meat industry encompasses a broad range of produce, including beef, chicken, pork, lamb, goat, turkeys and ducks.
  • 21% of Queensland’s total annual pork production comes from Toowoomba.
  • Toowoomba and the surrounding 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 Toowoomba make up 22% of Queensland’s total dairy herd.
  • In 2012-2013 the local region produced 108 million litres of milk.

Horticulture

  • Approximately 981 hectares are used for the production of fruit and vegetables in the Toowoomba 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.