Australian Canegrower - May 2025

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF AUSTRALIA'S SUGARCANE INDUSTRY

May 2025 Price $16.00

SUGAR CUBED

WHAT’S NEXT FOR QLD’S CANE INDUSTRY?

Next Ratoon - Meet two of cane’s emerging industry leaders

Unpacking the industry’s mill performance puzzle

Young growers gather for a tour of Queensland’s far north

CANEGROWERS

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UNITED WE STAND For more than 90 years CANEGROWERS has represented the interests of the sugarcane farmers of Queensland.

Through times of challenge and opportunity, CANEGROWERS has helped family farms and the whole industry to grow and prosper.

CANEGROWERS is known and respected for its strong voice locally, nationally and internationally—the collective voice of many farmers has a powerful impact.

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News briefs

05

Cross border connection

06

Innovation and Insight

10

CEO update

12

Young growers visit

14

District elections all wrapped up

Board visit to celebrate 100 years for Clarence growers

Sugar Cubed an oustanding success

New strategy for agriculture

A trip to FNQ provides plenty of insight to take home

From the Chair

CANEGROWERS has been actively engaged on trade front

Editor: Robyn Devine Advertising and Classifieds: Jane McGregor

You asked and we listened

Articles appearing in Australian Canegrower do not necessarily represent the policies or views of CANEGROWERS.

22

Cane Harvest Festival is alive again

Published monthly by: CANEGROWERS, GPO Box 1032, Brisbane, Queensland 4001 Australia.

ABN 94 089 992 969

24

Next crop of leaders

Telephone: 07 3864 6444 Email: editor@canegrowers.com.au Website: www.canegrowers.com.au

16

Podcast on milling performance

Celebrating the industry and raising awareness

CANEGROWERS mentoring program is up and running

32

Regional round-up

40

Policy updates

44

Legal updates

46

Classifieds

47

Rainfall report

Subscriptions Yearly subscriptions for 12 hard copies (postage included) • Within Australia: $190 inc GST • Overseas (AUD): $290 12 Month Digital Subscription: $78 inc GST

COVER IMAGE Sugar Cubed delegates inspect a cotton picker on Brimblecombe’s farm in the Lockyer Valley Photo credit: Paul Smith (Red Carrot) Read more on page 6

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NEWS BRIEFS

the official magazine of australia's sugarcane industry

DISTRICT VOTES DONE, STATE BOARD UP NEXT Queensland’s growers have had their say, with CANEGROWERS’ district-level elections now complete across the state.

Local boards are getting down to business, appointing their chairs and choosing delegates for the CANEGROWERS Policy Council – the industry’s top decision-making body.

All eyes now turn to Brisbane on May 26, when the newly formed Council meets for the first time to elect the state board that will steer the ship for the next three years.

CANEGROWERS Chairman Owen Menkens said the process is a powerful reminder of the strength of grower representation.

“This is grassroots democracy in action - real farmers electing fellow farmers to represent their interests, from the paddock to Parliament,” Mr Menkens said.

“It’s a system that’s been in place for generations, and it’s still going strong because it delivers what growers need - a voice that understands the realities on the ground.”

The next term will see newly elected representatives shaping policy, advocating on key issues, and helping steer the future of Queensland’s sugar industry at every level.

No sooner had Sugar Cubed ended than CANEGROWERS staff were hard at work again manning the stand at the ASSCT conference.

Pictured Ray Goodwin and Shikira Kalatzis

STEPHEN RYAN HEADS SOUTH Long-time Australian Cane Farmers Association chief Stephen Ryan has taken on a new post as Executive Officer of the Clarence Canegrowers Association in New South Wales, as well as the CEO of NSW Canegrowers.

Mr Ryan served as CEO of ACFA for more than 24 years before moving to Queensland Cane Agriculture and Renewables (QCAR) last year.

During his short stint in that role, he oversaw the transfer of ACFA’s membership into QCAR effectively bringing an end to the ACFA’s nearly 40-year history.

He now steps into the role supporting growers in the Clarence region as well as administering the governance arrangements for the combined Clarence, Tweed and Richmond growers groups under the umbrella of NSW Canegrowers.

PUSH FOR FARM TYRE RECYCLING GAINS MOMENTUM CANEGROWERS has taken up the challenge of farm tyre disposal, raising the issue with the National Farmers’ Federation after concerns were flagged by CANEGROWERS Bundaberg representatives.

Only 13% of old agricultural tyres are currently recycled, with limited collection services available due to their size and handling difficulties.

Tyre Stewardship Australia – the body overseeing tyre recycling – confirmed that agricultural tyres fall into the “Off-The-Road” category, alongside mining tyres, which are often buried on-site.

The NFF will now meet with TSA to explore better options for collecting and recycling used farm tyres.

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MAY 2025 – VOLUME47/NUMBER 5

CROSS-BORDER CANE CONNECTION AS CLARENCE TURNS 100 The CANEGROWERS Queensland Board has wrapped up its three-year term with a special visit across the border this week, heading to Maclean to help Clarence CANEGROWERS celebrate 100 years of representing local sugarcane farmers.

The Board has spent three days in the Clarence Valley, taking in farm tours, catching up with growers, and today holding their final board meeting – just ahead of the Clarence CANEGROWERS Annual General Meeting and centenary gala dinner.

“A century of grower representation is a massive achievement.”

CANEGROWERS Queensland Chairman Owen Menkens said it was an honour to be part of the celebrations.

“A century of grower representation is a massive achievement, and we’re proud to be here marking the milestone with our friends in New South Wales,” Mr Menkens said.

“It’s been a great opportunity to see how things are done here. There are some real differences – like two-year-old

cane crops, which we don’t see much of in Queensland, and the co-op milling partnership with Sunshine Sugar.

“Big thanks to Ross and the Clarence team for the warm welcome, generosity and hospitality, as they mark this event and prepare for their Cane Harvest Festival this weekend.”

Clarence CANEGROWERS Chairman Ross Farlow said the visit was a great chance to share knowledge and celebrate a shared passion for the industry.

“We’ve got a strong relationship with the CANEGROWERS Queensland team, so it’s been fantastic to have them here for this big occasion,” Mr Farlow said.

“We’ve really enjoyed showing them how we do things – and showing off our beautiful valley while we’re at it.”

The centenary marks not just a proud history but the ongoing connection and shared purpose that keeps Australia’s sugarcane industry thriving across state lines.

Turn to page 22 for more on the 100 year celebrations.

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the official magazine of australia's sugarcane industry

INNOVATION AND INSIGHT

BY RENEE CLUFF

More than 150 delegates came together to discuss future opportunities for Australia’s sugarcane industry.

Insights into agtech, global influences, market access and diversification were among the topics of discussion when sugar producers joined industry stakeholders and experts for the three-day Sugar Cubed conference in Brisbane.

Delegates took a deep dive into the theme ‘Growth for Generations’, focusing on innovations and collaborations required to secure a sustainable, thriving future for the industry.

Conference keynote speaker, former Australian cricketer and McGrath Foundation President, Glenn McGrath, engrossed delegates at Brisbane’s Royal International Convention Centre as he relayed amusing and sometimes moving anecdotes from both his professional and personal experiences.

McGrath discussed the importance of preparation and teamwork to set up success, and honing the ability to break down overwhelming tasks to their simplest forms. He also spoke of his first wife’s cancer journey which led to the establishment of the McGrath Foundation and the incredible accomplishments it’s made in breast cancer care.

His overwhelming messages were to get out of your comfort zone, to draw on the expertise, knowledge and experience of others, and to rely on support from loved ones during life’s tough times.

“My favourite saying is from a guy called Mark Twain, and he said 20 years from now, you’ll have more regrets from the things you didn’t do, than from the things you did, “McGrath said. “That’s how I travel in my life now.

“Throughout my career, throughout my life, I’ve always been supported, whether it was by family members, teammates, work colleagues, nurses, it’s amazing how much support I have received.

“And in the bush, we need that kind of support.”

Sugar Cubed 2025 provided delagates not only the opportunity to hear more about the industry in areas of agtech, research, the global market trends, but also the chance for cross industry learnings

A snapshot of the global story in relation to agricultural growth was provided by Yasmin Morgan, Manager of Futures at the CSIRO. She took delegates on a journey into the drivers of change shaping the future of agriculture, discussing everything from environment and climate, land and water resources to market access.

MAY 2025 – VOLUME47/NUMBER 5

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CONTINUED NEXT PAGE ‣

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“We are witnessing the rapid reordering of global economic power,” Ms Morgan said.

“A new multipolar world is emerging led by the United States, China, India, the European Union, Indonesia, Brazil and Russia.

Together, these economies account for more than two thirds of global activity and as they pursue their own interests, they are disrupting the previous certainties we had and the rules of the international order that existed before.

“Australia’s agricultural sector has to build resilience by diversifying its trade relationships. We need to strengthen our supply chain security and maintain our world-class reputation for sustainability and reliability.”

Streaming in was Oliver Chapman of Czarnikow Trading Singapore, who provided a detailed sugar market forecast. He said a particular point of interest to watch over the next five years is the growth in the use of corn for ethanol production in Brazil, which could incentivise sugar mills to return to a focus on raw sugar.

Also rated as a major concern was the increasing popularity of GLP-1 drugs - such as weight loss drug Ozempic reducing global sugar consumption.

the official magazine of australia's sugarcane industry

Closing speaker Warren Davies, the Unbreakable Farmer, provided a reminder of what’s most important on a farm: the farmer.

Paradoxical to his monicker, Warren’s mental health ‘broke’ when he lost his 1200-cow dairy farm during a drought which lasted more than twice as long as he’d provided a business buffer for.

Driven by the statistics of nine daily suicides in Australia and one farmer suicide every 10 days, as well as his own experience, Warren provided practical tools and strategies to assess and support everyday mental wellbeing.

“I lost my identity and purpose in life when I lost my farm,” he said.

“If I can help anyone not get into that dark and scary place, I’ve fulfilled my new sense of purpose. It’s important to have warts and all stories around mental health.”

Preceding the conference was a field trip during which delegates were given a taste of farming another broadacre crop, as well as learning about the latest research related to the sugarcane industry. First stop was Moira Farming at Forest Hill, and the Brimblecombe family’s cotton enterprise.

General Manager Mitch Brimblecombe explained the ins and outs of growing cotton, showed delegates a cotton picker in action and answered plenty of questions from sugarcane growers.

“They couldn’t grow cotton profitably until GM cotton was made available,” said Innisfail sugarcane grower Alan Colgrave.

“While that might not correlate directly with the sugar industry it does remind you to keep an open mind to potential opportunities.”

At the nearby Gatton Campus of the University of Queensland, the group learned about research into automation for measuring and obtaining crop data, including 3D drone mapping to estimate yield.

There were also talks about the Queensland Government’s Smart Farms program, soil health, microbiology, nutrition and rotation crops, with a visit to view a hemp crop included in the tour.

At the Sugar Research Australia (SRA) IRIS Laboratories, new methods for producing tissue culture were observed, with delegates also learning how the mapping of the genetic blueprint of sugarcane will enhance the breeding program.

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MAY 2025 – VOLUME47/NUMBER 5

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAID Jonty Richardson, Argus Media mandate needs to drive demand (SAF) “The important piece of the puzzle right now is the regulatory uncertainty. We would like to see a bit more clarity on the outlook for policy in the Australian market to really drive that investment.”

Mark Hampson, QSL CEO on harnessing emerging sugar markets “Our ability as an industry to work together effectively to lobby our government and foreign governments to give us greater access to these markets is going to be one of the key defining differentiators between our ability to continue to place sugar at better levels than say our competition in Brazil.”

Ash Salardini, CEO Australian Sugar Manufacturers on mill cogeneration “There’s over $10-billion worth of consumer benefit for putting 800MW of cogeneration on the market and the cost is going to be in the low billions.

When you have that kind of benefit, you have to work with government to figure out how we actually realise it.”

Quarantine protocols for a foreign cane sharing program were discussed, along with what’s involved in disease testing.

Cairns sugarcane grower Neil Maitland was among those left inspired by the prospect of future opportunities.

Debra Telford, CANEGROWERS Innisfail Manager improving productivity “There’s no silver bullet but there is a whole host of things that we as an industry need to do collectively that will help us meet that opportunity for growth. It’s about looking at the entire farming system - not focusing on one thing - and using the support network that you have.”

Tim Neale, Co-founder of DataFarming on the need investment in agtech “You’re not going to see much technology coming through the pipeline in the future because there just isn’t enough backing coming into the industry to fund this stuff. Good quality agtech needs good investment.”

WHAT THE FARMERS SAID

“When my great grandfather went to school, he was told it was impossible to fly,” he said. “What’s going to happen in the next 50 years or so is going to be mind-blowing.”

Donna Campagnolo on industry research “I would like to see the research prioritised to develop varieties that can actually grow in different environments and use micronutrients and microbiome in the soils to produce something that I don’t have to increase my inputs for.”

CANEGROWERS Chair Owen Menkens congratulated the organisers on the success of the event held for the second year.

Bessie Orr on supporting emerging leaders “There’s always a place for young leadership. Being a mum and a woman in this space has had its moments but I’ve come to realise there is value in bringing a fresh perspective which can in turn create opportunities.”

“I think this event is something that can grow in the future and it’s something we can really work together on,” he said. “As an industry, we need to be a team.”

Ben Spann on industry resilience “The key from what I can see is the network and support people that are around you. I see the industry in the future has a fair few issues to face but if we all work together and remain resilient, we can address these issues and have a very prosperous future.”

Jamie Dore on representation “This era of technology we now live in offers incredible opportunities to those who can navigate the choppy waters and we need some gun navigators – specialists. It’s now down to the 1-per centers – small incremental gains – and the skills needed to stitch all these incremental gains together coherently.”

Doug Moss on intergenerational farming

“As fourth and fifth generation of our family working the same parcels of land, we like our ancestors have passion and pride but also realise that to keep progressing in a farming enterprise we must embrace change and innovation at every level of farming.”

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the official magazine of australia's sugarcane industry

STATE GOVERNMENT RE-AWAKENS A

NEW STRATEGY FOR AGRICULTURE

BY DAN GALLIGAN, CEO, CANEGROWERS

There have been pillars and priorities, policies and plans, and more than a little bit of politics. But for many years, Queensland has lacked a real, unifying vision and strategy for agriculture.

Something we can genuinely pin our hopes on – a clear indication of what the State Government sees as the future of agriculture.

For starters, this initiative has been delivered within the first six months of the government taking office. That tells us it’s a high priority.

From previous governments, we’ve seen some very clear plans for mining, renewable energy, tourism, and even racing.

There is clear political commitment. The Primary Industries Minister, the Treasurer, and the Premier — to name just a few in Cabinet — all have skin in the game, either now or in the past, in agriculture and specifically farming.

