Australian Canegrower - January 2025

change Growers champion Fuel for thought

Driving

WE’RE ON THE GROUND

We’re in Mossman to Maroochy River and everywhere between.

We take the latest industry research and make it relevant for your district and the way you farm.

Get in touch with your district facilitator and they’ll help you find expert advice and specialised training tailored to you.

Glenn, Proserpine

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Editor: Robyn Devine

Design & classifieds: Eleanor Fraser

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

Published monthly by: CANEGROWERS, GPO Box 1032, Brisbane, Queensland 4001 Australia. ABN 94 089 992 969 Telephone: 07 3864 6444 Email: editor@canegrowers.com.au Website: www.canegrowers.com.au

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NEWS BRIEFS

STRENGTHENING AUSTRALIA’S VOICE IN THE GLOBAL SUGAR INDUSTRY

CANEGROWERS Chair Owen Menkens and CEO Dan Galligan participated in a series of key international meetings in London in November, strengthening Australia’s voice in the global sugar industry.

The Chair delivered a country report on the Australian sugar industry and exchanged insights with representatives from 40 nations at the World Association of Beet and Cane Growers Consultation. At the International Sugar Organization’s 33rd Seminar the CEO presented Australian farmers perspectives on environmental challenges and global expectations.

NO MORE UNWANTED VISITORS!

CANEGROWERS continues to fight to remove sugarcane farm tracks from Google Maps – and it’s paying off in Rocky Point. These maps were leading unsuspecting travellers into farms, creating serious safety risks, especially during harvest.

Now, thanks to CANEGROWERS Legal Counsel Chris Cooper and CANEGROWERS

The Global Sugar Alliance celebrated its 25th anniversary, this alliance of nine countries advocates for free and fair global trade and CANEGROWERS remains a strong supporter of the alliance.

The Chair and CEO also held discussions with international counterparts, industry leaders, and officials from the Australian High Commission, Czarnikow, Tate & Lyle Sugars, Bonsucro and the National Farmers Union.

CYCLONE JASPER RECOVERY GRANTS EXTENDED

CANEGROWERS has welcomed the Queensland Government’s decision to extend disaster recovery grant applications for primary producers impacted by ex Tropical Cyclone Jasper.

This decision, which extends applications until 30 June 2025, will provide sugarcane growers and communities across far north Queensland with the time necessary to recover and rebuild following the cyclone’s widespread devastation.

CANEGROWERS encourages all eligible growers and businesses across far north Queensland to take advantage of the extended application period by visiting the Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority website at qrida.qld.gov.au 

Rocky Point growers can breathe a little easier knowing their farms are safer.

From wandering livestock disputes, to mill negotiations, government legislation, and industry codes of conduct, Chris Cooper is always in the corner for CANEGROWERS members, tackling the tough challenges to protect the industry.

Growers experiencing similar challenges with Google Maps should contact their local district office.

Pictured: Global Sugar Alliance delegates, including CANEGROWERS ’ Owen Menkens and Dan Galligan, visit the Tate & Lyle refinery in London.

GROWERS CHAMPION JOINS STL BOARD

CANEGROWERS has welcomed the election of industry stalwart Paul Schembri as growerdirector to the Sugar Terminals Limited (STL) board.

The result, announced more than two and a half weeks after STL’s Annual General Meeting due to a delay in finalising the voting process, marks a major moment for growers seeking stronger representation and accountability from STL.

CANEGROWERS Chair Owen Menkens congratulated Mr Schembri, describing his election as a strong endorsement of his leadership and advocacy for the sugarcane industry.

“Paul Schembri’s election is a win for growers and the industry as a whole,” Mr Menkens said.

“Paul’s decades of experience and dedication to growers’ interests make him an invaluable addition to the STL board. His presence signals a renewed focus on ensuring the voices of growers are not just heard but respected.”

Mr Schembri’s election comes amid continued frustration with STL’s leadership. This was demonstrated at the AGM, where shareholders rejected the board’s proposed remuneration report for the second consecutive year, triggering a motion to spill the board.

Although the spill motion was ultimately defeated, the result highlighted a deep dissatisfaction with STL’s direction under Chairman Mark Gray.

“This election is more than just a win for Paul – it’s a wake-up call for STL,” Mr Menkens said.

“Growers are clearly demanding a change in leadership style and decisionmaking. They want transparency, accountability, and a commitment to the industry’s long-term interests.”

Frustrations have been mounting since STL’s controversial 2023 decision to insource terminal operations, a move

criticised as unnecessary and lacking in adequate consultation.

“These terminals represent generations of growers’ hard work and investment,” Mr Menkens said. “Unilateral decisions that ignore grower input erode trust and unity.”

With Mr Schembri now on the board, growers are optimistic about the potential for change.

His leadership is expected to bring a focus on collaboration, accountability, and decisions that honour the legacy of the sugarcane industry while preparing it for a sustainable future.

DRIVING CHANGE

CANEGROWERS UNVEILS NEW TRANSPORT GUIDE

CANEGROWERS has launched the 2024 Sugarcane Transport Load Restraint Guide, an essential tool created in partnership with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR).

This industry-specific guide aims to enhance road transport safety and streamline compliance for sugarcane growers and transport operators.

The new resource addresses a long-standing need for updated and practical advice tailored to the sugarcane industry. It equips operators with the knowledge to ensure safer, more efficient transport practices.

CANEGROWERS Chair Owen Menkens praised the initiative, emphasising its role in improving safety and providing clear guidance for growers and contract harvesters navigating transport challenges.

“This guide not only helps growers understand their legal responsibilities but also promotes safe and efficient transport practices,” Mr Menkens said.

“It reflects CANEGROWERS ’ dedication to supporting growers in ways that often go unnoticed. As a grower-led organisation we’re committed to tackling both the day-to-day challenges faced by growers as well as the broader, industrywide issues.”

The guide focuses on key aspects of the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL), as well as load restraint methods and chain of responsibility obligations.

With the NHVR now overseeing the delivery of heavy vehicle regulatory activities in Queensland, the guide serves as a practical and accessible reference for all operators in the transport chain.

“Safety is the number one priority of the NHVR, and we are committed to continually working with industry to improve safety outcomes for all road users,” NHVR’s Northern Region Director Kelli Ready said.

“We support and congratulate CANEGROWERS on this important safety initiative, and we were pleased our dedicated team were able to assist.

“Our work with CANEGROWERS following the April transition of heavy vehicles regulatory services in Queensland is further

evidence of our commitment to working collaboratively with industry to improve safety and raise HVNL awareness.

“We value the relationships we have built in the past seven months, and we look forward to continuing to work with CANEGROWERS and other industry sectors across Queensland to improve safety and compliance,” said Ms Ready.

CANEGROWERS encourages all growers and cane transport operators to adopt the guide to improve safety practices and ensure compliance.

“By embracing the 2024 Sugarcane Transport Load Restraint Guide, we can collectively reduce risks and uphold the high standards that define our industry,” Mr Menkens added.

The guide was developed by CANEGROWERS with input from the Farm Input and Research Committee and approval from the Policy Council. It also includes expert input from NHVR representatives such as Peter Rouse (Manager of Standards and Advice), Timothy Brown (Senior Policy Advisor), and Jarrod Wilson (Operations Manager).

The guide can be found on the CANEGROWERS website or scan this QR code.

bit.ly/CaneTransport

VISIONARY SPEAKERS: Insights from leaders shaping the future

GAME-CHANGING PANELS: Tackling the industry’s biggest challenges

CUTTING-EDGE INNOVATION: The latest tech transforming agriculture

INTERACTIVE FIELD TRIPS: Practical experiences tailored to growers Don’t miss your opportunity to shape the future of sugarcane. Stick around for the ASSCT annual conference, following Sugar Cubed at the same venue.*

ELECTIONS 2025 WILL YOU STEP UP?

