Young, female ‘agri-prenuers’ undertake agri-tech adventure

Young, female agri-prenuers from across regional Queensland have come together at the 2025 GrowHer Program competition to claim their Gatton AgTech Showcase prizes.

The Advancing Young Female Founders through AgTech by GrowHer Program is a three-year program delivered by CQUniversity’s Agri-tech Education and Extension team and AgriBusiness Connect and is proudly supported by Queensland Government’s Regional Enablers Program.

The program is on a mission to empower young women across regional Queensland, providing 450 students with the skills, mentorship and connections to thrive in AgTech.

Designed for female students in Year 7 to 12 across regional Queensland, GrowHer equips the next generation of agri-prenerus with the tools to innovate, collaborate and lead in agriculture tech-driven future.

The competition, held at the Department of Primary Industries’ Gatton Research Facility and Smart Farm, saw the teams selected earlier this year from regional events in Rockhampton, Townsville and Toowoomba, compete against others from their region in a pitch competition where they worked with an industry mentor to develop a solution for an agricultural problem of their choosing.

Project lead and CQUniversity Senior Lecturer in Agriculture Dr Jaime Manning said the first round of the competition unearthed some future leaders.

“The judges were very impressed with many of the pitches which made choosing a winning team tough at all three events, a problem which we were glad to have,” Dr Manning said.

“Now we are moving on to the next phase of GrowHer, where we take our winning teams and expose them to some of the cutting edge agri-tech ideas being used in Queensland today.

“We are excited to create this opportunity to expose these young women to the world of AgTech. It’s events like GrowHer that are the gateway to shaping the future of agriculture.

At the showcase competitors had the opportunity to not only compete but immerse themselves in how innovators and producers are working together to enhance farm productivity, sustainability and profitability.

The program featured 16 dynamic sessions over two days designed to explore the tangible benefits of agri-tech solutions for various agricultural sectors, including horticulture, protected cropping and broader farming practices.

Visit the website for more information and to apply for future Grow Her events.

To learn more about Regional Enablers Program Providers delivering regional innovation support initiatives visit their website.