But it has taken until now, under the current Crisafulli government, for a State Government-led blueprint for agriculture to emerge.

Primary Industries Minister Tony Perrett has released a new plan to lift agricultural growth to $30 billion by 2030. It’s called Primary Industries Prosper 2050.

Personally, I think they genuinely believe in the sector and want to see a strong future for it.

Will this new plan take flight? Just as it’s up to us in the industry to meaningfully contribute to the plan’s development, it’s also up to us to ensure we know how its success will be measured.

“The Minister, the Treasurer, and the Premier all have skin in the game in agriculture, and specifically farming.”

There are some obvious indicators: productivity growth, farm-scale profitability, overall sector investment, and sectorwide efficiency.

Now, this is not my first rodeo. We can all be a bit cynical about these processes, because in reality, governments can be very good at producing high-profile plans that deliver no real action or benefit on the ground.

The future value of this blueprint is uncertain. But I can say this – CANEGROWERS will be working with the Queensland Farmers’ Federation and leaning hard into this process.

But whether that happens this time is, in many ways, up to us.

On face value, this is a tremendous opportunity. We should set aside our cynicism and look at a few facts that give this process credibility and give us in the industry some confidence.

But also, policy commitment across government and genuine buy-in from the ministerial portfolios that hold the levers of influence in energy, water, natural resources, disaster recovery, Treasury, and of course, primary industries and biosecurity.

It’s a valuable opportunity to hold the government’s feet to the fire when it comes to helping us reach our potential.

If it’s a success, it will be a shared one. We look forward to ensuring the views of all growers, across all districts, are reflected in the process over the coming months.

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the official magazine of australia's sugarcane industry

YOUNG GROWTH

BY RENEE CLUFF A group of young growers has returned to their farms with new knowledge and connections following a study tour in the far north of Queensland.

Visits to sugarcane farms as well as research and fish processing facilities were on the itinerary when a group of young CANEGROWERS members took a trip to Cairns via Tully recently.

Hosted by the CANEGROWERS Herbert River Young Growers Development Group, the tour also included young growers from the Burdekin, Rocky Point, Tableland and Cairns regions.

“We all had something in common, because each person in the group had a passion for the land, machinery, growing,” said Herbert River Young Growers Chairman Ray Cervellin.

“You don’t tend to get to share that outside your district very often and it opens your eyes and gives an understanding that even though we

live and work across a large area, we’re all fairly similar.

“As younger growers, we also wanted to learn more about what might work for us on our farms and in our businesses.”

Among the attendees was Burdekin grower Jeffrey Searle, who learned about Wet Tropics sugarcane farming through visits to two operations in the Tully District, where growers Chris Condon and Jamie Dore shared information about their operations.

“It was good to look around,” Jeffrey said. “It was completely different to what I’m used to in the Burdekin but I really enjoyed the farm visits.”

The Condon family’s dual harvester was a point of interest, along with learning about the economic and environmental benefits of zonal tillage on the Dore property.

“There was a lot of discussion about row widths, controlled traffic and its advantages,” Ray said.

“The growers were also interested to hear from Jamie’s agronomist, Dr Charissa Rixon, who talked about crop ripeners among other things.”

The group then travelled to Cairns where they heard from CANEGROWERS Senior Manager for Membership Engagement and Innovation, Matt Kealley, before a visit to Sugar Research Australia’s (SRA) Meringa Station to learn about the plant breeding program.

“We got some insights into how they go about breeding new varieties and why it takes so long,” Ray said.

“There’s so much work in the background before they can even trial a promising variety.”

The growers also visited Rowan and Kate Lamason who own and operate Little Tuna and Cairns Little Seafood Market. They jumped onboard one of the tuna vessels and learned about the similarities of regulations in the sugarcane and wild caught fishing sectors. “Little Tuna have set themselves standards and ticked a lot of boxes to sell their product, which they’re doing worldwide,” explained Jeffrey. “They were encouraging us to promote Smartcane BMP to open up market access opportunities.”

Later that night, guest speaker Kate Lamason talked about the challenges and benefits of being a young family in agriculture, while Queensland Sugar Limited Grower Relationships Manager

MAY 2025 – VOLUME47/NUMBER 5

James Formosa provided an insight into the benefits of selling sustainable sugar as well as other opportunities in the finance sector.

SRA Agronomist Barry Salter also spoke to the group about yield potential, the SIX EASY STEPS nutrient management program and the need to focus on all nutrients, not just Nitrogen.

His colleague, SRA’s Northern District Manage Jessica Portch, also attended the trip.

Both Ray and Jeffrey agreed the networking opportunities were invaluable.

“All these people work in the same industry, they’re just a phone call away,” Ray said. “We can reach out to them and ask questions.”

“It was good to meet other growers, get out of your little bubble and learn you’re not alone,” Jeff added. “That was the best part of it, meeting other farmers with similar interests and issues.”

The tour was funded by the Integrated Engagement and Capacity Building project through the Queensland Government’s Queensland Reef Water Quality Program, delivered by the Department of Primary Industries (DPI).

Young growers on a tour of SRA’s Meringa Research Station

REPORT YELLOW CRAZY ANTS WE NEED YOUR HELP 1800 CRAZY ANT

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FROM THE CHAIR

BY OWEN MENKENS, Chair, CANEGROWERS

There’s been a lot of discussion over the past month about the tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump.

At CANEGROWERS, we’ve been actively engaged on this issue through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, as well as through our involvement with the National Farmers’ Federation trade committee.

As the body responsible for managing trade policy on behalf of the sugar industry, we’re navigating an increasingly complex global environment.

And with a federal election campaign currently underway, some of these discussions are becoming even more clouded by political noise.

Despite that, we’ve held multiple conversations with government representatives and remain firmly committed to our free trade agenda.

So, where do things stand?

Right now, the US has imposed a flat 10% tariff on all Australian sugar exports.

That puts us in the same category as countries like Brazil, Costa Rica and Guatemala, and in a better position than Thailand, India and South Africa, who face higher tariffs.

What does this mean for Australian cane growers?

To understand that we need to step back and look at the bigger picture.

The US first introduced sugar tariffs in 1977, under President Carter. Over time, this evolved into a system of quotas, and eventually the Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) system under the World Trade Organization in 1995.

Essentially, it’s designed to keep US domestic sugar prices higher than world market prices by restricting imports.

While the system is supposed to protect producers from global price volatility, in reality US prices still follow world trends, albeit with a significant premium.

Today, the US still imports more than a million tonnes of raw sugar under the TRQ system.

Australia’s allocation is 87,000 tonnes, though in recent years we’ve averaged around 125,000 tonnes thanks to additional quota availability. Our highest export volume under this system has been around 190,000 tonnes.

The strategy of propping up domestic prices has led the US to have some of the highest refined sugar prices in the world, as confirmed by a recent study commissioned by the WABCG. As for who will ultimately wear the cost of Trump’s 10% tariff – whether it’s sugar suppliers or US consumers – that remains to be seen. There’s no clear picture yet of how it will affect our sugar price.

What is clear is that these tariffs will drive up prices across a wide range of goods in the US, which seems like an odd move politically.

It’s possible that pressure from consumers and industry will lead to changes or new negotiations, but for now, we’ll have to wait and see how it all plays out.

YOUR FARM, YOUR WAY You know your farm and what you want to achieve.

Smartcane BMP recognises how you farm and supports improvements you want to make.

Talk with your district facilitator about how they can help you.

Bill and William, Proserpine

Contact your district facilitator to find out more smartcane.com.au

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the official magazine of australia's sugarcane industry

LONG AND SHORT OF IT

BY RENEE CLUFF

A simple question from a grower contributor has sparked a robust industry discussion about the length of the sugarcane crushing season.

10 days out from Christmas 2024, around 1.8 million tonnes of cane worth $179-million remained unharvested across Queensland, due largely to poor mill performance.

In some of the larger districts, the rollers were still turning well beyond the festive season, until the annual monsoon set in and rendered harvesting impossible.

Losses in sugar content and standover are just the tip of the iceberg as growers have born the lion’s share of costs.

“Growers are frustrated, angry, annoyed and I guess they’re lacking confidence,” said CANEGROWERS CEO Dan Galligan.

“We’re reliant on each other; the mills need the grower, and the grower needs the mills. It’s a truism of the industry,

but across the board we need to build that confidence back up.”

As part of CANEGROWERS’ threepoint plan to tackle this year-on-year crisis, a series of podcasts focused on milling performance has been launched.

CEO of Mackay Sugar, Carl Morton, and Ash Salardini, CEO of Australian Sugar Manufacturers (formally Australian Sugar Milling Council), are to be commended for joining Mr Galligan in the first episode. It’s really cracked open the dialogue.

Much of the debate centred around a simple question sent in by a grower member: ‘Do you agree that all Queensland mills should aim to crush the crop within 22.5 weeks (excluding weather delays)?’

MACKAY LOST INCOME OVER TWO SEASONS 2024/25 AND 2025/26* Loss issue Growth loss late harvest 2025

ha affected

Total tonnes cane lost 2025

Grower lost income

Miller loss

Total Loss

13,406

185,431

$8,190,478

$3,843,980

$12,034,459

$5,411,337

$601,260

$6,012,597

$23,307,549

$14,264,476

$37,572,025

$36,909,364

$18,709,716

$55,619,080

CCS lost 2024 Standover loss 2024 & 2025 Total loss

6,000

*CANEGROWERS estimates

CONTINUED PAGE 18 ‣

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the official magazine of australia's sugarcane industry

A CANEGROWERS taskforce is: 1. Conducting a detailed cost

analysis to quantify the financial damage caused by delayed crushing 2. Investigating the root

causes and practical solutions 3. Engaging directly with

senior milling sector representatives to ensure changes happen

Ash Salardini said the current guideline is a longstanding benchmark which requires review, citing fewer mills crushing more cane among conditions that have changed.

“I think this notion that there is this defined season length is something that we have to work through,” he said.

“Is it the same for every region? Is it the same for every mill? Is it going to be the same with climate change?

“What we based ourselves on in the past doesn’t necessarily hold water currently”

Carl Morton candidly explained the economics of season lengths from the standpoint of Mackay Sugar.

“It’s an economic question for a miller and for us it’s around how much capital can we invest and get the right return on and what season length does that give us? I know that’s not always the same number that would work for a grower, but you’ve got to work out where the funding comes from, you’ve got to look at what do you value and how do we do that?

“When we looked at the re-investment strategy that we needed to put in place to try and get back to this 5.3-million tonnes of cane in 23 weeks, it’s actually hundreds of millions of dollars that it costs us.

“To bring that back another three or four weeks, we modelled that as well, we almost spent 100-per-cent again on the capital spend. We look at that and say from a return point of view for those extra four weeks, how could we ever justify that?

“We’re planning to get back to 23 weeks but in the short term there’s no way we would see a 23-week season unless there’s less cane.

“Obviously if there’s 6-million tonnes in the paddock, you’re going to have to take some extra time to harvest that and if there’s less tonnes in the paddock it all has an effect on the cash

that you’ll have available for the next year to re-invest into your business.

“We absolutely know that there’s real money to be had by shortening up the CCS curve and more sugar being available but we can’t tap into that for our additional capital so we will never be able to write a business case that says that’s the right thing for us to do. That’s absolutely the truth and something we as an industry need to put on the table.

“We do get incensed with this view that we’re sitting on performance and that we’ve got a choice not to perform better” “For us, performance equals profit.

Profit equals cash, cash equals investment, and re-investing in performance. We want performance to be as good as it can with the assets that we have and the people and processes that we have.”

Mr Galligan congratulated Mr Morton for his transparency.

“That is really helpful, that’s the sort of thing that growers want to hear: what

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MAY 2025 – VOLUME47/NUMBER 5

is the company trying to achieve and then bring that back to ideal because nobody should be harvesting cane through Christmas and into January and that’s the economics of the industry broken down.

“We know what the ideal season length is but at least having a conversation with the growers at the mill level about what the mill thinks they can achieve based on the investment they’ve been able to make and the crop in the ground will give at least some transparency for growers about what the year ahead looks like.

“These season lengths that are blowing out beyond Christmas and into January in successive years are just killing the industry. They’re killing the culture of the industry and certainly the confidence.

“Where it works well is where millers are sitting down together with industry and sharing this information.”

For his part, Mr Salardini believes there can be a middle ground where both millers and growers profit.

“Having a trusted relationship around what expectations are, how we go forward, what is the miller’s view on what a season length should be as opposed to a grower’s season length is a really important one to have,” he said.

“How big can we grow the pie and then how can we divvy up the pie so we both eat?

“How do we share the revenue so that whoever is bearing the cost sees the benefit? That’s the really big, hairy, scary conversation we need to have.”

Dan Galligan said losses to growers when a season drags on are substantial. “We know exactly how much it’s costing growers,” he said.

things – everyone’s losing is the bottom line.

“But what can we do this year and what is the plan for the next 10 years and how do we communicate that?

“They’re really difficult conversations, but they’re really robust and we’re not ignoring them.” 

“The reality is that the impact to the grower goes on season after season and that’s why we get this decadelong downturn in productivity” “The investment losses are significant from an individual farmer to a collective group of farmers and that’s a scary thing for the industry to realise.

“We’re at least starting to come up with a common set of mill performance definitions, a common set of financial metrics and have a sensible conversation about how much it’s costing the industry. We will boil that down to how much it’s costing the individual farmer and harvesting operator and mill worker and all those

Season length is just one of the many topics discussed in the first episode of CANEGROWERS’ milling performance podcast series.

Foreign investment, mill asset management and workforce challenges are talked about, too.

Hear the full conversation via the Around the Paddock podcast.

Find it at: canegrowers.com. au/news-media/podcasts This is just the beginning of the conversation and CANEGROWERS is inviting other millers to join in.

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QSL GROWER PRICING UPDATE

Your Trusted Partner Current as at 15 April 2025.

Sugar Market & Currency

By Elliott Apel, QSL Assistant Manager Trading & Risk

Influence Commentary

Outlook

Brazil

Weather in Centre South Brazil was drier than average for the third consecutive month, prompting many analysts to downgrade their 2025 cane crop forecasts. However, further clarity will not be available until harvesting begins. It is expected that Brazilian millers will operate at maximum sugar mix this season and should be able to balance trade flows for the remainder of 2025.

India

India’s crushing season entered its final stages and continued to show no signs of improvement. Final sugar production is anticipated to be around 26 million tonnes − a 19% decrease year-on-year. Rumours in March that the government was considering an export ban were dismissed, and sources have since confirmed that the full one million tonne quota is still expected to be shipped.

Thailand

Thailand’s 2024/25 cane harvesting season has officially finished, with 10.05 million tonnes of sugar produced from 92.04 million tonnes of cane. Final production figures came in slightly below pre-season forecasts, but overall, the harvesting season progressed without major issues.