BY CHRIS COOPER CANEGROWERS Legal Advisor

BACKGROUND

1926-2000

Ever since the start of the sugar industry in Queensland around the 1860s, growers have been getting together and forming associations to represent and advance grower interests.

There were initially various bodies established in each district and around 1914-15 the United Cane Growers Association of Australia was formed on a voluntary basis.

It was not until 1926 that the formal structure of the Queensland Cane Growers Organisation was established by Government legalisation.

The statutory body, Queensland Cane Growers Organisation to which all growers were members, was comprised of the State Council known as Queensland Cane Growers Council and district bodies known as District Cane Growers Executives and local mill area Mill Suppliers Committees.

In conjunction with establishing by regulation the Queensland Cane Growers Organisation, the government also established various other primary producer representative bodies, including Pork, Fishing, Dairy and Fruit and Vegetable Grower Organisations.

CORPORATISATION – 2000

During 1999, the government passed legislation which led to the reform, finalisation and termination of the various statutory primary producer representative bodies and required them to be replaced with corporate entities by 2000.

CURRENT STRUCTURE

Since 2000, CANEGROWERS has been structured on a commercial basis. The CANEGROWERS organisation is made up of a number of corporate entities being the state body Queensland Cane Growers Organisation Ltd and approved and agreed local CANEGROWERS district entities. Each of the entities within the Organisation are separate corporate entities with their own constitutions, boards of directors, grower members, staff and assets.

The entities within the organisation are joined or related by a number legal and practical linkages and common constitution provisions. One of the linkages is that of dual membership. To be a member of the state body, a grower must also be a member of the relevant local body and to be a member of the local body a grower must also be a member of the state body.

CANE GROWER CONTROLLED AND DIRECTED – A BOTTOMS UP APPROACH

The organisation is cane grower controlled and directed. This structure ensures that:

ƒ Only cane growers can be members of the local body and the state body

ƒ Local growers elect fellow growers to be directors of the local entity

ƒ Each local entity then appoints some of the directors of the local entity to be councillors on the state body Policy Council to ensure that every district is represented on the Policy Council

ƒ The Policy Council determines organisation policy

ƒ The Policy Council Councillors elect from amongst the Policy Council, the Chair, Senior Vice and Vice Chair of the Policy Council who hold the same positions on the state board of directors

ƒ The Policy Council also elects, on a representative basis to ensure every region is represented, the remaining 5 persons from the Policy Council to make up the 8-person board of grower directors of the state body

To be a director of the state body, the person must be:

ƒ A cane grower

ƒ A grower director of the local entity

ƒ A member of the Policy Council

ORGANISATION OBJECTIVES –LOCAL AND STATE

The objectives of each of the local district entities include to:

ƒ advance the sugarcane industry and enhance the profitability and sustainability of sugarcane growing;

ƒ represent and advance the interests of its members; and

ƒ be part of a strong statewide organisation advancing the sugarcane industry and representing the interests of growers and members.

The objectives of the state body are similar but include in addition more comprehensive provisions to ensure that whole of industry issues are addressed. These include:

ƒ cane and sugar marketing issues

ƒ research and development

ƒ environmental matters

ƒ educational

ƒ legal services

ƒ industry advancement

ƒ profitability and sustainability of growers

GOVERNANCE ARRANGEMENTS

The state body and each local entity are incorporated bodies. Corporate constitutions are in place which provide for how the corporate entities operate. Grower directors receive

GOT A BURNING DESIRE

to help shape your industry’s future?

training and guidance and ongoing education and support and advice in all aspects of corporate governance. Growers are encouraged to attend and entitled to vote at meetings and receive financial and other reports as are required by the relevant regulators.

The organisation structure is based on being sugarcane grower controlled and directed, and cane grower focused. The state body, and the separate but linked local entities, ensure that cane growers are supported, serviced, and represented at every aspect of the supply chain by grower representatives supported by qualified and experienced staff and advisers.

Whilst the current structure seems to service growers well, there is always the opportunity for review and engagement with grower members about any improvements that might be considered.

CANEGROWERS Elections 2025: Step Up and Make a Difference!

The time for talk is over. If you’re passionate about the future of the sugarcane industry and tired of sitting on the sidelines, this is your moment.

► Want to create real change?

► Ready to lead your local growers?

Put your hand up for a role on your local CANEGROWERS board of directors. Together, we can shape the future of our industry.

Elections are coming –will you step up?

Find out more at www.canegrowers.com.au/elections

NEW YEAR NEW OPPORTUNITIES

BY DAN GALLIGAN, CEO, CANEGROWERS

It is certainly a good habit to take stock and review what we have learned from the year just gone before we make plans for the year ahead.

It doesn’t matter if you want to promise yourself you will give up beer, take up a gym membership or be focused more on family and less stressed about work. Making a promise to yourself about what you hope for the year ahead is a good idea.

We do similar things here at CANEGROWERS . There is plenty to be learned from last year. In fact tragically for some districts the stress and challenges of last year are dragging themselves into this year. But even without that, the anxiety, frustration and anger in many of our districts and growers is palpable. Equally, an honest assessment of the state of the industry could be summarised by saying that despite our significant potential, and given relatively high commodity prices, we are struggling to meet our potential in many areas (not all) and equally most growers do not feel like they are seeing the returns they deserve from their efforts.

Therefore, planning for 2025 is a huge task for CANEGROWERS . We will be focusing on supporting our people, not only the current but future leaders and members.

We have the CANEGROWERS elections, Sugar Cubed 2025 and Next Ratoon programs all within the first half of the year and they will all build capacity and celebrate our people.

Our work at the industry level must re-double. The issue of industry viability is a hot topic and it’s something that CANEGROWERS is already working on. We have completed an analysis of our collective performance from last year and we a working on partnerships across the industry with leaders who want to come together and find solutions. Solutions that are built on a good old-fashioned relationship of trust and honesty.

We have tremendous potential with a booming bioeconomy that needs feedstock and the global sugar market that wants our high quality, sustainably produced and reliably delivered sugar. But if growers don’t have confidence in this future and don’t see how this will secure their productivity and profitability that in turns underpins their business then what is the point?

So, the challenges may be perennial but the solutions we provide in the year ahead will be different. We are an ever-resilient industry and CANEGROWERS has the capacity and talent to be as resilient and persistent as the growers we represent.

We hope for a better year this year, for everyone in the industry but hope will not get us there. We look forward to involving you all and sharing in our work to bring about these better outcomes for the benefit of all.

SMALL CHANGES, BIG REWARDS

TAKE YOUR FARM BUSINESS FROM GOOD TO GREAT!

The path to building a successful and sustainable business may not always be straightforward.

Join our workshops to spend time working on your business and not just in your business to plot your course to a more secure future.

Workshops and webinars included in the program will cover essential business know-how topics designed to equip growers to be even better business leaders.

TOPICS INCLUDE:

BUILDING A PROFESSIONAL BUSINESS

Setting goals, developing strategy and managing the risks you haven’t thought of

PEOPLE MANAGEMENT

Attracting the right people, getting the legal stuff right, working with family

WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY

Where do we start and stop? What are our obligations?

SUGAR PRICING STRATEGY

How to cut through the information and make sound decisions

SUGAR INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE

What is relative payment? What’s CCS anyway?

