Networking outside the EvokeAg sessions at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. Photo: Dennis Voznesenski, CBA

A RECORD crowd of nearly 2000 delegates, along with 40 start-ups and 12 scale-ups, filled the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre for the opening day of AgriFutures Australia’s EvokeAg yesterday.

EvokeAg gathered leading agrifood producers, retailers, and investors in Queensland for a two-day program and sideline events, showcasing insights from the industry’s most dynamic players.

More than 50 emerging businesses are also showcasing cutting-edge technologies, from autonomous robots to vertical farming, AI-powered insect monitoring, and drone-based livestock management.

This year’s discussions focus on four key themes:

• Economics & Trade, examining global market competitiveness and investment trends;
• Innovation & Future Technology, highlighting advances in robotics, AI, and next-gen tech;
• Sustainability & Environment, exploring agriculture’s role in climate solutions; and,
• Workforce & Skills Gap, addressing strategies to attract and retain talent in the sector.

AgriFutures Australia managing director John Harvey said this year’s EvokeAg aimed to be the most interactive yet, with the 2025 theme, Common Ground, focusing on uniting the agrifood sector.

“Agriculture in Australia – and across the Asia-Pacific – plays a critical role in feeding a growing global population,” Mr Harvey said.

“The agrifood sector has always been at the forefront of innovation.

“The role of EvokeAg is to bring all the masterminds together, the people who can turn ideas into action – the investors, the makers, the scientists and the primary producers.”

Elders managing director and chief executive officer Mark Allison, who delivered opening remarks on day one of the event, said collaboration and innovation would be key to the agriculture sector’s success.

“Our agriculture sector’s advantage is having a resilient mindset and curious approach to farming, hardened by decades of innovating to produce food and fibre in one of the most environmentally challenging landscapes on earth,” Mr Allison said.

The day one program opened with a session inviting the audience to ask questions of agricultural leaders including:

• Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry secretary Adam Fennessy;
• Queensland Farmers Federation CEO Jo Sheppard;
• SwarmFarm Robotics co-founder and CEO Andrew Bate;
• Australian Country Choice CEO and director Anthony Lee;
• Downforce Technologies founder Jacqueline McGlade; and,
• AgriFutures Horizon scholar Tessa Cook.

Other sessions explored collaboration between producers and innovators, barriers to agritech adoption, and opportunities in emerging industries and technologies such as biofuels, natural capital, and traceability.

EvokeAg continues today with discussions on investing in the agricultural workforce, the future of the agrifood sector in 2050, and agriculture’s role in tackling climate change.

EvokeAg was first held in Melbourne in 2019.

Beverley and Ray Norman from Norman Ag Trust with Clean Green Ag’s Murray and Tom Norman and Rewiring Aotearoa’s Mike Casey (second from right).

VeeJays Kalfresh’s Jacob Jurgens and Luke Nelson from VJK Produce.

Crop Capsule and Madden Agriculture’s Anna Madden, Cotton Research and Development Corporation’s Ruth Redfern and Nicolas Taprell and Jock McRae from Spintek.

Grower Group Alliance CEO Rikki Foss, CFOP project communications specialist Douglas Rodgers and project manager Maddison McNeil with Farmlink research and extension officer Rob Martin.

Forager Automation chief executive officer Matthew Lakis and chief technology officer Tom Nash with Dustin Van Nek from SwarmFarm Robotics.

Tasmin Rowe, Riverine Plains; Torben Heinzel, MR & K Heinzel; Stephanie Chappell, Southern Growers Incorporated; Pip Grant, Riverine Plains; and Chris Shafto, Riverine Plains.

Cropify chief operating officer Andrew Hannon, Emmertech partner Rob Russell and Mandalay Venture Partners co-founder Mark Gustowski.

Ornata Technologies co-founder Michael Webb with CHN precision farming specialist Danny Main and CHN Cropscan specialist Ed Scott.

EvokeAg 2025 has seen the event’s biggest ever turn-out.