Neutral

Speculators

Speculators reduced their net short position in late March and into early April. As of Tuesday 8 April, they were recorded holding 39,195 contracts net short.

Neutral

Currency

The Australian dollar (AUD) experienced extreme volatility in April, as investor risk sentiment was shaken by ongoing trade tensions between the US and China. The AUD dipped below 60 US cents for the first time since March 2020, before rapidly rebounding to the 62–64 US cent range following President Trump’s announcement of a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs.

The outlook ratings above are in relation to AUD/tonne sugar prices.

A bullish outlook is considered positive.

Neutral

A bearish outlook is considered negative.

Grower Pricing Update The highest grower-managed pricing levels achieved across all growing regions using QSL products to date (all gross price actual/tonne) are: • 2024 Target Price = $840 / IFC $870 (Jul24)

Key Dates: • 20 June 2025 | Any 2025-Season Target Price Contract tonnage not priced by this date will automatically have its pricing window extended and roll costs may apply • 20 June 2025 | Any unpriced tonnage allocated to the ICE 11 July 2025 contract through the Individual Futures Contract and/or Self-Managed Harvest Contract that is not rolled by this date will be priced by QSL at the next market opportunity.

• 2025 Target Price = $735 / IFC $735 (Oct25) • 2026 Target Price = $685 / IFC $690 (Jul26) • 2027 Target Price = $650 / IFC $610 (Jul27) • 2028 Target Price = $605

QSL GROWER-MANAGED PRICING FILLS – 2024, 2025 & 2026 SEASONS Tonnes 140,000 120,000 100,000 80,000 60,000 40,000 20,000 0

< $499

2024 Season

$500

$520

2025 Season

$540

$560

$580

$600

$620

$640

$660

$680

$700

$720

$740

$760

$780

$800 >

2026 Season

This chart captures all pricing achieved as of 15.04.25 by growers from across all sugarcane growing regions using QSL’s Target Price Contract, Individual Futures Contract and Self-Managed Harvest products. Prices quoted at AUD/tonnes actual gross.

Disclaimer: This report contains information of a general or summary nature and is based on information available to QSL from many sources. While all care is taken in the preparation of this report, the reliability, accuracy or completeness of the information provided in the document is not guaranteed. The update on marketing and pricing activity does not constitute financial or investment advice. You should seek your own financial advice and read the QSL Pricing Pool Terms, which are contained on QSL’s website. Nothing contained in this report should be relied upon as a representation as to future matters or that a particular outcome will be achieved. Information about past performance is not an indication of future performance.

The information in the report is current as at the time of publication and is subject to change, as the information is based on many assumptions and is subject to uncertainties inherent in any market. QSL does not accept any responsibility to any person for the decisions and actions taken by that person with respect to any of the information contained in this report.

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MAY 2025 – VOLUME47/NUMBER 5

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the official magazine of australia's sugarcane industry

MACLEAN REIGNITES THE SPIRIT OF CANE The usually quiet river side town of Maclean in Northern NSW came alive on Saturday 12 April with a vibrant float parade along River Street.

Featuring 62 entries from local schools, sporting clubs, community groups, and cane farming families the parade also showcased vintage and modern agricultural machinery, reflecting the region’s rich farming history.

The Clarence CANEGROWERS 100 Years Celebration marked a significant milestone for the community and the beloved Cane Harvest Festival was revived, having been dormant since 1998, bringing together generations to honour a century of cane farming heritage.

The festival’s revival was spearheaded by a dedicated committee led by Allira Robison, inspired by the success of

the Harwood Sugar Mill’s 150-year celebration in 2024.

next generation to let them know that agriculture is a great career to get into.

The event not only celebrated the past but also aimed to rekindle community spirit and establish the festival as an annual tradition.

It was a very conscious action to kick off the float parade with the schools and younger generation,” Allira said.

Allira said bringing back the Cane Harvest Festival was a great opportunity to allow the community to celebrate the sugarcane growing industry and the 100 years milestone for the Clarence CANEGROWERS Association.

“We wanted to showcase to the community what happens in the paddocks around town and raise awareness of the industry to the

“The street parade really opened our eyes to the fact that people want to know about the industry. That is very encouraging for next year.”

Cameron Park transformed into a lively hub with food trucks, market stalls, and a dedicated kids’ zone offering face painting, games, and a jumping castle. The entertainment lineup featured local talents Adam Hourigan and Sonny James, culminating with a performance by renowned country artist Troy Cassar-Daley, followed by Pistol Whip.

Clarence CANEGROWERS Association Chairman Ross Farlow said it was outstanding to see the turnout from the community.

“It’s rewarding for the committee that put an enormous effort into making this happen for the benefit of everybody. It’s just a wonderful thing for our little town, we’ve got a lot of new people that are new to agriculture, and I hope it showcases what we do,” Ross said.

The street parade created a buzz of excitement in Maclean as the town celebrated Clarence CANEGROWERS Association’s 100 year celebrations

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MAY 2025 – VOLUME47/NUMBER 5

“One of the things that we tried to stimulate was it’s OK to be a farmer. Not every kid has to go to university. Not every family can afford it, and that there’s plenty of employment here with opportunities in the industry, in the milling, transport, harvesting and administration sectors.

There’s still lots of job here you don’t have to go away. You can live in a beautiful NSW and be a part of a good industry.” 

www.farmgard.com.au 0800 FARMGARD (0800 327 642)

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the official magazine of australia's sugarcane industry

NEXT CROP OF LEADERS

BY RENEE CLUFF

Australian Canegrower speaks to participants of the 2025 Next Ratoon program.

Tell us about yourself I’m a third-generation sugarcane farmer based in Mourilyan, just outside Innisfail. We run a family group of farms that grow, harvest, plant, and spray – everything is in-house.

I also run a small hydraulics business where we supply parts, do repairs and maintenance, and custom-engineer hydraulic systems.

Why did you apply for the Next Ratoon program?

Q&A WITH:

LOUIS FICHERA

INNISFAIL DISTRICT

We all talk in local meetings about how we want change for the future, and we need young ones coming through, so I thought it was a good opportunity to stand up, have a go and see what comes of it. I’m young, but I’m not getting any younger.

On a personal level I would like to come out of the program with a bit more confidence within myself, whether it’s to communicate my thoughts to others within the industry, or even just to improve communications in day-to-day life. Being able to network with people that I normally wouldn’t associate with will help build our farming business for the future.

I also wanted to pick up skills and experience to hopefully be a role model for our area; someone the younger

ones, or even my peers can look to for a bit of guidance or leadership as we face challenges within the industry.

Who is your mentor?

Vivien Miller is my mentor. She is a Communications Manager with Sunshine Sugar in New South Wales along with being a first-generation farmer with her husband. I am learning a lot from her, but she keeps saying she’s learning from me. I never expected that.

What would you tell other growers who are considering applying for the program?

No time is a good time, you just have to dive in and give it a go. We’re all busy and it’s easy to come up with excuses not to, but if you wait for the right time, you may lose the opportunity.

You’re going to be put out of your comfort zone. You might learn more about yourself, gain confidence, and come out of it with new skills, fresh perspectives, and connections that may make a difference in your farming business or in the industry. The more you put into the experience, the more you will get out of it. Only good can come from putting yourself out there.

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MAY 2025 – VOLUME47/NUMBER 5

Tell us about yourself I am 39 years old, and my brother and I are third generation farmers. I have two beautiful inquisitive girls, a 4-yearold and a 10-month-old.

Q&A WITH:

CELIA ZARINS

CAIRNS DISTRICT

I work full time managing one of the busiest medical practices in Cairns, which I have done for 15 years, whilst helping my family with the business/ administration side of the farm.

My parents Joe and Angie Bonso run a large family farming business in Miriwinni and we do contract harvesting as well.

Why did you apply for the Next Ratoon program?

My local CANEGROWERS manager Sarah Standen suggested this program to me and after speaking with her about it I decided to apply.

What he has taught me so far is you’re never too busy to do what you love and if bringing awareness and help to our growers is what I want to do, then I will find the time to do it.

He has been a fantastic help; he has given me the courage to go forth by supporting my ideas and putting me in contact with other growers and CANEGROWERS representatives to help me with my upcoming project.

What would you tell other growers who are considering applying for the program?

Definitely give it a go. It may be a bit daunting at the start and you might not know what you want to get out of the program at the beginning, but by the end, with the support of your mentor, you will have a much better

I saw it as an opportunity to learn more about the industry and to give back and help growers.

NEXT RATOON is a CANEGROWERS Mentoring Program which supports leadership skills and knowledge that will contribute to a strong, profitable and innovative sugarcane industry.

It has been designed to help participants unlock a world of opportunities within our industry and is a unique chance to explore new ideas, new thinking, and build new connections with industry experts.

Participants of NEXT RATOON CULTIVATE connections, INNOVATE ideas, and ACTIVATE conversations.

I had some ideas of how I could bring some of my medical knowledge to the industry but didn’t know how to go about doing this; I was just too afraid and used the excuse ‘I’m too busy’ to bring forward my ideas.

Who is your mentor?

My mentor is Greg Plath, a Mackay cane farmer and CANEGROWERS Mackay Director. He has many years of experience and wisdom of how to help and support our growers.

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the official magazine of australia's sugarcane industry

INDUSTRY WOMEN FRONT AND CENTRE

BY RENEE CLUFF

‘Honouring All Women in Sugar’ was the theme of the recent annual Women in Sugar Conference.

The contributions of women to the sugar industry were celebrated at the 2025 Women in Sugar Australia (WISA) conference, hosted by CANEGROWERS NETWORK Mackay District in late March and early April.

About 80 women gathered for the three-day event, which included a welcome catch-up, a bus tour and a dinner along with a jam-packed program of speakers.

CANEGROWERS Mackay Chairman Kevin Borg officially opened the conference with a message about the importance of unity.

“It’s great to see there is plenty of interest in this event,” he said. “Your businesses do rely on you and the businesses that support the industry also rely on you.

Having a united front allows us all to progress together. Disunity only waters down what we’re trying to achieve because it gives others the opportunity to divide and conquer.

“If you go back to your communities and sell that message in your area, I think we’d be a lot better off as an industry.”

Attendees also heard from Head of Partnerships and Project Management at Sugar Research Australia, Bronwyn Venus, along with Mackay Sugar’s General Manager of People and Culture, Adele Lorimer, and her colleague in Communications and Engagement, Hayley Clancy.

Financial, legal and procurement matters were discussed through presentations from Rabobank, Statewide Legal Practice, Achmea Australia, QSL, Alman Partners and Crokers Fuels and Oils.

Guest speaker Kerri Carroll from Silent Grove Organics and KC’s Clutter Cure captivated the crowd with a personal story of resilience and reinvention, while Georgina Devlin, Acting Senior Archival Office from the National Archives of Australia, enlisted the women’s assistance to identify places and people featured in historical industry photos held by the government organisation.

Plenty of questions were also directed to Shikira Kalatzis, Education Coordinator at CANEGROWERS, who informed attendees of the One Plant, Many Products initiative – a new suite of school curriculum-aligned resources designed to inform and inspire the next generation about the sugarcane industry.

“The aim is to get all of the kids in Australia learning about the industry and all of the amazing careers within it,” Shikira said. “That’s a pretty big statement, but it’s one that excites me. Everyone in this room can be advocates and help get the message out there that these resources, which have been designed in collaboration with PIEFA (Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia),

MAY 2025 – VOLUME47/NUMBER 5

will build meaningful connections between industry, community and the primary and secondary education sectors.”

Flooding impacted the planned bus tour itinerary to Tom Deguara’s farm, attendees instead taking a tour of the district and visiting Corals Down Under, a business which collects and propagates Great Barrier Reef corals for the world’s home aquariums.

Ann Jansen, CANEGROWERS NETWORK Mackay District Chairperson, said the annual Women in Sugar conferences are important events on the calendar, providing knowledge, support and confidence.

“Everybody’s been really happy, you can hear it in their voices,” Ann said.

“A lot of us work on farms and this is our time off the farm. It’s like meeting old friends because over the years, we’ve come to know the other groups quite well. We could go up and down the coast and we’d know somebody in those towns and catch up for a coffee. They are the kind of friendships we’ve formed.

“We have real connections.”

Kevin Borg congratulated the volunteers on organising a wonderful event.

“These things don’t just happen, there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes and it’s great to see it come to fruition,” he said. “All I wish for is that the men in the industry would gather like this.”

Left: Amanda Borg, Shikira Kalatzis and Denise Laird Top right: Ann Jansen and Jennifer Borg Middle right: Annie Attard and Alicia Bauer Bottom right: Amanda and Joseph Borg

27

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the official magazine of australia's sugarcane industry

STRONG TURNOUT FOR CANEGROWERS TRANSPORT AND WHS COMPLIANCE ROADSHOW CANEGROWERS recently held a successful Heavy Vehicle Transport and Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) compliance roadshow across the northern districts, with workshops delivered in Cairns, Innisfail, Tully, Ingham, Ayr, Proserpine, and Mackay during the week of 31 March.

Officers from Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) and the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) joined CANEGROWERS staff from Brisbane to lead the workshops, which focused on improving on-farm safety and ensuring compliance with heavy vehicle regulations.

Participants were educated on a range of important topics including chain of responsibility, the National Class 1 Agricultural Notice, power line

safety, on farm duties, load restraint, fatigue management and employer responsibilities. The regulators made it clear that they will be out and about doing their enforcement role Attendees showed strong interest in discussions around work and rest requirements, load restraint regulations, and employer responsibilities. By the end of each session, participants gained practical knowledge on how to improve safety for workers and visitors, as well as how to meet their legal obligations under transport and WHS legislation.

The roadshow attracted over 200 participants and received overwhelmingly positive feedback.

One grower noted how relevant the workshop content was, while others appreciated learning about the free safety support available through the Injury Prevention and Management Program, funded by their WorkCover premiums.

With the conclusion of this Roadshow, CANEGROWERS is preparing to deliver the roadshow in the Southern region, with workshops planned for Bundaberg and Isis on May 6, Maryborough on May 7 and Rocky Point on May 20.

For more information on the upcoming workshops, please contact CANEGROWERS Policy Officer Alexander Desses at alexander_ desses@canegrowers.com.au.

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MAY 2025 – VOLUME47/NUMBER 5

NEW SMARTCANE BMP MANAGER BRINGS LEARNINGS TO THE CANE INDUSTRY From the rural landscapes of Ireland to the vast pastures of Northern Australia, Lindsey Perry the Smartcane BMP program’s new manager brings a wealth of experience—and a deep commitment to sustainable agriculture.

Lindsay hit the Australian shores in 2010, after growing up in Ireland (born in the UK). Her journey in agriculture began in earnest with a PhD at the University of Queensland’s Gatton campus, exploring methane emissions from livestock grazing on tropical pastures. That early focus on emissions and tropical pasture systems laid the groundwork for a career that would blend hands-on experience with strategic agricultural development.

