Higher education is the key to getting more women in agriculture, according to Australia's former governor-general Dame Quentin Bryce.

Speaking at Beef Australia 2018, Ms Bryce offered advice to budding producers, CEOs and industry leaders.

Drawing on her own experience growing up in Ilfracombe, western Queensland, Dame Quentin says the role of women in agriculture has come a long way.

"I think the role of rural women has changed just as it has across this country and indeed across the world," she said.

"Of course rural women have always been engaged in a very extensive and practical way in their communities.

"When I look back on my childhood, I remember so many women leaders. We didn't talk about them like that [but] … they were women who contributed to their communities in so many ways."

Dame Quentin said things have come a long way and women are getting more credit for their hard work.

"There isn't the sex segregation that there traditionally has been," she said.

"Across my life, women have been engaged in rural business for a very long time and played a key role — but more in the background and in more of a traditional way."

Education is the key to getting more women into agriculture says Dame Quentin. ( ABC News: Pat McGrath, file photo )

The more women who seek higher education, the more opportunities will become available for them at the forefront of the industry, Dame Quentin said.

"All of these changes have come with educational opportunities," she said.

"When I was a girl, I was very privileged to go to university. I was the only girl from my school to go to university.

"That is something that has changed very dramatically and that's the key to everything."

Future leaders seeking university degrees

Reflecting on Dame Quentin's comments, year 12 students from Rockhampton Girls Grammar Lucy Brown and Kacey Davies said they could see there was still a way to go for young women in the industry.

Lucy Brown and Kacey Davies both plan to go to university to study in agricultural fields. ( Supplied: Ku Lacey )

Ms Brown hopes to become a veterinarian and Ms Davies is planning to study agribusiness at university.

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She said she could see a bright future in agriculture but women do still have to push to be taken seriously.

"There are a lot more men in the industry … [and] there are a lot of women in it, but not as many," Ms Brown said.

"I believe we are getting out there and we are giving it a go just as good as they are. We're trying our best.

"There's schools out there that are producing young ladies who are going into agriculture and really enjoying it. Which is good."