TAKING YOUR BOOKKEEPING TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Should I do my own BAS?

Locations and dates:

The series begins with a oneday workshop on “building a professional business” to help growers think about what their needs are to secure a sustainable future for their business.

• Herbert River · Tue 18 Mar

• Burdekin · Wed 19 Mar

• Proserpine · Thu 20 Mar

• Mackay · Fri 21 Mar

• Tully · Wed 26 Mar

• Innisfail · Thu 27 Mar

• Cairns Region · Fri 28 Mar

• Isis · Wed 2 Apr

• Bundaberg · Thu 3 Apr

Workshops are provided FREE of charge.

Visit www.canegrowers.com.au or your CANEGROWERS district office today to find out more!

AWARDED FOR EXCELLENCE

BY RENEE CLUFFF

CANEGROWERS Tully

Mitre 10’s Trade Centre has been recognised as the best store of its kind in Queensland.

The Independent Hardware Group (IHG) has named Tully Trade Centre Mitre 10 the 2024 Trade Centre of the Year at its annual Queensland awards ceremony.

It’s the second time in four years the Centre has attained the accolade, after achieving the same feat in 2020. Judging criteria encompassed standards and compliance, innovation and group loyalty.

Trade Centre Manager Sharon Bishop congratulated all involved for the wellearned success.

“It’s a team effort,” Sharon said. “Our achievements have been possible because of the combined strengths of the Tully CANEGROWERS Mitre 10 Cooperative board, our General Manager Karina Wilcox and all our staff. We all get on with it and work together, and that’s why we’ve been able to keep adding new services.”

The Trade Centre is well supported within the community, which Sharon said is a two-way street.

“We support many clubs and community organisations, and the community supports us,” she said.

“You have to do right by your customers, it’s top priority. Making the customer happy is what we do.”

The Trade Centre is among four stores in the CANEGROWERS Tully Mitre 10 chain, which also encompasses

retail stores in Tully, Mission Beach and Cardwell, supporting 60 fulltime and casual jobs. General Manager Karina Wilcox said the organisation is operated by the CANEGROWERS Tully shareholder cooperative, a business model which dovetails with ensuring community comes first.

“At the end of the day, we are an organisation which operates for the local communities we are based in,” she explained.

“Our team members are dedicated not only to their work, but to the community

members they serve”

Ms Wilcox also paid tribute the contribution of Peter Lucy, who she succeeded in the General Manager’s role.

“He was here for more than four decades and really built the foundations of the business you see today,” she said. “This included overseeing the rebuild following Tropical Cyclone Yasi. He is a very important piece to the puzzle of our success.”

Tully Trade Centre Mitre 10 is now in the running for a national award at a ceremony in Adelaide next month.

Tully Trade Centre staff L-R Boyd, Kerry, Sharon, Blair, Ashley, Grant and Jason

FROM THE CHAIR

BY OWEN MENKENS, Chair, CANEGROWERS

Christmas has come and gone, and I hope everyone had a fantastic festive season.

Unfortunately, in some districts the holiday season didn’t quite live up to its name, with harvesters still out the paddocks cutting cane across a number of districts. This is deeply concerning for growers. We simply should not be harvesting at this time of year.

With the wet weather setting in, farmers and harvesting crews are being forced to push and pull machinery through muddy paddocks.

But rain is not the only problem. In many regions, mill performance remains a major obstacle, preventing growers from completing their harvest.

Late ratoons and harvesting in wet conditions ultimately reduces cane production in the long term, impacting growers, millers, and local communities.

The costs of standover cane and lower CCS levels are borne directly by growers, who rely on the crush being completed in a timely manner.

Mills understand that longer crushing seasons will inevitably reduce cane availability in the long term, so why do some regions continually experience these extended seasons?

Mills are highly technical operations that require skilled, dedicated personnel and regular capital investment to maintain efficiency and reliability.

This has been true since the first sugarcane was grown in Australia and remains the case for sugar mills worldwide, many of which face similar challenges.

Workforce shortages are a significant issue in Australia, however, our industry offers a lifestyle advantage, given the regions and communities in which our mills are located.

We must continue to promote our industry and regions to attract the best and brightest people.

However, the question remains – what can CANEGROWERS do about mill performance?

While performance clauses in cane supply agreements can provide some compensation, most growers would prefer an earlier finish to a small payout.

We continue to work with mills at both local and state levels to find solutions.

Sharing information about costs on both sides could help address these challenges, and benchmarking mill reliability across regions has already provided valuable insights.

Moving forward, we hope to improve mill performance for the long-term viability of our industry.

2024 was a busy year for CANEGROWERS and we look forward to tackling the challenges ahead in 2025.

Let’s hope world sugar price remains strong so the industry can continue to prosper.

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FUEL FOR THOUGHT

BY RENEE CLUFF

Australian Canegrower talks to CANEGROWERS

CEO Dan Galligan about what could be in store for sugarcane growers if a local SAF industry takes flight.

DAN GALLIGAN CANEGROWERS CEO

WHAT IS SAF?

SAF stands for Sustainable Aviation Fuel.

Effectively, it’s a low emissions fuel for the aviation sector, so it’s a fuel that can be added as a drop-in fuel to an existing jet fuel and significantly reduces by up to 80% of the amount of greenhouse gas emissions as compared to standard aviation fuel.

It’s produced generally through the use of either agricultural waste or a conversion of alcohol to jet fuel or a whole range of other technologies. There’s a variation of chemistries that can be used for the creation of the fuel, but the main point is that it’s valuable because it’s a low emissions fuel for airlines.

WHAT FEEDSTOCKS ARE USED TO MAKE SAF?

It ranges from municipal waste (basically food scraps) to tallow (animal fats), which is currently the most popular feedstock for global sustainable aviation fuel generation, right through to agricultural waste.

That could be oil seeds, such as conversions of canola, and then for the interest of the sugarcane sector you could be using molasses, ethanol, bagasse, sugar, sugar juice or indeed the whole sugarcane crop fibre.

WHAT IS THE DEMAND FOR SAF?

It’s huge and from an industry perspective, we started working back in 2021 with Sugar Research Australia and the Australian Sugar Milling Council to develop Sugar Plus: a roadmap for how the industry might diversify over the next 20 years.

Together, we identified that SAF, biodiesel and sustainable plastics were the three most promising targets for us as an industry to participate in.

In relation to SAF, there are numerous reports and they all recognise that there’s a huge global demand –airlines have all made commitments to go to zero emissions by 2050, as most modern economies have done.

Around 80% of the emissions from an airline come from fuel use and the only way any global airline is ever going to get to jet net zero by 2050 is by having a low emissions fuel and that must be a SAF.

A very, very simple example is that for Qantas to achieve net zero by 2050, they’ve made a commitment that 10% of their annual fuel load by 2030 must come from SAF. That’s only five years away and 10% of Qantas’ annual fuel load is 500 million litres of SAF.

There is particularly for Qantas an objective to be buying their fuel out of Australia, but currently there’s no source of SAF at a production scale in Australia.

What the airlines must do is enter into offtake agreements with biorefineries around the world.

The big fuel companies are behind these sorts of projects, so the major ports that people fly in and out of around the world are also the major locations for fuels airlines fuel up from.

So that’s where they’re getting fuel now and they’re trialling SAF out of those ports – ports like Singapore, Dubai and Los Angeles and that’s really the challenge for Australia.

We want to become one of those locations by which global airlines will be able to fill their jets up with SAF.

At the moment, the infrastructure is well established, particularly in Singapore and Los Angeles. It is not established in Australia yet.