“I didn’t take the academic route,” Lindsey said. “Instead, after graduating I went to work on a cotton farm in Narrabri, then north to Georgetown, working with Northern Gulf Natural Resource Management group.

That was where I really started engaging with producers—especially beef producers—on projects that connected landscape health with business outcomes.”

From there, Lindsey moved into a beef extension role with Queensland’s Department of Agriculture and Fisheries in Cloncurry, spending three and a half years working alongside producers in the aftermath of the devastating 2019 floods.

“We did a lot of work around pasture recovery and building business resilience,” Lindsey said. “It was a great community—I loved the work and the people.”

A shift into a national role followed, with Meat & Livestock Australia.

There, she was focused on research investment into the grass-fed beef R&D program, spending time in diverse production systems across the country.

“That role gave me a broader view of the industry and how research can support practical on-the-ground needs.”

ARROW-RTC

Most recently, a contract with Charles Darwin University brought Lindsey back to the north—this time supporting research in cropping, pastoral systems, and biosecurity at the Research Institute for Northern Agriculture.

Now stepping into the cane industry, Lindsey is enthusiastic about getting back to an industry-facing role.

“It’s similar in many ways to the work I’ve done before, working with producers, understanding their challenges, and supporting them to adapt and improve. I’m looking forward to getting out there, visiting growers, listening to their needs, and making sure that the Smartcane BMP program continues to deliver.”

Lindsey hit the ground running at the industry event Sugar Cubed 2025 providing an insight into how the sector works, both here and globally.

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the official magazine of australia's sugarcane industry

BRIDGING AGRICULTURE AND COMMUNITY THROUGH LINK2COUNTRY From the cattle farms of Conondale on the Sunshine Coast to the heart of Ingham, my journey has always revolved around agriculture. Growing up surrounded by cattle and horses, my love for the land was nurtured early on.

After completing Ag College, I gained hands-on experience working across cattle stations in the Northern Territory, Central Queensland, and Southwest Queensland.

I then met Gregg, who comes from a long line of CANEGROWERS in the Herbert River Region. His family are long-time CANEGROWERS Herbert River members, and continue to be. We married and now we work side by side in our sugarcane harvesting contract business, GNC Harvesting Pty Ltd. As a proud mum to Ellyse (7), Georgie (5), and James (4), I have spent recent years balancing family life with business responsibilities. While managing the books and operations at home, I started to notice the seasonal challenges of sourcing haul-out drivers for our business. More broadly, I was seeing a worrying shortage of young people entering the sugar industry and agriculture in general.

This is where the Link2Country idea started. Alongside my two sisters, we co-founded Link 2 Country Pty Ltd, with the goal of fostering

greater appreciation and connection to agriculture.

“How can we start them young, so they grow up with the same appreciation we have?”

The idea was inspired by grassroots sporting programs like cricket and junior rugby league. I wanted to create something like that for agriculture—so young people can have a taste of what we love and do. Create an opportunity to have a go. Something I’d love my own children to have access to when they’re older.

Twelve months ago, CANEGROWERS Herbert River came on board as the naming rights sponsor for Link 2 Country’s first major initiative—the CANEGROWERS Herbert River Link2Country Expo, set to take place at the Ingham Showgrounds on 23rd & 24th May 2025.

The Expo will bring together community, education, and industry across two action-packed days of hands-on learning, live demonstrations, trade stalls, and networking. At its core is the Agri Life Skills Program—

an immersive, practical experience designed to give students a genuine taste of agricultural life. Led by industry experts, the program is free for registered schools, students, and supervisors, with over 1,000 students already expected to attend.

The CANEGROWERS Herbert River board members have been incredibly supportive, and I am thankful for this.

With three young kids, it’s not always easy to juggle meetings, but the board has backed me time and time again— even letting my little ones sit quietly in the corner while we got things done. That kind of support is why I’ve been able to bring this vision to life.

I’m so grateful to the team for their unwavering support.

This event is set to forge a new pathway—bringing community and connection together to shape the future of agriculture. I hope to see you at the CANEGROWERS Herbert River Link2Country Expo and be part of something special!

Kind regards,

NICOLE CHIESA

Link2Country EXPO

Friday 23rd & Saturday 24th May 2025 Ingham Showgrounds

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Trade Stands Explore, learn, and grab some great deals!

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Family-Friendly Fun Activities and entertainment for all ages – lucky door prizes/auction/ community fundraising/networking & more.

Live Music & Bar Enjoy live entertainment and a bar open until late.

ENQUIRIES link2country@outlook.com Nicole 0427560558 Full program & tickets April 2025

32

the official magazine of australia's sugarcane industry

CANEGROWERS REGIONAL ROUND-UP SUPPLIED BY CANEGROWERS DISTRICT OFFICES

MOSSMAN Overall, March conformed to the wetter than average trend, with just over 241mm more falling than the monthly average of 630mm.

On 31 March the industry facilitated a Workplace Health and Safety and National Heavy Vehicle Compliance workshop in Mulgrave for growers, pictured.

There was a reasonable turn-out with the majority of attendees being farmers who also contract harvested sugarcane. Compliance officers from both WHS and NHVR took those present through the general WHS obligations, the rural HWS work program and Chain of Responsibility while NHVR concentrated mainly on load restraint issues, the permit process with NHVR, and the application of the

Agricultural Notice for oversize heavy agricultural vehicles and implements.

On 10 April 2025, grower representatives met with one of the groups who submitted an EOI for the Mossman Mill site.

The potential buyers explained to growers their ideas and plans for Mossman should they be able to complete their required tasks in time to settle a contract of sale. Grower representatives met with another potential buyer late in April who were visiting for the first time to view the site and make a final decision to proceed or not. It is our understanding that there are multiple parties who passed the EOI stage, and all are now working through the next stage for the Liquidator and Colliers so a final sale can be either be achieved and executed with one of the parties, or not.

Also, on 10 April representatives from the DPI ran a Crop Diversification Session in Mossman looking at Tropical Horticulture. The focus was mainly on tree/bush cropping such as bananas, papaya, cacao, and exotics such as rambutan, jackfruit and durian etc. They also talked about the workforce required for these types of crops, QRIDA spoke about funding opportunities and the Rural Financial Counselling Service were there and they can help with free financial assistance when looking at budgets and cash flow.

The next DPI workshop for growers is already planned for 27 May 2025 and will be looking mainly at all things coffee related. Growers can register and attend the event at the DPI

Walkamin Research Facility from 9am to 1pm.

They will do a field walk, talk about R&D and the importation process and hear from NQ representatives within the Australian Grown Coffee Association.

At the end of the company triennial election nomination period, only three director Nominations had been received, and the Returning Office announced the result of the process; there was no need for a ballot and the successful nominees were Mr Matthew Watson, Mr Scott Fasano and Mr Ben McClelland. As we had four vacancies, the new board once formed on 1 May 2025 will need to address this shortfall issue in the appropriate way.

CAIRNS REGION The weather across the Cairns Region has been favourable, with conditions providing a solid lead-up to the end of the wet season.

While rainfall has eased in most areas, there’s still some residual moisture, contributing positively to soil profiles. With cooler, drier weather on the horizon, farmers are looking forward to improved working conditions as autumn progresses.

Across the region, crops are responding well, and the season is shaping up with encouraging potential in comparison to recent years.

Region with a number of

Grower estimates were due at the end of April. Members who have not yet submitted their estimates are encouraged to do so promptly to assist with planning and coordination.

extend our thanks to Chris Gillitt

Locally, it’s been a busy period for CANEGROWERS Cairns

commitment to safety and

successful meetings and forums. A well-attended Business Essentials Course was delivered in Mulgrave, and we and his team for their time and expertise. The Transport and WHS Compliance Workshop also saw strong participation reflecting the industry’s ongoing regulatory standards.

Reef Compliance and Regulation Audits are becoming more frequent within the Cairns Region. Members who are Smartcane BMP accredited, or working towards accreditation, are encouraged to contact our local facilitator, Kasey Lane, who can provide confirmation of your program involvement directly to the department. If you receive notice of a pending audit, please get in touch with either office for support.►

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The Industry Management Committee (IMC) representatives have been actively reviewing the South Johnstone Cane Supply Contract, similarly, the CSA Review Committee regarding the Mulgrave Contract.

We were also proud to hear from our Next Ratoon member, Celiamaree Zarins (daughter of Joe and Angie Bonso), at the recent CANEGROWERS Cairns Region Board Meeting.

Celiamaree shared insights from her time at the Next

Ratoon Forum, where she expressed great enthusiasm for the future of the sugar industry. Her passion for farmer health, wellbeing, and education outreach is inspiring, and she continues to grow under the mentorship of one of the esteemed Gentlemen of the Industry from Mackay.

Looking ahead, a Pre-Season Growers Breakfast is scheduled for 22 May. We look forward to catching up with members before the 2025 crush begins. 

INNISFAIL On again, off again rain provided decent growing weather for our crop during the month of March.

Our growers have attended several workshops and webinars spanning shed agronomy meetings, Transport and WHS, Business Essentials and planning for retirement, to name a few.

In the office, we welcomed our newest staff member, Corporate Services Manager Natalie Hayward, who is tasked with assisting the team to deliver quality services to members.

We also had the opportunity to sit down and discuss the Disaster Recovery Process with State Recovery Coordinator Andrew Cripps and raised productivity concerns with SRA plant breeders Garry Rosewarne and Felicity Atkin, who were in the region visiting blocks with positive Leaf Scald detections.

Our Cassowary Coast Reef Smart Farming extension team

is continuing to work one-onone with growers as part of the Johnstone Sugarcane Practice Change Program funded through the Queensland Reef Water Quality Program (QRWQP).

They are delivering nutrient management planning and amelioration of crop constraints to improve crop nutrient uptake.

Another program of works focused on feral pig control is also progressing, with the place-based project team now formulating and delivering their area management plan founded on technical and industry recommendations.

It’s hoped this localised, coordinated approach can be replicated in other areas impacted by pig destruction.

TULLY Most days of April were either recording rain or hindered by clouds.

The weather pattern has not helped at all with the crop growth. Early estimates indicate that the crop is slightly better than 2024 which was 74.01 tonnes per hectare, with 2025 looking to be around 78-79 tonne per hectare.

With an area of approximately 30,100 hectares destined for the rollers, the estimate will be roughly 2,350,000 tonnes. Tully Sugar have indicated the 26th of May as the start date, weather permitting.

At this stage, TSL are on target for the commencement of the season. Crop ripening techniques continue to be applied leading up to an early start. As indicated previously, seek technical advice prior to application.

by anybody else other than the person who created it.

Equipment in general is taking longer to repair as the years progress. More times than not parts and replacement items are not in stock or back ordered as stock is hampered by lack off work force or waiting for arrivals from offshore manufacturers.

April 30th will see the end of the current term for CANEGROWERS elected members in their district, with the new term commencing on the 1st of May. In the Tully District there is two changes to the Board, with two current Directors not renominating and two new nominations h accepted without need for an election to take place.

Maintenance season is not only for the millers, but also time for the farmers and harvester owners to modify, renew or replace their equipment.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the two Directors that have contributed to the Cane Industry and the Board. Joe Vasta has contributed 21 years to being a Board member and Steven Crema contributing to 6 years as a Board member.

Operators want to be as prepared as possible for an uninterrupted season.

Agriculture brings out some of the best innovation specialists of any industry, most of which is never known, advertised or used

We would also like to take opportunity to welcome new Directors, Andrew Apap and Donald Colls to the Board and look forward to their involvement over the next three years.

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HERBERT RIVER After an exceptionally wet start to the year, Herbert River growers are finally seeing some blue skies break through April.

The recent shift in weather is helping the district slowly dry out, allowing growers to begin returning to their paddocks and getting on with much-needed on-farm work. While conditions are still patchy in places, the drier weather has brought a welcome sense of optimism.

CANEGROWERS Herbert River held its Annual General Meeting

in mid-April. The event was well attended by local members and industry representatives.

A special highlight was guest speaker Owen Menkens, Chair of the QCGO Board, who provided valuable insight into broader industry challenges and opportunities. His presence helped spark productive conversations about the future of the Queensland cane industry.

As we approach a new term at CANEGROWERS, we also take the opportunity to bid farewell to our long-serving Chairman, Chris Bosworth. Chris has been

an invaluable member of the CANEGROWERS Herbert River Board since 2013, serving with dedication, integrity, and a strong commitment to local growers. On behalf of all members, we extend our heartfelt thanks to Chris for his leadership and contribution over the past decade. His efforts have helped shape the strong and respected organisation we are today.

We are also looking forward to the CANEGROWERS Herbert River Link2Country Expo,

which will be held in Ingham on Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th May 2025 at the Ingham Showgrounds.

Highlights include the Agri Life Skills Program, “Find Your Future in Hinchinbrook” – Careers Event, NQ Makers Markets on Saturday only, Trade Stands, Food Trucks and Live Music & Bar It promises to be a great couple of days showcasing agriculture, careers, and community in the Herbert – we hope to see you there! 

BURDEKIN The first week of April saw the continuation of more rain and then a very welcomed good stretch of sunshine and blue sky.

It was pleasing to see the plots open up for business and growers starting to plant cane again. We are very fortunate in the Burdekin to have such high sales of clean seed cane every year. We are streets ahead of the other cane growing districts with our plots which is vital for managing disease and it’s a great credit to BPS for all of the good quality work they do here.

Wilmar have confirmed the estimate for the Burdekin at 7.97 million tonnes after allowing for a deduction for seed cane. The start dates were not available at the time of writing and under the CSA, Wilmar would need to crush the North Bank within 21 dry weeks and the South

Bank within 22 dry weeks to not trigger a mill performance payment.

We would dearly love to see a November finish for the 2025 season in view of the lower estimate and hopefully we can see a better season in terms of improved mill performance and dry weather.

CANEGROWERS arranged a Transport and WHS compliance seminar with updates provided

by NHVR and WHSQ which was attended by 40 people including growers, contractors and Wilmar and it was an informative session for both the participants and presenters. The industry as a whole still has a lot of work to do in regard to managing the risk of billet spillage and bin design is one of the obvious solutions that can help to improve the position, as well as contractors not overfilling bins.

CBL attended two meetings for the Burdekin Water Plan Working Group with updates provided on regional water assessment, sedimentation studies and options on how the rising groundwater issue could be considered as part of the plan review.

CBL also participated in the Sunwater Customer Advisory Committee which is an important forum to provide feedback to Sunwater and the irrigation community. Most of the grouping applications for the 2025 season have been resolved, but there were some siding issues that remain outstanding and some late applications were being processed in April. One of the key issues for the Burdekin is the harvesting sector in terms of there is not enough harvesting contractors and challenges with siding capacity

and it is going to take a coordinated industry effort to address this ongoing challenge which is not getting any better.

