Farmers and volunteers have been left with hundreds of jars of jam and 100-kilogram pumpkins, wondering what to do with them, as the Royal Queensland Show gates remain shut for 2020.

Key points: The Ekka's produce competitions have been cancelled due to COVID-19, including the Giant Pumpkin Competition

The Ekka's produce competitions have been cancelled due to COVID-19, including the Giant Pumpkin Competition The CWA have already made preserves that will no longer be used in their tea rooms due to the cancellation

The CWA have already made preserves that will no longer be used in their tea rooms due to the cancellation Jams, chutneys, and tea towels made by the CWA could be sold online or in another capacity

In light of the COVID-19 crisis the annual event was cancelled leaving hundreds of graziers, fruit and vegetable producers wondering what to do with their prize-winning goods usually brought to Brisbane for the event.

Queensland farmer Tony Frohloff, the defending champion of the RNAF's Giant Pumpkin Competition, said he had recently stopped tending his giant pumpkins.

"I had four plants in that were setting pumpkins well," he told ABC Radio Brisbane.

"I have a couple of pumpkins that are at 100-kilograms, and since the competition was still a month away there was still a lot more growing to do.

"I had been growing them for many months and now with the cancellation I've stopped growing them. I had to call it quits."

Tony Frohloff took out the top title in 2019 for his 254.5kg pumpkin. ( Facebook: The Ekka )

His Minden property, near Gatton, has been in drought, pushing him to buy-in water to keep his pumpkins alive.

"The more I put into the pumpkins the more it costs me as I had to buy water and other things to keep them growing," he said.

Father vs son in annual battle

Mr Frohloff said this year's pumpkins may not have taken the blue ribbon as many were not growing as quickly as his champion 254.5kg specimen that won last year.

His father Geoff Frohloff also holds many titles for growing some of the largest pumpkins in Queensland.

"My dad was on the front foot this year and was setting the pumpkins early. He has one pumpkin pushing 200-kilograms," Tony said.

"Usually along with the Ekka competition we do all our local shows and we take the pumpkins to nearly 10 other shows, depending on how long they keep for."

He said once the pumpkins had finished being on show they cut them open to remove the seeds to use the following year.

"With these pumpkins not going anywhere this year they'll probably go to the cattle to eat. We often do that with them once they've travelled around as they don't make for much else," Tony said.

Ekka favourite a major fundraiser

The Queensland Country Women's Association (QCWA) has been running the tea rooms at the Ekka for more than 45 years selling scones and jam, tea, coffee, and sandwiches.

Annually its members bake more than 10,000 scones on-site to feed hungry showgoers.

CWA member Val Knight is one of the valued scone bakers who usually bakes at the Ekka each year. ( ABC Radio Brisbane: Jessica Hinchliffe )

QCWA president Christine King said the service was a sense of great pride for the association and a big fundraiser.

"More than 450 shifts are filled with volunteers each year, and this [Ekka cancellation] is a huge disappointment to everyone involved as the volunteers connect the city to the country," she said.

"You get to know the exhibitors over the years, and many of our volunteers are country people who retire to the city.

"The Ekka is also a major fundraiser for us. We make funds there to create different projects in the community."

One of the 10,000 very popular CWA scones baked at The Ekka in Brisbane. ( ABC Radio Brisbane: Jessica Hinchliffe )

Volunteers had already made more than 500 jars of pickles, jams, and chutneys which were normally sold and used at the refreshment rooms.

More than 60 kilograms of berries had already been donated to the QCWA for use in the jams.

The group also knit, crochet, and sell tea cosies, tea towels, and other handmade goods at the stall.

Ms King said the group were looking at ways for people to still purchase the goods as part of their fundraising.

"Once it's [the pandemic] declared over we have plans of getting people back together and to get our fundraising going again in whatever capacity we can," she said.