HOW WELL PLACED IS THE SUGARCANE INDUSTRY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS GROWING DEMAND?

There are other feedstocks, and they are all going to have to go into a big bucket and this will become an economic discussion in the end. In Australia, the first trials of production of SAF will come from ethanol.

But having said that, there are other projects, particularly around the use of municipal waste.

The advantage of municipal waste is that there are lots of people around Australia and they’re generating waste, and it all must be dealt with and usually it’s costly to get rid of it, so it might be cheaper to turn it into an economic advantage: to turn it into aviation fuel.

However, it’s hard to aggregate and the fuel sector needs aggregation of the feedstock. It needs to be brought to a processing facility to then be converted to a fuel and then the fuel needs to get into the wing of an aeroplane. It’s a logistical challenge.

So, if you opt for an agricultural product that could be sugarcane, or sugarcane byproducts or sugar juice, or sugar crystals, or molasses all in the same bucket, we’ve got strong advantages there. We’ve already got a massive logistics industry around sugar production.

We’ve got a very large industry, we’re producing 30 million tonnes of sugarcane that we’re converting to sugar crystals, ethanol, molasses and bagasse.

PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE

Jet Zero Australia’s flagship Project Ulysses project is the biggest in the country, aiming to be producing 100 million litres of SAF by the end of 2026. The Townsville-based project will convert bioethanol from agricultural by-products into SAF.

Mercurius Australia has built a biorefinery at the Mackaybased Queensland University of Technology’s Renewable Biocommodities Pilot Plant, testing a new method to turn bagasse into renewable diesel and SAF. The Mercurius Rising Pilot project used Renewable Acid-hydrolysis Condensation Hydrotreating (REACH™) technology to convert biomass into liquid biofuels.

All those products in the existing sugar supply chain could in future go into a biorefinery for SAF, and we’ve got a really strong advantage compared to other feedstocks because we are already aggregating them.

They’re already going to a sugar mill so projects around aviation fuels can effectively align and it’s a very, very smart thing to be complementary and in parallel to our existing sugar supply. We’re also coastal, so we’re close to where airlines are coming in and out so that’s close to the existing fuel infrastructure.

But we’re already currently using all the sugarcane we produce. When we talk to the fuel sector, the first conversation we have is well, we use it all at the moment. If it were to be used for something else, it would have to be economically viable to do so.

We don’t want to cut our nose off to spite our face. We want to see a domestic SAF industry, but we want to see that industry developing in parallel

to the existing sugarcane sector as a priority. That’s the first priority and we are influencing policy from the beginning rather than waiting for projects to develop around farmers.

I personally was involved as a representative of CANEGROWERS with the previous Labour government and Stephen Miles on a SAF roundtable to talk about the opportunities with the airlines and the fuel producers and manufacturers, particularly the opportunities around providing sustainably sourced sugarcane for a feedstock for the airlines.

Since then, we’ve joined Bioenergy Australia, which is a national body that has membership across the whole range of airlines, fuel manufacturers, biorefineries, chemists and feedstock producers who are looking at the policy environment for the domestic bioenergy sector.

Within that group, we’ve formed an alliance of feedstock providers

Eric Seck COO and Karl Seck President and CEO at the Mercurius pilot plant in Mackay

and we’re working directly with the Australian Sugar Milling Council (ASMC), GrainGrowers and AgTrade Australia to look at how the feedstock sector would be represented in the SAF industry.

We’re also working directly with Jet Zero to understand the progress of their project. We brought them into discussions with the CANEGROWERS Policy Council, discussions at Sugar Cubed 2024, to understand the commercial drivers for Jet Zero.

We’re now bringing all that knowledge, under the guidance of our Policy Council down to the district level. We’re working with each district to establish a strategic plan to understand where each district fits and what it might mean for each individual grower because it will emerge as some opportunities in some districts and maybe not that big an opportunity in others.

So, we need to understand where and how the commercial drivers within the industry would pan out and what it might mean for the grower. It needs to be a profitable economic opportunity for the grower and for the communities the growers are in, whether it’s going to mean jobs or a new industry sitting next door.

But the objective is very, very clear. We want to be a part of developing a domestic SAF industry that sits complementary to our existing sugar supply chain.

HOW DO GROWERS RECEIVE THEIR FAIR SHARE?

There would have to be some form of commercial contract at the outset and we do work closely with the ASMC on this to understand the opportunities and try to work out where our existing millers are at.

For instance, Wilmar Sugar and Renewables has a renewables business and is the largest producer of ethanol at Sarina, and ethanol can go straight to a conversion to jet fuel.

There are other projects that some growers are involved in, in terms of renewable fuels across the state, but certainly there is a huge opportunity for the existing sugar milling companies to partner with Jet Zero or others to see diversion of excess bagasse, or molasses or sugar juice or certainly ethanol into jet fuel.

That’s up to them but we think that the growers need to be at the table to make sure that the interests of farmers are respected, because there’s a commercial agreement, the Cane Supply Agreements about the relationship between growers and millers for sugar.

In the long run it is plausible that a large aviation fuel producer might want to see whole of cane or even increased production. There’s lots of R&D that’s required around high energy canes or higher oil canes or longer season canes, but those opportunities must involve growers.

We must ensure that growers are at the table for the discussions if we’re going to ensure that growers see an economic return for the industry, because while there’s huge, huge opportunity and huge potential for another emerging industry for diversification for the industry, one of the greatest challenges for SAF is that its production cost is three or four times more than conventional fuel.

There’s no airline in the world who wants to spend more money on fuel than they have to, so even though they need the fuel, they’re going to want to spend as little as they can on it.

What we want for growers is most definitely an economic return, but equally if you’re not in a position where you can be advantaged by the development of SAF, we want to be able to still 100% participate in a competitive global sugar market.

We are in a world market, we export 85% of the sugar we produce and, in the future, this global demand for aviation fuel is going to put pressure

on the global demand for ethanol and sugar and ultimately sugarcane. There is a strong argument that there is an upside here for the grower regardless of whether the aviation fuel sector takes off in Australia.

We either develop a domestic SAF industry that shows an economic return for growers, or if we don’t, there will be pressure on the world sugar market, the ethanol market and the market for sugarcane fibre.

Hopefully, that means good prices and good returns for Australian sugarcane producers who are supplying to the sugar market. But we need to ensure that the interests of growers are represented whether it’s for sugar or fuel – it makes no difference.

SAF PODCAST

To hear a more in-depth interview about the Australian sugarcane industry’s place in the Sustainable Aviation Fuel sector, head to canegrowers. com.au/news-media/ podcasts

QSL GROWER PRICING UPDATE

Sugar Market & Currency

Influence

Commentary

Brazil

India

Thailand

Your Trusted Partner

Current as at 13 December 2024.

By Elliott Apel, QSL Assistant Manager Trading & Risk

Outlook

Speculators

Currency

The final stages of the Brazilian Centre South harvest exceeded expectations, with over 600 million tonnes of cane harvested and 39.4 million tonnes of sugar produced by the end of November. Looking ahead to the 2025 Season, significant rainfall in early November, coupled with precipitation aligning with long-term averages in December, provides confidence in the potential for an improved crop next year.

The delayed start to harvesting in Maharashtra has been significant, with only 143 mills operating by early December – 40 fewer than the previous season. Consequently, sugar production in the state is approximately 50% lower than last year, dragging India’s total production down to 2.8 million tonnes by the end of November.

Thailand is set to begin crushing mid-December, with an estimated 95–105 million tonnes of cane expected to be harvested this season. However, the Chinese government has temporarily banned imports of Thai liquid and premix sugar in an effort to control sugar imports outside quota restrictions. This could result in a short-term oversupply of Thai sugar.