The CBL Board also caught up with QSL for an update from Jaimee Turner the new Grower Relationship Manager and Zac van Vliet who is in QSL’s graduate program.

We will catch up with Wilmar Marketing in May. Simon Yim from SKY Renewables Pty Ltd also provided an update to the CBL Board on his tops and trash project to manufacture a renewable energy product for export which he is seeking direct grower support to progress. SKY Renewables Pty Ltd will be hosting a town hall meeting at the Ayr Showgrounds on 7 May and growers are welcome to attend the meeting to learn about this project. 

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MAY 2025 – VOLUME47/NUMBER 5

PROSERPINE Despite signs of drying out, the continued impact of relentless waterlogged conditions remained evident in widespread stunting of ratoons and plant cane.

Although there was still time for some recovery, these areas would likely finish well below their production potential for the coming season. This posed significant downside risk for the 2025 crop with estimates currently between 1.5 and 1.6 million tonnes.

Mill maintenance continued with a focus on improving factory availability, steam efficiency and crush rate. It is sincerely hoped that the maintenance program would deliver for growers and contractors with declines in mill performance over the previous three years severely impacting on profitability. With the mill start date still likely to be mid-June, weather is being closely watched with pre-

season commissioning on track.

CANEGROWERS Proserpine had initially targeted an earlier start date, but this would depend on advances in the maintenance program over the coming weeks. It is critical for all stakeholders that the crush be completed by mid-November to ensure adequate time for ratoon and planting operations.

This will ensure a sustainable industry for all in a region that remained exposed to very unpredictable weather.

CANEGROWERS Proserpine continued communications with Minsters Leahy and Camm. This with the objective to secure support for dam build permits and allocation releases along the O’Connell and Andromache Rivers, and re-construction of the Myrtle Creek Weir. These projects are some that remain key to ensuring Proserpine region can both sustain and grow production over the medium to long-term.

Following high recordings of various chemicals in the Proserpine River, both CANEGROWERS Proserpine and Sugar Services Proserpine (SSP) met with representatives from the Dept. of Primary Industries (DPI), Dept. of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) and WHS Queensland. Given recent exceedances it was likely that increased compliance activities would take place in the coming months.

Growers are encouraged to ensure they meet minimum legislative requirements such as NMP budgeting and chemical record keeping.

Chemical Record books remain available to members from the CANEGROWERS Proserpine office and SSP continue to assist growers with the collation of NMP Budgets.

Queensland CANEGROWERS held a Transport and WHS Compliance Workshop on

the 4 April in Proserpine with very high attendance. A QCGO Business Essentials Course was also hosted on the 20 March while SSP Shed meetings were held over the 15-17 of April.

CANEGROWERS Proserpine initiated budgeting processes for the 2025/26 financial year. These would be up for approval in May by industry organisations including SSP and the Water Cooperatives.

There was also the first CANEGROWERS Harvesting Contractor meeting held while the triennial CANEGROWERS Board Elections took place over late March into April.

CANEGROWERS would like to thank all nominees for participating in the process and wish the new Board the very best for the coming term in serving fellow growers and our local Industry.

MACKAY / PLANE CREEK Mackay was the setting for the 2025 Women in Sugar Australia Conference, hosted by CANEGROWERS Network Mackay.

As always, the event was an inspiring and engaging gathering, bringing together incredible women from all areas of the sugar industry. A huge shout-out to everyone who helped make this conference a success as we came together

to honour and celebrate the contributions of women in sugar!

CANEGROWERS Mackay has been actively engaged in advocating for a fairer rural ratesetting system within the region.

The current system, which unfairly burdens cane farmers by valuing their land akin to urban commercial properties, results in significantly higher rates compared to other

agricultural sectors. This inequity impacts a substantial portion of peri-urban land, affecting over 20 growers and approximately 5,000 hectares.

CANEGROWERS Mackay has formally communicated with Mackay Region Councillors, proposing the implementation of a banded rating system based on valuation to ensure equitable rates across all rural land. A capping mechanism to mitigate sudden rate increases

following new land valuations has also been suggested.

35 growers attended the annual Plane Creek Area Committee information meeting. Chairman Kevin Borg covered issues across the 2024 season statistics, the need for all parties to actively work with the district’s cane equity program for it to work effectively, grower strength through unity, milling performance, council rates inequities, cane fibre, load

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MACKAY / PLANE CREEK restraint and other industry issues. He acknowledged the contribution of retiring PCAC member Mal Langdon, who will not be a part of the area committee after April 30, and the commencement of the new CANEGROWERS representative term. Mr Borg announced that the area committee would be comprised of Wayne Schmidtke, Hayden Swan, and himself, with a fourth committee member being recruited at present. He also spoke on the plans of the new Queensland Government to raise ag production in the state from $24B to $30B by 2030.

The meeting then heard from guest speaker Shikira Kalatzis- Queensland CANEGROWERS Projects and Education Coordinator, who spoke on the curriculumaligned education packages completed and those being developed in collaboration with Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia – easy to use modules that will assist teachers to deliver accurate information about the sugar industry, across sustainability and agronomic practices, to the many career opportunities that exist across the industry.

CANEGROWERS Mackay members and elected

representatives swelled the ranks attending a Growers Forum held at Homebush

by Mirani MP Glen Kelly and Mackay MP Nigel Dalton and led by QLD Minister for Primary Industries Tony Perrett. Minister Perrett spoke to growers on the process for the development of the Agriculture Blueprint which is the biggest industry consultation and collaboration in primary industries in at least a decade.

The blueprint will be a 25year plan to help to build the Queensland agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors to ensure long term prosperity of the industry, and is being

BUNDABERG Good rain followed by warm weather has seen the crop continue to grow and fill out, although recent heavy rain and wind has resulted in some lodging.

Season start date for crushing of preseason cane has been set as 19 May with the core season set to start on 9 June.

The official estimate is 1.3 million tonnes and with the maintenance and improvement projects over the slack, we hope to see our crop crushed in a timely manner.

In the lead up to the Federal Election we met with LNP Candidate for Hinkler, David Batt and other candidates as requested to hear their political party promises and hope that agriculture hasn’t been forgotten again.

We also met with Senator Perin Davey, Shadow Minister for Water who visited Bundaberg to confirm their commitment to the reconstruction of Paradise Dam to its original capacity.

Some Bundaberg growers have been contacted by the Reef compliance team for an audit of their Reef Regulation compliance activities. Matthew Leighton or Tanya Howard are available to assist throughout the audit review, call the office on 4151 2555.

The draft determination by the Queensland Competition Authority (QCA) on regulated retail electricity prices in regional Queensland for 2025–26 has been released and includes several tariff changes, including the removal of some tariffs. We attended the QCA information session and will

be providing a submission on areas we think require further improvement. For assistance with these changes, call 41512555.

We welcome the preliminary view of the Attorney-General that the Fox Resources MDL3040 application is not in the public’s interest.

We continue to monitor the progress of the application and provide feedback to Government where required.

At the time of writing, Oreco payments remain unpaid, and we are actively following this up on behalf of growers. This is not acceptable, and we have expressed concern that the commencement of the 2025 Season is only a few weeks away, yet payment for prior instalments from the 2024 Season remain outstanding. 

developed with farmers, industry leaders, and regional communities to set a longterm strategic vision. The plan integrates some key areas of funding for biosecurity and R&D that will strengthen the industry.

“The goal to increase the value of agricultural production to $30 billion by 2030 was deliberate and shows a unifying position for all relevant government departments to get behind and back, with tangible outcomes,” Minister Perrett said. “This plan will be practical, deliverable, and built on the collective knowledge of those who work, live, and breathe our primary industries.” 

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MAY 2025 – VOLUME47/NUMBER 5

ISIS The Isis district is looking picture perfect with some good falls recorded during April. Growers are enjoying a well-deserved break from irrigating.

Most of the crop is coming along nicely although there is still some uncertainty around the later cut ratoons. We anticipate receiving the mill estimate in the next few weeks.

May is looking to be a busy period as we finalise the CSA and CAP reviews as well as participating in the arrangements for the new mill supply logistics contractor.

The Burnett Basin Water plan is currently under review. We recently held a productive grower meeting to gather member input on proposed changes to the local groundwater management.

MARYBOROUGH This feedback has been forwarded to the Department, in readiness for an upcoming workshop to examine the implications of these changes.

Our calendar for May includes hosting a Transport and WHS Compliance Workshop delivered by NHVR and WHS representatives. Isis Productivity will host a combined pre-season and planting practices session and additional pre-season meetings are scheduled to ensure all stakeholders are informed about the numerous changes across the district.

The Bundaberg Regional Council area has recently been included in disaster assistance eligibility following Tropical Cyclone Alfred and subsequent severe weather.

We have begun assisting growers to complete the grant application process and are preparing seasonal fire permit applications for members.

The triennial election has resulted in the formation of a new board following the retirement of long-standing Chairman Mark Mammino, who has stepped down after serving CANEGROWERS Isis for over 27 years. We expressed our gratitude for his dedication and tireless service at his final board meeting and plan to host a farewell celebration in the coming months.

The new Board Directors include Peter McLennan, Susan Bengtson, Simon Ricciardi, Letitia Taylor, and Chris Russo.

Our inaugural board meeting will take place on 8th May, when executive positions will be determined. ■

Cooler conditions have arrived, and the season change sees some good soy bean crops ready to harvest.

A Chemcert Chemicals course was successfully conducted on 7-8 April with 12 participants completing or renewing their accreditations.

The District elections have just closed and votes verified. It’s the first time in many years that a vote has been required, and we thank everyone for engaging in the process.

The outcome has seen the following members elected for the next three-year term, Roger Bambling, Isaac Schmidt, Ashley Petersen, Adam Doyle, Greg Touzeau.

MCPS Bus Tour is the next grower event on Wednesday 30th April with bus departing

7:30am from CANEGROWERS in Bazaar Street, Maryborough.

There is a BBQ lunch to follow.

Growers were also working through estimates for the 2025 season to help with planning and rostering of harvesters for 2025. There a couple of versions of rosters being worked on that aim to improve operations for this year.

The truck logistics this year will be a different provider with Logitrix undertaking the contract. Arrangements for sub contract work are being finalised at present.

Reminder for the Transport & WHS compliance Workshop being held in Maryborough CANEGROWERS on 7 May from 9am-12:30pm. Bookings are essential so contact the office if you plan on attending. 

ROCKY POINT

The Rocky Point district continues to experience regular rainfall/showers after the recent rain event around ex TC Alfred.

It would be far more beneficial for the cane crops if we had some dry conditions for a number of weeks, prior to our anticipated crush start date of 2 June. As many growers intend to start harvesting the 2- and 3-year-old crop, we need the rain to stop now so these blocks will be dry enough for harvest.

For the soybeans that survived the recent flooding, we will also need dry conditions in

preparation for the beans to be headed shortly.

We are very pleased to be in line for aerial treatments to suppress the fire ants in the district.

This Crisafulli Government recently announcement that an additional $24 million will be made available for aerial treatment of fire ants in the suppression area over 202425 and 2025-26. The Fire Ant Suppression Taskforce are currently working to procure helicopters/drones and contractors to do the work. ■

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MAY 2025 – VOLUME47/NUMBER 5

WRAP UP OF THIS YEAR’S REGIONAL SUGAR MILLING RESEARCH SEMINARS SUPPLIED BY SUGAR RESEARCH AUSTRALIA (SRA) Representatives from eight major sugar companies attended this year’s Regional Sugar Milling Research Seminars held from 28 March to 4 April across the industry.

Mackay Sugar, Wilmar Sugar, WH Heck, Sunshine Sugar, Isis Central Sugar Mill Company Ltd, Bundaberg Sugar, MSF Sugar and Tully Sugar Ltd milling staff participated at the seminars held in Mackay, Condong, Bundaberg, South Johnstone and Townsville.

Each seminar began with a presentation by the SRA District Manager, who provided highlights of each region’s 2025 Productivity Plan, which will be published shortly.

This was followed by a short summary of SRA’s Anniversary funding call by a member of the Research and Business Development team.

Twenty-seven projects spread across five research programs – variety development, agronomy and farming systems and milling and process – worth $32.5 million will be completed over the next four years. All of them are expected to start before the end of this financial year.

SRA’s NIR Support Engineer, Joel Simpson (pictured), spoke at the RSMRS this year for the first time, to outline to the mills the latest developments in handheld micro Near InfraRed (NIR).

“From calibrations collected from the mills over the past 12 months, handheld NIRs recognise optimum

sugarcane maturity. They are now being trialed by District Manager North Queensland, Gavin Rodman, and District Manager Central Dylan Wedel, in the field with promising results, with more trials to come in other districts.

“Because of the established cane maturity relationships between Brix, fibre and moisture, the handheld NIR can also be used for determining required irrigation and plant growth regulator applications too,” Joel said.

“We are now looking at soil nutrient applications which also look promising – but it is still early days.”

The refreshed Regional Milling Seminar program this year included technical updates from three different universities working in sugar milling research – Griffith University, Charles Darwin University and QUT. Technical updates relating to research in the milling sector were provided by QUT’s Associate Professor Geoff Kent, with presentations on: A simplified model of a boiler

furnace to understand effects on grate temperatures and potential overheating events Bagasse fly ash system

performance benchmarking Greenhouse gas emissions from

sugar factory boilers Australian sugar industry training –

development of Phase 3 Factory Training modules Use of machine learning to

determine the extraneous matter and billet length in cane consignments

ISSCT factory workshop Towards further improvements in

clarified performance in evaluating juice and mud residence times Hybrid pH control strategies

to reduce sucrose losses and control corrosion in sugar factory evaporators.

QUT researcher, Assoc. Prof. Darryn Rackemann, discussed the research to demonstrate the use of a microwave dry substance transducer for controlling high grade boilings.

Darryn Rackemann and Geoff Kent also presented an overview of the ISSCT co-products workshop.

Billet quality assessment research was presented by Researcher, Barton Wixted, and Griffith University Research Fellow, Rudi Bartels.

Prof. Stephen Xu from Charles Darwin University presented a design and model for a thermo-digester for the rapid conversion of mill mud to green fertiliser.

Papers and a video may be obtained by contacting Geoff Kent on g.kent@qut.edu.au.

The RSMRS are organised each year by SRA in partnership with QUT.

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MAY 2025 – VOLUME47/NUMBER 5

HEALTHY RIVERS NEED MAJOR RE-DIRECTION OF PUBLIC FUNDS Sustainability & Environment

BY MICK QUIRK A major environmental concern of growers is the health of rivers.

Specific needs include the restoration of creek banks, restoring rivers flows, and mitigating the impact of floods on farmland. They see lack of river health as a result of decades of grossly inadequate investment of public funds to manage the health and function of coastal rivers and their catchments.

