From the Chair

BY OWEN MENKENS, Chairman, CANEGROWERS

It’s AGM season, with CANEGROWERS Queensland, district companies, and various other industry bodies all holding their Annual General Meetings recently.

It’s a particularly busy time for me, as I try to attend as many of these AGMs as possible.

The season began in October with the National Farmers' Federation (NFF) AGM in Canberra – a valuable gathering of agricultural leaders from across Australia.

On 30 October, Queensland Sugar Limited held its AGM, followed closely by the CANEGROWERS Queensland AGM and Policy Council meeting in Townsville on 7 November.

This was the first regional AGM in many years and provided a great opportunity for growers and staff from Brisbane and across the state to come together.

The following week, I attended the Australian Cane Growers Council AGM. ACGC directors include CANEGROWERS Isis Chairman Mark Mammino, CANEGROWERS Innisfail Chairman Joe Marano, and NSW CANEGROWERS President Ross Farlow.

The ACGC meets several times a year to address issues affecting the industry nationally and internationally. It also represents members in the NFF and the World Association of Beet and Cane Growers.

I managed to attend AGMs at Rocky Point and Proserpine as well. These local meetings are invaluable for engaging with growers and hearing firsthand about the challenges districts are facing.

The CANEGROWERS network is unique, with strong local representation connecting to state and national leaders to influence future policy.

In November, I attended the Sugar Terminals Limited (STL) AGM, which raised serious concerns.

Upon arrival, I was surprised to see the entire front row reserved for STL’s lawyers, creating an atmosphere of unease.

The process for growers and industry representatives to access the meeting was excessively complex – something I have never encountered at previous STL AGMs.

The tension in the room was palpable, leaving many attendees uncomfortable. It is evident that the Chair and STL management have caused significant disharmony within the industry.

This situation is unsustainable, and if the Chair’s remuneration is rejected again*, he must seriously reconsider his position moving forward.

*At the time of print, one week after the STL AGM, results of the grower-director election and the remuneration report vote had still not been announced by STL.