With limited fresh news in the global sugar market, speculators have had little incentive to take significant positions in ICE 11 futures. This has been reflected in their neutral stance over several weeks. As of the Commitment of Traders Report on 3 December, speculators held a modest net short position of only 63 lots.

The Australian Dollar trended lower into December, influenced by newly elected US President Donald Trump’s stance on implementing import tariffs to bolster the US economy. With the US labour market softening and November inflation recorded at 2.7%, the Federal Reserve has expressed growing confidence in its ability to deliver further interest rate cuts to stimulate economic growth.

Neutral

The outlook ratings above are in relation to AUD/tonne sugar prices. A bullish outlook is considered positive. 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)

• 2025 Target Price = $735 / IFC $735 (Oct25)

• 2026 Target Price = $685 / IFC $690 (Jul26)

• 2027 Target Price = $650

• 2028 Target Price = $550

Key Dates:

• 20 February 2025 | Any 2024-Season Target Price Contract tonnage not priced by this date will automatically have its pricing window extended and roll costs may apply

• 20 February 2025 | Any unpriced tonnage allocated to the ICE 11 March 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.

• 20 February 2025 (MSF Sugar districts) | Any unpriced tonnage allocated to the 2024-Season Target Price Contract and ICE 11 May 2025 contract through the Individual Futures Contract will be priced by QSL at the next market opportunity unless MSF Sugar grants approval to extend the Pricing Completion Date to 20 April 2025.

GROWER-MANAGED PRICING FILLS – 2024, 2025 & 2026 SEASONS

SRA RESEARCHERS VISIT BURDEKIN

SUPPLIED BY SUGAR RESEARCH AUSTRALIA

Canegrubs are the most economically significant sugarcane insect pest and affect all cane growing regions.

Entomology experts from Sugar Research Australia (SRA) are currently investigating new options for Greyback canegrub control through two SRAfunded research projects. One project focusses on the grub and pupal stages of the pest, while the other concentrates on the adult life-stage.

SRA lead Entomologist, Dr Kevin Powell, and Research Technician, Dr Samuel Bawa, visited the Burdekin in early December to collect cane beetles to use in laboratory trials being conducted at SRA’s Meringa Station. District Delivery Officer, Rebecca Sullivan, also collected Greyback beetles from different fig trees in different locations across the Burdekin and delivered them to Meringa.

An increase in cane beetle populations has been observed in the Burdekin District, coinciding with a recent rainfall event. SRA District Manager, Burdekin, Terry Granshaw, had reported sightings of cane beetles in the region as far back as October. However, the first major flight observations of the Greyback cane beetles only occurred after the significant rain event in November.

Dr Powell said the beetles collected during the recent visit would be used by the entomology team to breed and produce grubs for a forthcoming laboratory trial on alternatives to imidacloprid (Project 2020/004).

“These canegrubs will be treated with different chemicals and biological insecticide products to evaluate their efficacy compared to imidacloprid,” Dr Powell explained.

“Once final laboratory trials have been completed early next year, it’s hoped the project will progress to field trials, to provide the data required by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) to register a new product for commercial use.”

While in the Burdekin, Dr Powell and Dr Bawa also visited a replicated, randomised trial site that is being used to investigate the efficacy of granular and liquid imidacloprid, applied on

Cane beetles eating cane leaves

the same day to control canegrubs. This trial is part of the Burdekin District Productivity Plan.

The sampling method for this trial will be optimised, and the impact that these products have had on canegrub control will be assessed in March-April 2025. The trial itself is only looking at whether the liquid product can mitigate grub damage when applied early in plant cane, in the absence of the granular product in future years.

SRA District Manager Burdekin, Terry Granshaw, said many growers in the district had been asking about using clothianidin, as an alternative to imidacloprid.

“Both clothianidin and imidacloprid are part of the Neonicotinoid insecticide group, which is currently under review by the APVMA,” Mr Granshaw said.

“When applying clothianidin to plant cane, it needs to be applied between October and December as per label, like the majority of liquid imidacloprid products.

“However, this timeline doesn’t work in the Burdekin due to the size of the plant cane crop at this stage. So, an alternative product or a new application method would need to be developed.”

Mr Granshaw accompanied Dr Powell and Dr Bawa on their visit to the district and noted that cane beetles were collected from sandpaper fig, strangler fig, ornamental fig and jackfruit trees.

“There seems to be something that attracts the adult beetle to these trees, especially fig trees,” he said.

“This year we have seen the beetles strip the trees of foliage in a matter of days and the number of cane beetles is higher than previous years.

“One grower told us that he hasn’t seen them swarming like this since he was a young child. We are used to seeing one or two beetles chewing on the cane leaves, but this year they are in clusters.”

SRA Research Technician Dr Samuel Bawa (pictured) took volatile samples during an on farm visit to the Burdekin. Dr Bawa is conducting new research to identify volatile compounds present in host plants, which naturally attract adult cane beetles

Dr Bawa also took the opportunity to take volatile samples in some of the cane varieties on farm where the beetles were abundant. He is conducting a new research approach (Project 2024/402) to identify what plant volatile attracts the beetle to its host.

If these volatiles can be identified, this may lead to future opportunities to control the adult beetles, for example by developing a commercial product to use in traps, to trap the cane beetles, before they have a chance to lay their eggs in the soil.

Acknowledgements:

Project 2020-004 – Beyond Imidacloprid –Chemical and Biorational Alternatives for Managing Canegrubs is funded by Sugar Research Australia (SRA) and the Department of Primary Industries.

Project 2024-402 – The Sweet Smell of success – Sustainable Canegrub Management using Host Plant Volatiles is funded by Sugar Research Australia (SRA) and is being run in conjunction with the University of New England (UNE).

GROWING TOGETHER

BY RENEE CLUFF

Collaboration is key for Cairns district cane growers John and Desley Ferrando.

Farming sugarcane in Queensland might easily be viewed as a solitary, individualistic pursuit. However, Deputy Chair of CANEGROWERS Cairns, John Ferrando, recognises and fosters the benefits of collaboration: everything from employing varying perspectives to problem-solve, to sharing skills, knowledge, workloads and financial burdens, to boosting moods and morale.

John’s alliances are many. First and foremost is his marriage with wife Desley, followed closely by relationships with other family members, fellow growers and industry stakeholders.

“Any project that’s going, I will stick my hand up because it’s a learning opportunity”

“Any field day, any shed meeting –you’ll always take something from it. My father was the same.”

In fact, John’s philosophy is wellingrained in his line of ancestors. His grandfather, Giuseppe, arrived in the Gordonvale area from northern Italy in 1938 with his wife and nineyear-old son, Peter – John’s father.

Within a couple of years, Giuseppe, together with a friend, had bought his first parcel of land, and thereafter spent many years of back-breaking work clearing more land and building drains with shovels.

“If you went in with four blokes, only a quarter of it was your debt,” John explained. “They trusted each other, and they all ended up with a small farm. They knew how to work hard and Australia was treating them really well. They could make a good living, put money away, it was a safe place to live – all the boxes were ticked.

“My grandfather had no plans to return to Italy – four of his brothers fought in the Italian Army – but he’d seen the writing on the wall under (Fascist Party dictator) Mussolini.”

Back in Australia during WWII, Giuseppe was interned by authorities, even though by then he’d held Australian citizenship for years. This forced his son Peter to leave school early to help keep the farm running. Peter became a voracious reader, hell-bent on providing his own education through books. Perhaps it’s because of this experience, or despite it, that he was passionate about embracing the culture of his new country, while still honouring his ancestry.