Instead, public funding has drained away to other issues.

And while the recent two decades have seen major public investment in the health of the GBR lagoon, related projects within the catchment have had a narrow focus on nitrogen rates and the like. Even projects on sediment loss are mainly focussed on repairing those gullies in just one or 2 sub catchments that appear to yield most of the sediment that flows into the GBR lagoon.

It was the same concerns of landholders in 1939-40, following extensive flood damage in the Burdekin catchment, that led the Hon. F.W. Bulcock (Member for Barcoo) to introduced a Bill into the Queensland Parliament that was passed as the River Improvement Trust Act of 1940. This provided the legal framework for establishment of River Improvement Trusts to provide for: •

protection and improvement of the bed and banks of rivers

•

repair and prevention of damage to the bed and banks of rivers

•

prevention of flooding and the mitigation of inundation of farmland by river floodwaters.

There were once more than 17 river trusts in operation in Quensland. Eleven of these remain registered, with 4 of these located in cane growing areas. However, grant funding to these trusts to undertake necessary works has been minimal for decades, and any work undertaken has required funds from the local Shire Council.

Lack of a mechanism for assuring adequate public funding to the River Improvement Trusts was a flaw in the Act and, 85 years later, remains a flaw. This is despite occasional reviews of the Act, or its regulations, during that time.

The latest review started in 2021 with regional consultations, but the report has only recently seen the light of day, and only barely at that. Five years to finish such a thin and bland report, which is then buried in an abbreviated form in a web site, shows the high priority given to the River Improvement Trust model by past State Governments. In fact, responsibility for the Act has been shifted frequently from one department to another over the last 20 years.

Given the importance of healthy rivers to the safety and livelihoods of regional communities, the conservation of agricultural land, and the habitat of native plants and animal, the lack of public investment through the River Improvement Trust model (or any other model for that matter) is pitiful.

On the other hand, this presents the current Queensland Government with a wonderful opportunity to instigate a major new initiative on the health of Queensland’s east coast rivers. Remaining River Improvement Trusts, together with Regional NRM bodies, shire councils, and local farmer networks, have ample information already on hand to develop 10-year investment plans for each river catchment.

Whether an updated version of the Trusts, or some other governance model, is employed can be sorted later. What we need urgently is for river health to be a major environmental and economic priority for government investment.

Such investment will also be attractive to the Federal Government which also has responsibilities for mitigating climate and flooding risks, improving environmental values, and reducing impacts of feral pests and weeds.

Such an initiative can also be a vehicle for restoring a strong network of landcare groups that can be partners in local planning and execution of the required activities.

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NO SUCH THING AS “JUST A FARMER” Industry & Farm Inputs

BY BURN ASHBURNER CANEGROWERS recently completed a compliance roadshow focused on heavy vehicles and workplace health and safety.

Representatives from Workplace Health and Safety Queensland and the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator presented on their roles and the legal requirements growers must meet. This gave participating growers a valuable opportunity to better understand their legal obligations.

During the seven workshops, a recurring comment from growers was, “We’re just farmers.” The implication seemed to be that because compliance is difficult and time-consuming, growers should be treated differently. However, regulators view growers as business operators, no different from any other industry, and they expect full compliance with the law.

I firmly believe there is no such thing as “just a farmer.”

Growers are serious businesspeople, and as an industry, we should recognise and celebrate this fact. These significant, individually operated businesses form the backbone of many regional communities.

resources on reef regulation, biosecurity, transport laws, and WHS. Over 200 growers who attended the compliance roadshow took full advantage of this opportunity.

The average cane farming business is likely worth at least $2.5 million and requires a high level of knowledge and skill to succeed. Growers need a deep understanding of agronomy to make complex decisions about farming systems—planting, fertilising, weeding, irrigating, and harvesting—and the ability to implement them. These decisions are made in the context of varying soil types and unpredictable environmental factors like weather, pests, and disease.

Beyond technical and regulatory expertise, growers also need strong business skills—marketing, managing input costs, budgeting, succession planning, and workforce management. I strongly believe that growers who don’t take advantage of the free CANEGROWERS Business Essentials workshops and webinars are missing out. These sessions may push growers outside their comfort zones, but that’s all the more reason to get involved. Visit the CANEGROWERS website to see what’s available.

While some cane growers may not realise it, they are the envy of other agricultural industries. With a simple phone call, they can often access expert advice from SRA or Productivity Services.

Finally, in my view, the most underappreciated but critical skills are the soft skills needed to bring everything together.

This includes developing strong business relationships, negotiation, and effective people management. It’s about the culture and attitude that underpin a successful business.

While this kind of “touchy-feely” stuff is often dismissed, my experience tells me that businesses that get it right achieve better outcomes and stronger partnerships.

Cane growers also operate within a complex regulatory environment—Reef regulations, chemical handling, heavy vehicle laws, workplace health and safety, taxation, and more. As the saying goes, “ignorance of the law is no excuse.” Fortunately, there is no shortage of information or support to help growers meet their obligations.

CANEGROWERS, for instance, provides a wide range of

To support this area, Business Essentials is offering a People Management webinar, and I encourage all growers to register via the CANEGROWERS website.

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MAY 2025 – VOLUME47/NUMBER 5

2025 MEMBER SURVEY IS CLOSED AND THE DATA IS BEING CRUNCHED Membership Engagement & Innovation

BY MATT KEALLEY The CANEGROWERS 2025 member survey closed at the end of March, and I’m pleased to say we had a 14.6% response rate from our members.

The data is now being analysed, and further insight will be provided at the QCGO Policy Council in July.

Preliminary findings and statistics from the 2025 survey: The survey took on average 17 minutes to complete.

Mill viability was the number one issue in 2025 compared

to sugar pricing in 2021.

The Mackay district had more responses compared

to the 2021 survey and was the standout compared to other districts.

The survey had a good coss-section of responses across

the age and production demographics and there were more responses from the younger grower (18-30) and established career (45-60) category compared with the 2021 survey.

Thank you to those who participated. If you nominated to be in the prize draw, this will be undertaken at the end of April 2025, and winners will be notified in May. Young growers trip I attended the CANEGROWERS Herbert River young growers professional development trip to Cairns on 24 & 25 March 2025. The event was coordinated by CANEGROWERS Herbert River and included younger growers from Herbert River, Burdekin, Rocky Point, Tablelands and Cairns region.

The trip started at Ingham and visited Chris Condon’s farm in Tully to see the John Deere dual row sugarcane harvester and then onto Jamie Dore’s farm to discuss the use of technology, data and equipment in their business. The second day included visits to SRA Meringa Sugar Experiment Station in Gordonvale to learn about variety breeding and to the Cairns fishing business Little Tuna.

There was plenty of networking with evening events and guest speakers including Kate Lamason from Little Tuna discussing

their family business, Barry Salter from SRA discussing farming practices and answering questions on nutrition and James Formosa from QSL who talked about sustainability, market access and ESG drivers from the sugar buyers.

All in all an interesting trip and a great opportunity for the younger growers from other districts to connect and learn.

Sugar Cubed conference I am looking forward to sugar Cubed 2025 in Brisbane.

A tremendous amount of planning, time and effort has gone into creating the 2025 Sugar Cubed conference. From finding venues, identifying speakers and organising the field trips, the event has come together and is shaping up to be a fantastic few days.

From my perspective, I am looking forward to these parts of the conference: SRA Laboratories: Having seen the new facilities, I am

hoping our growers come away with the enthusiasm that our SRA colleagues have for the Innovative Research & Industry Services (IRIS) Laboratories at Acacia Ridge.

My highlight is the tissue culture and potential coming from our knowledge of the newly mapped sugarcane DNA. Cotton Farming at the Brimblecombe family’s Forest

Hill farm: I’m looking forward to learning about the practices and technology used by fifth-generation farmer Mitch Brimblecombe and how that translates to sugarcane. I’m also hoping that a couple of our younger growers can get a moment with Mitch to chat about farming and how they manage the expectations of the agriculture and family in 2025 Australia.

Conference session: What do the generations think? –

The speakers in this session are a mix of growers and representatives who will provide their unique perspective on the industry and where its headed. I’m anticipating a diverse range of stories and perspectives and an lively panel session that gets to the heart of where we the opportunities are for our present and future generations of sugarcane growers.

44

the official magazine of australia's sugarcane industry

HARVESTING CONTRACTS CANEGROWERS Legal Advisor

BY CHRIS COOPER This article examines some the important issues in harvesting contracts and provides a check list of issues to consider.

In accordance with Cane Supply Agreements (CSA) growers have obligations and a necessity to harvest their cane and deliver it to the delivery point. Growers might carry out harvesting themselves or engage a contractor.

Check list Whether the engagement of a harvesting contractor is simply a verbal arrangement or a written agreement, the following are some of the important issues that should be discussed and agreed and ideally provided for in a cane harvesting contract: i.

The full name, address, ABN and contact details of the grower and contractor.

Written or oral agreement

ii.

The seasons the agreement covers.

Whenever a grower engages a harvest contractor there is a contract or agreement entered into. It might be as simple as an oral or handshake agreement or the terms of the engagement might be outlined in a written agreement.

iii.

The contract rate that is charged which might be a rate per tonne harvested, or rate per hectare, or rate per hour or a combination of these or some other agreed method. The most common form of charge seems to be a rate per tonne harvested with or without fuel supplied.

iv.

The terms of payment including whether the contractor is paid directly by the mill from grower cane payments or paid progressively by the grower.

v.

A review mechanism for periodic review of the contract rate, usually before the start of each season.

vi.

Whether additional costs are charged such as fuel or wet weather equipment.

CANEGROWERS recommends that growers and harvest contractors document in writing the harvesting agreement they make. Whilst oral agreements are binding and legally enforceable, there is considerably more scope for dispute and disagreement if there is not a written record of what the agreement is. A written agreement can clearly set out the expectations of the grower and the contractor and hopefully reduce the amount of uncertainty around what the obligations and responsibilities are on the grower and the contractor.

A fair, balanced, written harvesting contract can assist in identifying the expectations of both grower and contractor and hopefully lead to a better harvesting outcome.

The practical reality appears to be that in many cases a written agreement is not used.

However, with reducing numbers of contract harvesters being available, the use of written contracts might help in providing a level of certainty and security for contractors to continue to make their essential services available.

CANEGROWERS does make available through local district offices a basic harvesting contract template for consideration. Also, the industry has invested recently in developing tools to help the harvesting sector operate efficiently and effectively. Programs like Harvest Mate by SRA are worth exploring by growers and their contractors.

vii. The delivery points where delivery is to be effected. viii. A description of the equipment to be used by the contractor. ix.

Obligations on the contractor to maintain appropriate insurance for employees, and public and contractor’s liability.

x.

Standard of performance expected.

xi.

Acknowledgement and warranty that the contractor has all the necessary skill, experience, qualifications and equipment to provide the contracting services in a safe, proper and efficient manner.

xii. Acknowledgement and warranty that the contractor will comply with all laws relating to the contracting services including vehicle operation, overloading and fatigue management, Work Health and Safety, Workers

45

MAY 2025 – VOLUME47/NUMBER 5

Compensation and National Heavy Vehicle rules and chain of responsibility obligations. xiii. Acknowledgement and warranty that the contractor will comply with the cane supply agreement requirements regarding harvesting and delivery, including grouping, allotment and rotation arrangements. xiv. Obligations on the grower to provide reasonable farm layout and paddock conditions including sufficient headlands for harvesting. xv. Provision for who is to be responsible for any penalties imposed for dirty cane, extraneous matter, damage to bins and other similar expenses or deductions.

xxii. Acknowledgement by the contractor that the contractor has made all necessary enquiries and inspections and taken reasonable steps to ensure that there are no hazards or other impediments to performing the services and has received whatever induction information the contractor requires. xxiii. A process for local and simple dispute resolution to help resolve disputes about performance complaints, payment complaints or other disputes arising during the course of the contract. xxiv. Sequencing and rostering arrangements. xxv. Any further or other special conditions.

xvi. Restrictions on the spread of weeds and the need for sterilisation of equipment. xvii. Cleaning of siding responsibility. xviii. Any cane burning arrangements. xix. Overloading of bins and trucks. xx. Obligations to comply with Sugar Industry Codes of Practice. xxi. Termination provisions including provision for breach of contract.

This article contains general advice only. The particular facts and circumstances of each case always need to be taken into account.

The comments in this article are general in nature.

For further free advice and information about this topic or other legal matters, members should contact their local CANEGROWERS office or please contact CANEGROWERS Legal Adviser, Chris Cooper on Free Call 1800 177 159.

46

CLASSIFIEDS FIRST 5 LINES FREE* FOR CANEGROWERS MEMBERS! Book online 24/7 at www.canegrowers.com au

or email us at ads@canegrowers.com.au Next deadline is 21 May 2025 MOSSMAN—TULLY Machinery and water allocation for sale – water allocation permanent sale, different parcels available. Krone Fortima V1500MC2 round baler, Bale King 5100 bale buster, Agrolead Lina Twin 4m double disc seeder with fert. box. All machinery as new with very little use. Price negotiable on all items. Ph: Robert pictures and pricing 0407 330 493.

28 x 28 Hodge off-set $12,000 + GST, 7 tyne Hodge ripper $4,000 + GST. Ph: 0419 988 158 or 0417 720 764.

Suzuki JR80 suit new buyer $1,800 GST incl. Ph: Garry 0412 797 006.

4 x 380/90R46 tyres and rims to suit JD self propelled sprayer. Mulgrave area.

Ph: 0407 160 673.

2009 Kubota M125X tractor good condition 4,294 hrs, air conditioned cab 16 speed – $44,000 + GST; centre buster heavy duty Gessner 30" coulters and legs adjustable crumbler rollers and adjustable row width –$10,000 + GST; fuel tank on trailer approx 2,400L has unfitted new electric pump – $1,900 + GST; Bonel bag lifter good condition $2,000 + GST. Ph: 0407 554 146 or 0438 554 146.

Olympic 20.8.42 65% $300 + GST; front end loader with 4 in 1 bucket, blasted and 2pac painted, resembling required $2500 + GST. Ph: 0437 434 280.

John Deere CH570, 9,157 hrs, walking gear, 1 season 33,500t. Tidy machine.

Ph: Frank 0417 720 764.

USED MACHINERY FOR SALE Secondhand 2021 John Deere ch570 track harvester – 4,500hrs Secondhand Case 2090 2wd tractor All machines located in Ingham.

New 5 wheel finger rakes available New 16.9 r30 tyres available Contact us via phone or email for further information.

