From the Chair

BY OWEN MENKENS, Chair, CANEGROWERS

Last month I mentioned my hope that we’d avoid another catastrophe like the flooding that followed Cyclone Jasper in 2024.

Unfortunately, that hope wasn’t realised, with the Herbert River region hit by a one-in-50-year flood that wreaked havoc on crops, infrastructure, housing and small businesses across the district.

It’s been an incredibly stressful time for growers in the area, and hopefully they’re getting all the support they need.

While Herbert River was the region hardest hit, it wasn’t the only district impacted, with floodwaters inundating paddocks from Gordonvale to Giru.

This marks the second time in two years that vast areas of the State have endured widespread destructive flooding

CANEGROWERS has not been idle, however – working hard to secure disaster assistance for those affected.

We pressed the government to announce disaster recovery grants, which they have done – now we’re working to secure an even larger support package for growers.

The big news is that disaster recovery payments have now been expanded to cover the replanting of plant crops. This achievement, realised with the help of the Queensland Farmers’ Federation and our fellow tier-one members, represents a major shift in the rules around disaster grants.

It’s a win not only for the current recovery efforts, but also sets a robust precedent for any future disasters.

I’d like to extend my sincere thanks to the Premier, the Minister for Primary Industries, and the entire LNP cabinet team for making this possible.

It’s a change that’s been years in the making, and was brought about largely through the persistent efforts of Dan Galligan and the wider CANEGROWERS team.

Of course, reshaping disaster funding parameters isn’t a simple task. The rules must work not just for cane farmers but across all Queensland agricultural producers, and with funding shared with the federal government, it involves a maze of negotiations and bureaucratic approvals.

Given the significant differences between crops across Australia, the challenge is immense.

I remain hopeful that by the time you read this, we’ll have more announcements in this space.

In other good news, CANEGROWERS has secured an emergency permit to apply MCPA using aerial and boom sprayers – a crucial win at this time of year as cane starts to get out of hand.

I’d like to remind all growers that registration is now open for the Sugar Cubed 2025 industry event in April.

I’m really looking forward to catching up with everyone there. To find out more visit sugarcubed.com.au.