Peter eventually took over the operation and moved into a house on the home farm at Mount Peter. It’s the same house John has now been living in for 66 years.

In his early days of farming with his father, John was provided the ability to contribute in a meaningful way and was even given a 10-acre block of land to try harvesting the cane green to leave trash blankets. The harvesters of the time had been designed to cut burnt cane.

“I worked with the harvesting contractor and the first year went well, so I asked if I could cut it green again and Dad said, ‘Yeah it’s your block, do what you want to do with it’.

“And then later, up in the shed he asked if I thought the harvester could cut any more paddocks and I said, ‘Yes if it’s the same variety’. And Dad said, ‘Well if he can do a couple more, I reckon we should give it another shot’.

“Within two years, we were half trash blanket on this farm. The old man could see in the dry country, we needed to keep the moisture in, it was working.”

That trust and respect between father and son went both ways. Prior to his death in 2003, Peter had mentioned he’d like to investigate an alternative to burning trash blankets on fallow and replant blocks. John took up the investigation and after many years of trial and error, he now incorporates the trash on every block and has been doing so for over a decade.

John’s wife, Desley, shares his principles when it comes to collaboration. She is a fourthgeneration cane grower, from a line of Johnson matriarchs who were also heavily invested and involved in farming.

“My great grandmother was at the first ever Mulgrave Mill meeting in 1896,” Desley marvelled. “It was pretty impressive for a woman of that era to be at that meeting.

“She and my great grandfather had quite a few struggles, they went

John and Desley’s family

Back: L-R Ben Veronese, Kristi O’Connor, Jayden Veronese, John Ferrando, Sofia Veronese, Toni Veronese, Desley Ferrando

Front: L-R Charlotte O’Connor, Emily O’Connor (Photographer: Richard O’Connor)

through devastation of crops and property losses and many other things, but they always re-established.

“We are eternally grateful to our parents, grandparents and great grandparents. We acknowledge the hard work they’ve all done to enable us to farm today. We talk in our family about how we feel like we are stewards, and we share by story almost like indigenous culture. We have that connectedness to the land and family and an appreciation of those ties.

“The thing I’m really proud of is that our family has always supported BSES (the Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations) and then SRA (Sugar Research Australia) with trial plots and other assessments on our farm. My grandfather had the view that you always give back to the industry, it was equally important with my mum and dad and now for us.

“It’s important for us to leave something for the next generation”

John and Desley have known each other virtually their whole lives, with Desley’s family farming on a neighbouring property to John’s. They became an item when they both joined the junior Lions Club,

contributing to community service in a social setting.

The early years of their marriage, particularly when their children were young, cemented their partnership. John becomes emotional as he talks about the months of not seeing his babies when he was rising for work before they were awake, and not returning home until they were asleep. He was grateful that Desley had grown up in a farming family and understood the challenges.

“We used to know that once the planting and the season started, that was it, once we went to continuous crush that made it even harder,” Desley said. “My job was to keep everything going at home and his job was to keep the farm going and the team approach worked.

“We would go and have a picnic with John on a Sunday afternoon as though it was some great adventure. The children still remember those days with fondness and today, there’s a patience within the family. Everyone is accepting of what needs to be done.”

Desley is responsible for day-to-day management of the farm, the finances, accounts and legal work and other critical tasks such as environmental management plans and development plans. She’s also sometimes a pilot driver and technology investigator.

“Together we feel we make a good team,” Desley said. “It’s a board meeting every night at the dinner table. Without one or the other we have a risk and how do we succession plan for that? We hope we’ve done a good job of it.”

Desley also has a managerial government job outside of the farm and is grateful for John’s enduring support in allowing her to pursue a separate career. John is also proud of the paths his children, Toni and Kristi, have forged as an environmental engineer and jewellery entrepreneur respectively.

“He’s such a great supporter of all of us,” Desley said. “I went back to work with the purpose of supporting the girls financially while they pursued their educational paths. Then work got exciting and I received some great opportunities.

“He was so supportive, he said, ‘This is your time, this is for you’. He’s always been my biggest supporter, and I always feel really humbled and appreciative of that. He encourages us to be what we want to be, and he encourages us all to keep learning.”

The three farms John and Desley manage encompass 450 acres which produce around 15,000-tonnes of cane each year. They are distributed across the landscape, with the ‘bottom’ farm on heavy clays and black sand, the

The Ferrando’s farms span the landscape near Walshs Pyramid, south of Cairns

middle being the highly productive ‘golden mile’ and the third on rocky, hilly, dry country.

“We manage three different rainfall areas, three different soil types, it’s been a big learning curve because most of the equipment will work on two of the farms, but not on the third, which is also where we’ve got to conserve moisture constantly,” John explained. “In the other areas, you’re laser levelling for better drainage.”

A wetland has now improved drainage and water quality runoff on the lower farm, a project prompted and led by engineer daughter Toni. Creek banks were re-vegetated more than 20 years ago, and John – with a little help from his friends – figured out how to cathedral cut trees to ensure headlands remain intact and branches don’t encroach on harvesters.

“We just give the trees a haircut now every couple of years,” he said. “It’s not only saving washouts and improving water quality, but it’s keeping invasive grasses and other weeds out, which stops the rats that love grasses.”

The soaring cost of equipment, particularly since COVID-19 lockdowns, is a major challenge

“A lot of contractors are getting older, and with the rising price of equipment, there’s not enough in the returns for one grower to manage,” he said.

“But if a cooperative got together and bought it, it’s viable. You just need to find the right people to work with and have a watertight set of rules.”

John is already involved in a collaborative approach to farming with his planting and harvesting contractor, which he said has worked well for years. “It’s the only way we’re going to go anywhere,” he said.

“If we’re all going to stay in this game, I feel we need to look at it differently by working together.”

In recent years, growers have benefitted from the use of a CANEGROWERSowned precision planter to get fallow crops into the ground. It’s required for certain seeds, such as those of sunn hemp, which is growing in popularity off the back of trials carried out by one of his fellow directors, Neil Maitland.

“SRA have been investigating the trials and they’ve so far found the nitrogen you get from sunn hemp is very, very good,” John said. “Early indications show a decreased requirement for applied nitrogen and the organic carbon changed from 0.4 to about 0.6.

“That crop is now at first ratoon and they’re going to keep investigating right through ‘til its final stage.

“200 hectares of hemp are now going in around the Mulgrave District but it has very fine seed, so it takes a more precision planter to put it in the ground. CANEGROWERS Cairns region owns a precision planter, and it gets handed around to people who want to use it and it’s starting to get very busy. SRA’s research has been crucial to that take-up.

“A planter like that costs around $47,000 and the smaller growers can’t afford that to leave it in the shed except for one-and-a-half days a year.”

He rues the fact that machinery manufacturers no longer collaborate with growers. John said when local harvesters began cutting green, Toft would send a machine up with all the required modifications.

“Whoever bought a new machine that year got all the new modifications with the proviso that they might need their old harvester on hand while they’re playing around with the new one –even though the old one has been traded in,” he said. “They’d provide their feedback to Toft and the next year, they’d modify again.

“We don’t get that now. Nobody has a say on modifications they’d like to see.”

As a director of both CANEGROWERS Cairns and the Mulgrave Productivity Board, John is a passionate advocate for his fellow growers. When it comes to his own farms, he displays the same selflessness.

“Every farmer has pride in his farm,” he said. “The more you can do the right thing, the more of a legacy you can leave behind.