SNG MACHINERY SALES 90 Origlasso St, Ingham 07 4776 6003 (PARTS) 07 4776 1066 (SALES) admin@sngmachinerysales.com www.sngromano.net.au

* As a FREE service to CANEGROWERS members, Australian Canegrower will print suitable classified advertisements UP TO 5 LINES FREE, FOR ONE ISSUE ONLY. A charge of $5. 50 will apply for each extra line or part thereof. A charge will apply for advertising of non-cane growing activities. Advertisements must relate exclusively to cane farming activities, such as farm machinery, etc. Advertisements from non-members are charged at $11 per line incl GST. Only prepaid ads will be accepted.

1997 Cameco 2500 harvester (used for billet planting) $75,000; HBM billet planter $15,000; single 2t tipper and double 2t tipper $8,000; John Deere 7200 (7,500 hrs) $45,000. Ph: 0448 814 655 or email gangemifarm@gmail.com for info.

1984 Toft 6000 plant cutter, 8,000 hrs. Rubberised rollers, elevator extension for 1.8m rows, swinging knife chop system. Good overall condition for its age, $12,000 + GST. Ph: 0419 021 012.

International Acco truck 1970 model.

Ph: 0427 327 977.

8 x 1" RH pusher spring tines, 8 x 1" LH pusher tines and 8 x 1" upright tines. New price $140 each, selling $40 clamps, selling clamps $15.

Ph: 0427 563 056.

2001 Isuzu service truck FRR Series, diesel, 3 seater with welder, hydraulic hose maker, compressor, numerous compartments fully lockable $50k + GST. 12m V-blade $10k + GST.RES Dolly trailer $20k + GST. 44 plate (28" plate) and 24 plate (32" plate) Baldan offset disc ploughs, 10L Bunded fuel tank $10k + GST. Ph: 0409 580 586.

Kubota Zero Turn ZG 222 with catcher 48" cut. Fiat 980 2WD –3,500 hrs, Fiat 1000 2WD – 5,000 hrs, John Deere 4040 2WD – 3,600 hrs, Chamberlain JD 4080 2 WD – 5,000 hrs, Case 2590 2WD – 5,700 hrs. Silvan Euro Spand CX2 spreader, portable bulk bin, Bunning Lowlander Mk 40-60 ag spreader (near new), complete tracks to suit cane harvester, and fuel trailer tank. Mulgrave area.

Ph: 0407 160 673.

JD 3140 needs attention. Ph: 0437 669 247 and leave a message.

Case/Stiger 9250 and 1200 Obryan ejector bucket.

With cushion hitch. 6,366 hrs. Fitted with T3rra Cutta, I-Grade , Panasonic Tough Book 726 hrs and JD 3000 SF1 cab receiver, no auto steer. Also have T3rra design software to transfer to your computer.

Does not come with bucket receiver or in cab John Deere screen. Have an assortment of spare parts for bucket and tractor. All in working order ready to work. Selling as is where is. Ph: 0428 682 886.

Austoft 92 wheeley, rubber rollers, 3 blade chop, leg basecutter, used as plantcutter, hard to fault.

Fiat 115/90 2wd. New Holland M135 4wd, new motor. JD3520 full track, GPS. Eco Grande 28 plate offsets, near new. Ph: Gordon 0429 941 218.

2012 John Deere 7200R tractor PTO, 3PL with quick hitch, 4 sets of remotes, front weights, front tyres 540/65R34, rear tyres 650/85R38, 4,510 hrs. In good condition. $150,000 + GST Ph: 0427 976 416.

2015 Massey Ferguson tractor 7624 Dyna 6240hp, front suspension, GPS fitted, 3,031 hrs, two-way radio, serviced regularly, tyres excellent – $130,000. Ph: 0427 525 173.

Howard Rota Vator HR51 Rota. Ph: 0457 255 961.

Tractor IH766, 18-4-34 tyres, 95% thread, cast-iron rims $3,500 + GST. Howard rotary hoe, 90" – $1,500 + GST. Howard slasher, 6ft, new gear box & PDO shafts – $2,500 + GST. Aluminium hog hopper, never used – $750 + GST. Pig traps – $75 + GST each. Ph: Garry 0412 797 006.

Terranova rotary hoe 120" Bonel 4 disc plough square. Mulgrave area. Ph: 4056 1474.

Maschio G350 rotary hoe. Needs rebuild and new blades. $500. Ph: 0439 965 921.

One pair 21L-24 Armour earth moving/quarry tyres, currently on a backhoe. Good condition. $700 each tyre plus GST. Ph: 0419 150 350.

Main eng. double disc zero/min till. Hydraulic drive planter ser. no MEBPO21. 1,000L Cropland tank. P.O.A. 411R Fiat break pusher with water tank $3,000 plus GST. Ph: 0419 988 158 or 0417 720 764.

2 x 440/65 R24 tractor tyres $1,100 incl. GST each. 2 x 540/65 R34 tractor tyres $2,100 incl.

GST each. All four types as new only done 500 hrs.

Ph: 0427 665 759.

Hino FS. 2003, 6 x 4 tipper truck, 18 speed road ranger, 4.7m body, swing tailgate, pull over cover, ring feeder and some parts to go with sale. Very good condition. $70,000 + GST. Ph: 0437 434 280.

New cane stool splitter discs 30" x 10mm boron steel, $200. Ph: 0427 044 443.

2020 Case 8810 fulltrack cane harvester.

Purchased 2021, cut 3 seasons. In good condition with plenty of spares. Ready to cut. Tully.

Ph: 0407 160 758.

Set of half tracks to suit John Deere 3520 cane harvester. Ph: Ferdinand 0421 043 609.

Expressions of interest for shares. Email: rigato.office@bigpond.com with offer or any questions.

36 plate case 770 offsets, 30" discs $40,000 and HBM plant cutter with topper $4,400. 7ft slasher with Howard box – all refurbished – $10,000 incl.

GST ONO. Ph: Gavin 0448 345 139.

Massey 4608 excellent condition 2,000 hrs.

Ph: 0418 972 705.

3t fertiliser stool splitter stainless steel box 1.5– 1.8m spacing $25,000 (+GST). Ph: 0429 912 135.

2006 Case IH JX109OU in good condition. Always serviced – 6,800 hrs $24,200 (incl. GST). Tully area. Ph: 0427 665 759.

Tractor TE20 good condition $3,300 GST inclusive.

Tractor AV International 130 with fertiliser equipment and scarifier $3,300 GST inclusive.

Tractor AV International 140 with spray equipment $3,500 GST inclusive. Ph: 0428 183 307.

47 Howard CH 2000 rotary hoe 4.2m wide, hyd 5 tyne ripper hillers new blades. $45,000 plus GST. Ph: 0429 912 135.

2016 John Deere R4023 self propelled sprayer 1,500 hrs, 2,200L tank, 85ft boom, GPS ready. $235,000 plus GST. Ph: 0429 912 135.

10 blade Faggy chopper box for 3510/3520. $3,500 + GST. Ph: 0437 434 280.

Power harrow / airator for soil – fits on a rotary hoe $900. 2 old fertiliser box implements – each $300. 186 Ross Road Deeral. Ph: 0412 968 434.

Valley centre pivot 8 span all running gear tyres and rims $1,000 gearboxes $750, electrical motors & gear boxes $1,000 each ONO. 2x torsion axles v-shape 2,200kg each $500 ONO. Ph: John 0418 198 177.

6 cyl. Perkins turbo-charged motor, mounted on trailer to Kelly & Lewis water pump $5,500; 6t Newton bulk fertiliser bin $2,500. Ph: after 7pm or txt 0402 686 714 / 0407 144 637.

2012 Case 8800 fulltrack cane harvester fitted with Trimble GPS and new walking gear. All in good condition. Mulgrave area. Ph: 0407 160 673.

1980 Ford 7710, 4WD, 4 cyl, canopy, 5,323 hrs, $21,000. 1960 Inter tractor 574, 2WD, 4 cyl, canopy, $9,500. 1960 Inter tractor 574, 2WD, 4 cyl, canopy, 4,891 hrs, $7,950. 1975 Cat D3 dozer, angle tilt blade, 4 cyl, hyd tow hitch, root rake blade, 4,836 hrs, $51,900. 2010 Kubota ME9000, 4WD, cab with trimble with GFX-750 GPS, 5,031 hrs, total for both $47,900. 2018 Kubota, 4WD, M7040, 4 cyl, canopy, 482 hrs, $46,900. Ph: Mark 0427 017 717.

1968 International Farmall 756, 2WD, tricycle, 6 cyl, 5,560 hrs, $5,950. 1993 140" Howard rotary hoe, crumble roller, serial 060301095, $24,500. 2006 Case iH 7700 full track harvester, Iveco 10.3L, 6 cyl motor, 2,912 hrs, $156,000. 1976 rear feed whole stick planter, s/s fertiliser boxes and chutes, 2 x 200L spray tanks with 4 sprays, hydraulic ram trailer hitch, $4,250. 1990 8-ton bulk fertiliser bin, 3 easy chute doors, 4 stands for storage, $5,150.

Ph: Romy 0467 198 700.

Fertiliser bin M.S.W, double row, 4t stainless bin, with double compartment and 4 cutters $25,000 (incl. GST). Ph: 0400 729 457.

Heavy duty two tines (legs) to suit rotary hoe $1,000 incl. GST. Ph: 0438 988 858.

2022 Case 9900 cane harvester. Ph: Craig 0436 332 044.

Liquid fertiliser applicator croplands rate controler, adjustable centres and new pump. Ph: Craig 0436 332 044.

HERBERT RIVER – BURDEKIN 2 x International 766, 1 at 10ft spacing, 1 standard, spare rear end for parts. Both run.

Ph: 0437 346 341.

2 x 2015 JCB 3230 with 14t Corradini bins, 1 x 2017 JCB with 16t smart hauler, 1 x 2017 CH570 John Deere harvester. Ph: 0439 766 800.

4 sets of 3 disc each off a returning disc. Ideal for making mount. POA. Ph: 0408 889 446.

Pair multiplyers with hydraulics suit JD3510 or JD3510 fulltrack harvester in gc, 3 row multiweeder $350 + GST, Dongough planter $1200 + GST, 80" Dondi rotary hoe $1200 + GST, 2 row Eureka ½ ton fert box with 1 ¼ tynes S/S worm $1200 + GST, International BT D6 crawler and breakpusher, 1 pair 8 blade chopper drums for JD3510 or JD3510, 1 pair 10 blade chopper drums for JD3510 or JD3510 – 1 season old.

Ph: 0428 879 341.

Toft 5000 harvester, rubber rollers, new tyres and hoods, in good condition, great plant cutter, $20,000 + GST. 3 ton side tipper for planting, $3,000 + GST. Ph: 0439 890 948.

2020 Case IH Austoft 8010 cane harvester, machine hours 8,250 and elevator hours 4,680, Scraper and Gripster tyres. All case modifications complete. All drive components current.

Ph: 0428 635 922.

New Holland T6030 tractor 1,750 hrs. Near new tyres VGC $57,000 + GST. Ph: 0407 154 250.

Rainfall Repor t

Brought to you by

RECORDED RAINFALL (mm) Month prior (Mar 2024)

LOCATION

Month to date (1 Apr–29 Apr)

Year to date 2024

Year to date 2025

Whyanbeel Valley (Mossman)

878.4

158.4

2159.6

1766.2

Mareeba Airport

236.4

63.8

972.2

779.8

Cairns Aero

552.4

72

1555.8

1647.8

Mt Sophia

1002

169

1925

3219

Babinda Post Office

46.7

0

2981.7

0

Innisfail

894.4

189.2

2340.8

3010

Tully Sugar Mill

846.5

248.4

2931.9

3241.8

Cardwell Marine Pde

1668

0

1469

0

Lucinda Township

0

0

1536.8

0

Ingham Composite

1289.4

0

1954

0

Abergowrie Alert

303

9

1161

821

Townsville Aero

1004.6

107.8

650.6

2458.6

Ayr DPI Research Stn

190.2

58.2

584

1369.8

Proserpine Airport

410

42.2

546.6

1220.4

Mirani Mary Street

467.6

100

742.5

1311.4

Mackay MO

239.6

55.8

705.2

1271.4

Plane Creek Sugar Mill

206.4

0

883.3

0

Bundaberg Aero

262.8

69.6

311.2

574

Childers South

305.2

47.8

421.8

563.8

Maryborough

198.6

68.4

557

466

Tewantin RSL Park

478.2

215.6

1212.6

1002.4

Eumundi – Crescent Rd

552.4

83.4

1016.4

896.2

Nambour DPI – Hillside

828.6

383

963.7

1561.2

Logan City Water Treatment Plant

107.9

78.3

628.9

342.9

Murwillumbah Bray Park

151

295.4

864.4

820.5

Ballina Airport

420.1

240.8

623.8

888.9

New Italy (Woodburn)

0

0

472.3

0

Zero indicates either no rain or no report was sent. These rainfall figures are subject to verification and may be updated later.

Weather forecasts, radar and satellite images and other information for the farming community can be accessed on www.bom.gov.au.

Weather report sourced from the Bureau of Meteorology Recent Rainfall Tables.

48

CLASSIFIEDS

1980 Ford TW20 tractor, 3,500 hrs maximum, recently painted, good condition, make an offer.

Ph: Laurence 0419 666 544.

Tyres on rims, Deere – new 2x front – 380 70/R20, 2x rear – 480 70/R28. Ph: Scott 0401 245 581 or ellrotts@hotmail.com.

3-point Linkage International plough, 4 furrows, 1 drag plough – 3 furrows, self lift, make an offer.

Ph: 0438 743 685.

2006 John Deere 7420 135HP 4WD tractor, 4,813 hrs, IVT, triple link suspension, hydraulics and wiring for ag leader Versa/Paradyme. All tyres replaced after 4,000 hrs. $60,000 plus GST. Ph: 0429 629 337.

Southern cross TCE3000 travelling irrigator.

Herbert River. Ph: 0408 889 446.

28 plate Napier offset discs, working condition, $5,000. Ph: 0448 842 792.

BT D6 dozer, high lift, angle and tilt blade, five roller, 14" tracks, make an offer. Ph: 0438 743 685.

Moore Scoopy LD3 4 wheel drive, fair condition, make an offer. Ph: Reno on 4777 6148 after 6pm.

4t Newton tipper hooked to 4280 Chamberlain tractor. Will separate if required. Ideal for billet planting. Ph: 0416 174 014.

2017 Isuzu dmax dual cab with alloy tray, 67,400km, new tyres, rwc, one owner in VGC $43,000 ONO. Ph: 0438 821 683.

1990 Toft all rounder plant cutter plus assorted spare parts. $35,000 + GST. Ph: 0407 164 884.

Kinchant dam water allocation. Give away.

Ph: 0448 055 047.

AutoFarm A5 GPS unit $5,000 + GST. Ph: 0417 158 656 for more details.

3 x 26" McLeod stool splitter assemblies with fertiliser and confidor tubes. Ph: 0427 593 848.