“That’s all we’ve ever wanted to do here: leave a legacy. Hopefully I’ll get another generation that wants to come through but if not, they might want to lease out the land. There are some good opportunities.”

John Ferrando at work on his ‘golden mile’ farm

FARMERS CONTRIBUTE TO LOW EMISSIONS AGRICULTURE PLAN

The National Farmers’ Federation welcomed the opportunity last month to hear more about, and provide contributions to, the plan that will help shape agriculture’s contribution in Australia’s journey to net zero by 2050.

NFF Chief Executive Officer Tony Mahar attended the roundtable, hosted by the Minister for Agriculture, Julie Collins, to discuss the Agriculture and Land Sector Plan being developed by the Federal Government.

Mr Mahar emphasised the importance of ensuring farmers had a seat at the table in these discussions, not only providing input on agriculture’s contributions, but also to identify what opportunities a low-emissions future could bring to the sector.

“Farmers have consistently voiced concerns about other sectors exploiting agriculture by locking up farmland to offset their emissions at the expense of food and fibre production” Mr Mahar said.

“The reality is farmers have a growing population they need to feed and clothe. Farmers are already leading the charge towards a low-emissions future, and we must ensure this is reocognised.

“National emissions reduction is a shared responsibility. Agriculture is ready to play its part, but it must be fair and not comprise productivity, profitability or food and fibre security.”

Mr Mahar welcomed the collaborative approach shown by Minister Collins and her Department, and the commitment to working with industry stakeholders.

“We are especially pleased the Government has reaffirmed it will not impose emissions targets on agriculture.

“The roundtable discussion showed a strong understanding within Government that sustainability and productivity are at the core of farming.

Leveraging these strengths will ensure we maintain our competitive edge in global markets.”

Mr Mahar said the Government had also recognised the need for more investment and better data and new technologies to support farmers achieve this economy-wide goal.

REPORT YELLOW CRAZY ANTS

Women in Sugar Australia (WISA) Conference

Honouring

All Women in Sugar

31 March–1 April 2025

MACKAY

CANEGROWERS Network Mackay looks forward to hosting visitors from all the sugarcane growing regions across Queensland, with the WISA Conference providing an ideal platform to network and acknowledge the contributions of women in rural industries and primary production.

Information regarding the conference has already been distributed to the various CANEGROWERS offices in Herbert, Burdekin and Bundaberg regions for distribution and we encourage anyone interested to join us in Mackay.

Contact us for a registration form or any further information regarding the conference at canegrowersnetworkmackay@gmail.com.

All registrations must be finalised by 28 Feb 2025 for planning purposes.

RENEWING SMARTCANE BMP PROGRAM RECOGNITION

BY KATE REARDON

This year marks the five-year anniversary of Smartcane BMP being a recognised accreditation program for an agricultural environmentally relevant activity (ERA).

Since 2020 the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) has recognised Smartcane BMP as an alternative pathway for Queensland sugarcane growers to demonstrate compliance with the Reef protection regulations. The only other accreditation program recognised is the Freshcare Environmental – Reef Assured Program for banana growers.

CANEGROWERS delivers the Smartcane BMP project (2022-2026) with funding from the Queensland Government’s Reef Water Quality Program and CANEGROWERS

As a recognised accreditation program, DETSI acknowledges Smartcane BMP standards are consistent with, or better than, the agricultural environmentally relevant activity standards, which address sediment and nutrient run-off to the Reef. This means certified Smartcane BMP growers are considered a low priority for compliance activities. Also included are growers working on becoming Smartcane BMP certified, however, they need to achieve certification within 12 months of starting.

The pathway to being a recognised accreditation program is not a simple exercise; it is an in-depth assessment of our program to ensure it meets the criteria for and conditions of recognition prescribed in sections 318YD and 318YE of the Environmental Protection Act 1994 (EP Act). This assessment is conducted by an auditor not employed or engaged with Smartcane BMP and needs to be approved by the DESI Chief Executive. Alongside the report from the auditor, an approved form is submitted, outlining the evidence supporting Smartcane BMP program design, governance and administration. The independent, rigorous process Smartcane BMP goes through to achieve program recognition supports how robust the program is. This strengthens its credibility and provides confidence to key stakeholders, like international markets and end users, of the program’s standards, cementing Smartcane BMP as the gold standard of certification programs.

Smartcane BMP has come a long way in ten years, considering its inception was to demonstrate industry self-regulation. Being a recognised accreditation program for an agricultural environmentally relevant activity makes it clear that Smartcane BMP has set a high standard for environmental stewardship in agriculture and continues to pave the way for a sustainable and prosperous future for Queensland’s sugarcane industry.

CANEGROWERS REGIONAL ROUND-UP

SUPPLIED BY CANEGROWERS DISTRICT OFFICES

MOSSMAN

Although the November rainfall remained below the monthly average, there was sufficient at 118.2mm to wet the ground and soak in so growing conditions were good and it had little impact on the closing weeks of the crushing.

Mossman Coastal growers continued to deliver cane to Mulgrave for transfer to South Johnstone Mill for a couple of weeks.

The crushing finished on 23 November 2024 with 206,920.2 tonnes of cane being delivered – of this just over 26,000 tonnes went to South Johnstone Mill.

For the week ending 24 November, 13,918.28 tonnes were delivered for a 10.87ccs. This was a substantial drop in sugar and the final District Average was 11.99ccs.

This will equate to a cane price for 2024 season of $47.42 per tonne of cane.

Meetings have continued with discussions about how final payment for the standing cane will be made, what we need to do to get a 2025 crushing off the ground given the assistance may be there, but we are unsure about the tonnes of cane given the late finish and lack of window to fertilise.

A grower meeting was held on 18 December with government representatives to finalise the first standing cane payment, after which the final distribution of the remaining 2024 funding package can be paid to growers.

The loss of Mossman Mill to the township of Mossman and to the Douglas Shire, really hit home in December 2024 when the seven Mill Locos and

associated rail maintenance equipment were trucked out of town to find new homes in new locations within the sugarcane industry (pictured).

Mossman Agricultural Services held their AGM on 11 December and following that meeting a guest speaker from Super Char talked to growers about changing Biomass to Char. The biomass they were interested in was Bana Grass and growers were invited to express their interest to be part

of the Mossman Project looking into the feasibility of this as a transition option for growers.

This type of project was one of many put forward by the Consultants Scyne for the Stakeholder Group to vote on for the Mossman Transition Plan.

The CANEGROWERS Mossman office closed for the Christmas holiday period on Thursday 19 December 2024 and will re-open on Wednesday 8 January 2025.

The MAS AGM and the speaker from Super Char talking about changing biomass to char and the potential for Mossman growers to be a part of the project

INNISFAIL TABLELAND

Welcome to the new year. Hope all have had a safe and happy festive season.

Though last season results were poor, there were many mitigating factors. This district has many signs that confidence in the cane industry is growing. This year there will be close to 10,000 ha under cane.

MSF has invested $13 million into clearing the choke points of the Tableland Mill. The Mill performed at 98% efficiency last year.

QUBE, who has the transport contract, is buying a new fleet

to improve the efficiency of the transport.

CANEGROWERS , MSF and grower representatives are forming a Harvest & Transport Committee to enable a more cohesive outcome for all stakeholders.

A new mother and distribution plot has been established in Tolga for all to access to clean seed for the coming season.

Now all that is needed is for the weather gods to play nicely and growers to increase productivity so that all parties can share in the yields.

CAIRNS REGION

Wet weather has been experienced across the area.

Welcomed by most, although it did bring farming activities to a halt. Depending on position in the catchment, some growers will be scrambling to get farm work done with storms now on the forecast.