Case Maxxum 140HP tractor with front end loader with 4-in-1 bucket and forks/jib. Near new condition 168 hrs. $140,000 ONO incl. GST. Howard 7ft slasher, good condition $11,000 incl.

GST. Ph: 0418 770 218.

Case Magnum 315 2012 dual tyres front and rear with weight pack, Trimble GPS, UHF and quick hitch $210,000+. Howard rotary hoe CH 2000 4.7m with crumble roller $40,000+. Ph: Gavin 0408 782 419.

Schneider Star Delta starter $1,900 ONO. Ph: 0447 733 366.

LD3 Moore Scoop 4WD in fair condition, runs good, brakes need help. Ph: after 6.30pm 07 4777 6148.

Massey Ferguson 8110 4-wheel drive with cab, 135hp, only 2,636 hrs in good condition. $55,000 incl GST. Celli Tiger spike hoe, 2.5m wide with hydraulic crumble roller and oil cooler. VGC. Don Mizzi 741 model on Fiat 750 special turbo plus MF102 half-tracks to suit. 12t self-propelled 6x6 elev infielder. VGC. 6t side tipper on Leyland tandem. GC. Mackay. Ph: 0438 606 578.

MACKAY-PROSERPINE Brand new off rim, 2x Firestone 600/65R38; 2x Firestone 480/65R28. $9,900 the set, can separate.

Ph: 0409 277 783.

Kinchant dam water allocation to give away.

Mackay. Ph: 07 4959 1075.

Idrofoglia hard hose irrigator model 125G340, serial no. 8167 $33,000 (incl. GST). 4t Newton side tipper $3,500 (incl. GST) 3m Niemeyer nr 1411 power harrows $5,600 (plus GST) Ph: 0437 184 822.

2 of 6 ton Ruffalo side tippers with a partition to suit 5 ton bins. Ph: 0438 541 062.

Massey Ferguson 2640 2WD, air cab, 4,600 hrs, good condition, surplus to needs.

Ph: 0438 545 251.

Elevator extrension conveyer belt 600mm $1,000.

Lely spike power marrow 3m wide $3,000. 90" hr Howard rotary hoe and wheels $10,000. Hodge 6" dual chain front for billet bin $4,000. Fiat 540 high clearance tractor and spray tank $15,000.

Ph: 0428 115 456.

96 Cameco full track harvester good condition $55,000 + GST. Mackay area. Ph: 0428 654 350.

L & L Wilkinson Haulage Pty Ltd widening drop deck and A trailer. Transporting cane harvester.

Farm machinery. Farm implements. Pilot. Ph: Lee Wilkinson 0427 474 064.

2 x planting 2.5t tipper bins $3,000 each ONO. Ph: 0437 649 296.

6 rear wheel weights for New Holland TM155.

Ph: Keith on 0448 057 574 or Brock Shailer on 0439 113 511.

2 tractor tyres 18-4-38, 75% rubber – $600 each.

1 plant cane or return grubber 14 tine – $1,200. A hodge plant cutter and two fan blower – $1,000. 1 Yedder 6 wheel on 3-point linkage frame for plant cane – $1,800. Ph: 0448 605 722.

2 x New Trelleborg TM800 high speed 480/65R24 tyres. Ph: 0458 121 546.

Hodge side dresser fertiliser box – with 4 front fertilizer coulters, 2 centre rippers with crumble rollers and centre drawbar at rear. Also can be used as a soil buster. Dimensions 1.7m to 2.05m. GC. In the Mackay area. $9,000 + GST. Ph: 0408 874 974 or 0418 874 974.

John Deere 6520se FWD 5,100 hrs, new AC power quad. Tyres 70% presents as a very clean and tidy tractor price $60,000 incl GST neg. VGC. Ph: 0438 424 538.

Various farm implements: Hodge 4-furrow reversible plough. 3 row McLeod multi weeder rake. Two tyres and rims to suit Fiat 1000 and 1300. Agri/Master; CB538 size 24.5/32R/1 12 ply.

Ph: 0417 612 883.

BUNDABERG-ROCKY POINT Massey Ferguson anniversary 105 harvester $7,700 (incl. GST); trash incorporator $7,700 (incl.

GST); 3-point linkage offset 16 plate $2,300 (incl.

GST). Ph: 0419 577 110.

New Angus 4" irrigation hose. Still in box. $4,500 incl. GST. Ph: 0427 752 042.

2 bin rams for a 4t HBM tipper bin $600.

2 HBM tipper tyres 23.1 x 26 on rims $800.

7 tyne Yoemans with crumble roller $6,500.

Ph: 0403 064 708.

Bonel 1t thrash fertilizer applicator coulter and rippers, scallop discs, crumble rollers, poly bin and stainless steel worms. 3" Avokah irrigator with 3.5" Angus hose. 90" Howard HR40 rotary hoe and crumble roller. Bonel 5 leg ripper with 65mm solid rear bar with 4 at 1.25 coil tynes. Bonel thrash extractor twin fan with topper, blue and yellow colour model. Don Gough thrash whole stick planter and cane cutter and loader. MF 399 4wd cab tractor – 3,119 hrs. 3.5t Tandem plant trailer with 6ply 15" tyres, electric brakes and ramps at rear, VGC. Bonel 1t fert. bin , wheel driven with 10 at 1.25" coil tynes. Ph: 0448 845 296.

Case SR200 a/c cab skid steer – 2,071 hrs with Norm 4 in one bucket and extra attachments. CAT 303.5E.CR a/c cab excavator – 2,900 hrs with 4 buckets. Ph: 0448 845 296.

John Deere shredder topper. Ph: 0427 039 051.

Hi lift double 6t side tipper on 23.1-26 tyres. Load sharing hitch coupled to 7485 MF tractor with Dyna VT transmission. Ph: 0413 698 922.

Volvo BM 4400 front end loader. Good brakes and hand brake 14,000 hrs works well + spares, $38,500. Assorted excavator buckets and rollers suit machines with 90mm pins, prices by negotiation. Toft J150 whole stick harvester modified to load onto planter trailers, $5500. Bonel trash stripper fan always shedded good condition, $660. Don whole stick trash planter has fert. boxes, water tanks (may need some repair) and suscon applicator, no trailers, $1,100. Croplands 1,100L tank and frame – no pump or boom, $4,400. 2 Farmall AMD tractors tin work is no good engines have been open to rain have 1 good engine to go with or separately. Best offers. International B 414 engine open to rain. Best offers. Prices include GST. Ph: 0427 769 086.

4 wheel side winder trash rake good condition. $550. Ph: 0413 584 728.

One complete set of front and rear rims to suit John Deere 7810 tractor rear rim, size 23.1 34. $1,500 for the pair plus GST and front rim size 16.9 26, $1,000 for the pair plus GST. Genuine Toyota tray to suit 75 series Toyota Landcruiser ute, $3,000 plus GST. Ph: 0427 577 256.

Canetec BP2500 billet planter single row. New and ready for delivery. Built by Canetec in Bundaberg. $90K. Ph: 0422 669 695.

Spring tynes 1 ¼ ins by 1 ¼ ins suit fert. box – set of six. $250. Ph: 0413 584 728.

49 Wrecking MF 305 cane harvester, with spares. Price negotiable. Ph: Ron 0427 366 307 or Dean 0408 062 830.

Don Gough whole stick cane planter $550 (incl.

GST). Ph: 0413 584 728.

Ford 5000 with blade $12,000 incl. GST. Bonel 2t belt spreader $5,500 incl. GST. Trash incorporator $6,600 incl. GST. 3-point linkage offset 16 plate $1,800 incl. GST. David Brown 990 with loader $9,900 incl. GST. Ph: 0419 577 110.

Plant cane cultivator 2 x 1.6m row w/ 3 weeder rakes and tines, $1,320 incl. GST. 2x1.6m row cultivator w/ 10 x 30ml tines, $1,320 incl. GST. 4 wheel trash rake, $1,110 incl. GST. Ph: 0408 761 463.

Rotary hoe 90 degree blades to suit Maschio G series rotary hoe. Brand new. These normally sell at $20 each new but are for sale at $6 each. There are currently 72 left hand and 72 right hand blades available. Ph: 0402 993 500.

Ford 6600 tractor $6,000. Ph: 0403 064 708.

Massey Ferguson anniversary 105 harvester $7,700 (incl. GST). Trash incorporator $7,700 (incl.

GST). Bonel 3-row cutaway $6,600 (incl. GST).

3-point linkage offset 16 plate $2,300 (incl. GST).

Ph: 0419 577 110.

2 row scarifier to fill plant cane. Mossman / Mulgrave / Babinda area. Ph: 0447 562 373.

All panels for Fiat 780. Mackay / Sarina area.

Ph: 0438 421 217.

Cane trash extractor. Bundaberg district.

Ph: 0412 634 005.

1x Ford 6600 or Ford 7600 two-wheel drive tractor.

Ph: 0439 591 455.

10t cane tipper bins to fit a tandem axle truck Ph: 0427 507 019.

6 FT 3-point linkage grader blade in reasonable condition. Bundaberg. Ph: 0478 228 375.

Looking for a good condition diesel irrigation set up to run travelling irrigator. Ph: 0428 368 923.

Tractor with FEL 100-140 HP up to $50k. NQLD area. Ph: Peter 0427 760 449.

TT75 New Holland front 4x4 axil parts – planetary etc. Ph: 0439 375 301.

PROPERTY – FOR SALE

Kubota RTV side by side. Ph: 0407 761 364.

2 x brake drums for front of Volvo F12–10 stud in reasonable condition. Ph: 0408 733 793.

Wanted to buy a Patroni style hydraulic three point hitch. Ph: 0427 541 346.

Looking for a good running condition dual row billet planter to be shipped to Mauritius.

Please contact via mail if any available: dpaul@lamoisson.mu or ring Mauritius – (0011) 230 5984 4007.

T450 Trailco irrigator. Ph: 0419 503 293.

2 tractor tyres 13.6-38/12-38. Tully.

Ph: 0437 681 397.

Permanent water allocation transfer Kolan River Medium Priority AA 600 ML. Smaller parcels available on request. $3650 per ml. Ph: Matthew at Colliers 0418 790 042.

Cane farm Halifax total area 217 ha, CPA 126.4ha. 2 mins from Taylors Beach and 20 mins from Ingham CBD. Includes large machinery shed which has 3 phase power and water plus 2 smaller sheds. Price $1.62 million. For inspections contact Felix Reitano Real Estate on (07) 4776 5007 or felix@reitano.com.au.

288 acres 35 minutes south of Maryborough, 200 acres under cane. Permanent creek with underground mains 4 bedroom timber home, 12x9m shed with 3 phase power. Ph: 0407 398 852.

HBM billet planter. Ph: 0429 651 233.

PROPERTY WANTED

New Holland T6070 tractor, $185K neg Challenge FEL, quad remotes, excellent condition, 450 hrs.

Ph: Justin 0415 626 715.

2 off JD rims (flange type 16" x 42") with or without tyres. Size 480/80 R42 to suit JD7520 12 bolt 855PCD cast centre. Mareeba District.

Ph: 0407 963 040.

Cane farm to lease, Mackay to Carmila, young family wanting to expand. Ph: Lorraine 0427 474 065.

Brand new Howard AH4000/255 2.5m heavy duty rotary hoe w/wheels $38k incl GST. Rocky Point.

Ph: Greg 0421 277 126.

Rotary hoe 120" to 140", prefer Howard. Spray unit with Irvin boom or similar 600L plus. Maryborough area. Ph: Roger 0419 788 376.

Quinco side dresser fert. box, Bonel plant cutter, 5 row plant marker 1.8 ctrs. Ph: 0473 989 961.

NSW Bonel fertiliser unit recently replacedauger, freshly painted nothing to spend perfect working order.

Ph: 0448 120 067.

WANTED TO BUY Land plane/tow behind grader. Ph: Jason 0422 056 343.

Suscon applicator for planter. Prefer 12v driven but will look at others. Mackay. Ph: 0447 165 070.

3 row Rinaudo engineering stool splitter in any condition. Any region. Ph: 0455 277 499.

Billet planter setup (tractor and planter). Prefer as unit but will consider tractor and planter separately. Ph: Adam 0417 610 446.

Looking for a stool splitter fertilizer box, draw bar type preferably with a confidor tank in good condition. Ph: 0400 557 764.

240hp Komatsu motor, new or second hand in good order to suit 91 Toft 7700 harvester.

Ph: 0749 583 153.

Double or triple tipper bin for NSW planting season. Happy to transport from QLD for the right unit. Ph: Richard 0412 156 622 or mildon.park@bigpond.com.

Ferguson TE 20 with V8 Ford flattop engine, ½ tracks to suit Ferguson tractor, TE 20 Ferguson with reduction gearbox, Chrighton whole stick harvester with or without tractor. Mulgrave area.

Ph: 0427 565 511.

2.5t or similar tipper bins suitable for billet planter.

Mulgrave area. Ph: John 0427 563 318.

1996 to 2004 Toft/Case 7000, wheeled cane harvester. Ph: 0420 600 943.

Austoft/Case wheel harvester 1995 to 2006 model – any area. Ph: 0417 193 385.

Hi clearance spray tractor. Must be a trike and must have air con cab. Send photos and information to 0407 639 985.

4.5" Layflat hose in good condition. 200–250m.

Ph: 0419 952 119.

New Holland 8970 tractor suitable for wrecking.

Ph: 0419 710 280 or tctownley@bigpond.com.

Bundaberg cane grower looking for land to lease.

Ph: 0403 200 805.

Sugar cane, Marwood/Sunnyside. Looking to expand, 2025 and beyond. Ph: 0408 011 983.

Lease cane farm looking for lease land – Sarina, Mackay or west of Marian, open to any suggestions. Ph: Brian 0498 878 416.

Cane farm to lease. Will consider anywhere from Proserpine to Cairns. Minimum 5,000t. Ph: Lara 0438 990 122.

Wanting to purchase a land title – Mackay district. Council approval ready to go. Cash sale no finance needed. Ph: 0407 426 626.

Cane farm in Mackay or surrounding areas.

Ph: 0437 410 434.

Sugar cane farm in Proserpine or surrounding area. Require land only no house needed.

Ph: 0451 272 057.

Farm in Victoria Plains, Eton, Pleystowe area.

Ph: 0490 029 387.

Permanent purchase lower Mary River water allocations on Mary River, Tinana Creek and channel pipeline sections of the scheme.

Ph: 0427 930 696.

Time to replace your Speed Tiller Discs?

ASP stocks a range of Speed Tiller Discs for most popular makes, including: Amazone, Farmet, Horsch, John Deere, K-Line, Kuhn, Kwicktill, Lely, Maschio & Pottinger etc.

Huge Range of Quality Parts at Affordable Prices!

TM

Ph: 1800 253 229 www.asproducts.com.au Email: sales@asproducts.com.au