CANEGROWERS Cairns

Region recently hosted a farmer’s breakfast followed by CANEGROWERS Cairns Region’s AGM. Both Mick Quirk and Burn Ashburner from QCGO were welcomed by those present at the breakfast. This is the second time these gentlemen have visited the

region this year. Once again, they were able to bring growers up to speed on matters relevant to their farming activities and to answer questions. It was an ideal opportunity to roll out some of QCGO’s initiatives particularly around training.

The effects of the extreme weather caused by Cyclone Jasper will be felt for quite a while longer. Apart from productivity, restoration and other infrastructure remains outstanding for many.

From our Region to sugar producers everywhere, enjoy time with family and friends and may the weather be kind to you all.

After a short Christmas office closure, Innisfail’s staff are now operating out of their new CBD premises.

One of the final events to be held at the previous Mourilyan location was the end of season grower meeting, which was well attended.

Final productivity figures for the 2024 season were presented and lamented, with growers now firmly focused on their crops for the 2025 harvest.

In December, we also farewelled manager Sandra Henrich, an integral part of our team and organisation over the past seven years. Sandra’s leadership, vision and dedication will be missed. We wish her all the best for her future endeavours.

Top: CANEGROWERS Innisfail farewells Sandra Henrich

Bottom: The Innisfail end of season meeting was well represented

TULLY

Tully Mill ceased crushing for the year just after midnight on Wednesday 12 December.

Total crush ended up at 2,162,041 tonnes. That’s the lowest tonnage for the Tully district since 2012, which was in the aftermath of Cyclone Yasi.

Yield for the district was just 74 tonnes / hectare also the lowest in over a decade. Season average CCS was 12.57.

The year was characterised by very poor growing conditions.

In the first six months of the year Tully recorded rainfall on 134 days. That’s an average of nearly three out of every four days. There were another 73 days of rain recorded in the second half of the year. Very wet and not much sun to power growth in the crop.

Growers and harvesters worked hard at the end through very trying conditions to get as much cane off as possible. Plenty of pulling machines out of bogs, using infield track transporters and inevitably, damage to headlands and paddocks.

Despite that around 5,000 tonnes of cane was left to stand over. That’s never good but could have been worse.

Now that the crushing is complete for 2024, the work continues for growers. The wet weather is still interfering with the completion of plant paddocks.

Because of the late planting, most of the plant has not been side dressed or filled in. There is also a lag in finishing the ratoon fertilising because of the weather.

Fallow management has commenced with ground cover crops being applied. There are four common varieties of ground cover crop seeds sold in the Tully district this year. They are Mossman Soy, Ebony Cowpea, Rongai and Caloona. Sunflower seed is also popular in some subdistricts.

Soil sampling for Nutrient Management plans has

HERBERT RIVER

commenced for 2025. Lime application on fallow has halted for now because of wet condition of the ground, hopefully the weather will become favourable soon.

Spray season is now under way, which means that there will be oversize and slow-moving vehicles using the roadways.

The CANEGROWERS website membership portal has an easy guide available for your convenience to assist members with decision making when moving oversize vehicles.

Early in the new year CANEGROWERS Tully will commence a performance review of all sectors in collaboration with Tully Sugar. As always, we look back and learn from our experiences and look forward to next year being better, through working hard, working smart, collaborating… and a bit of good luck.

honoured to attend the official launch of Hinchinbrook Life at the Ingham RSL. It was a pleasure to see the new Premier of Queensland, David Crisafulli, return to his hometown, and we were proud to have both him and Mayor Ramon Jayo, both CANEGROWERS Herbert River members, as keynote speakers.

BURDEKIN

At the time of writing, Herbert River growers are facing challenges due to torrential rain, with some areas receiving up to 500 mm of rainfall over the past two weeks.

This deluge has impacted most sub-districts, though parts of Abergowrie were spared from the heaviest downpours.

We are currently in Week 25 of production, and the region has managed to crush over 3.75 million tonnes of cane — representing approximately 96% of the total 2024 crop. The season to date average CCS stands at 12.43.

Earlier this month, the CANEGROWERS Herbert River board and management were

From left: Queensland Premier David Crisafulli, long-time member Tony Crisafulli, CANEGROWERS Herbert River

Chair Chris Bosworth, Deputy Chair Steven Marbelli, Directors Sam Torrisi and Paul Marbelli, Manager Frank Scardamaglia and retired Hinchinbrook Mayor Pino Giandomenico

We extend our heartfelt thanks to all our members for their ongoing support throughout what has been another challenging season. We would like to show appreciation to the harvesting crews and cane auditors who worked tirelessly in difficult conditions throughout the season.

At Week 26 7,415,347 tonnes of cane had been crushed with a STD average weekly CCS of 14.16.

The crush continues in the Burdekin with rain last week extending the season until the end of December. The rainfall

varied across the district with Inkerman the first to harvest after a four-day break, other areas particularly Giru received heavier rainfall with over 400ml of rain reported in some areas. Currently Kalamia Mill is expected to be finished on

Sunday 15 December and Inkerman on Monday 16 December. Pioneer and Invicta Mills are projected to finish in the last week of December.

However, with more rain anticipated we may see these dates have been extended.

At the end of November CANEGROWERS Burdekin

Director Rian and staff member Michelle along with Shikira Kalatzis from QCGO visited some of the participants of the Burdekin’s Sweetest School competition (pictured).

PROSERPINE

Moving into the final days of crushing, Proserpine Mill had processed 1.62m tonnes of cane by 7 December (93%).

With an increased crop estimate of 1.74m tonnes, an approximate 120,000 tonnes remained for harvest in the final two weeks of the season.

Following early December rains, some areas remained too wet for harvester operations.

With the late finish already proving a challenge, further rain was expected before the 18 December milling end date.

Unfortunately, this would leave many paddocks at risk of standover, the outcome of a year that had many early season challenges.

A final crop of close to 1.7m tonnes would be very similar to the previous year which was above the 5-year average of 1.64m tonnes.

With fourteen schools across the district engaged in the competition it was great to see the progress these schools have made. Some schools have initiated inter-school challenges, while others are competing with neighbouring farmers to see who can cultivate the tallest cane.

The students will continue nurturing their cane until May next year when it will be harvested and evaluated to determine who has grown the Burdekin’s sweetest cane, just in time for the biennial Sweet Days, Hot Nights festival.

Although mill performance improved over the second half of the year, it still remained below longer-term crush rates. Mill performance continued to be impacted by various supply and factory issues including tippler breakdowns, juice clarifier repairs and boiler tube leaks.

It was encouraging to note that the mill processed 97,268 tonnes in week 15 (ending 5 Oct) which was the highest single week’s crush rate since 2020. It was also positive to see step improvements in the later part of the year.

With new management put in place for 2024, it is hoped these improvements can continue into

the following year for a more effective crush. This would be highly beneficial in improving production for both growers and the mill.

CANEGROWERS Proserpine would like to thank all its members for their support and those that made the 2024 season possible, including all harvesting groups and mill staff. May you have a well-deserved break and happy new year.

Please note that CANEGROWERS Proserpine office will be closed from Friday 20 December 2024 and will reopen on Thursday 9 January 2025. We look forward to seeing you all in 2025.

Cane quality continued to fall as the season progressed with a further interim CCS adjustment made in mid-November. Average CCS for the week ending 7 December was 11.44. This was the lowest weekly CCS registered for the season.

Early indications showed slight improvements in CCS for the following week, but this would be closely monitored moving forward. Average cane quality for the year-to-date was 13.87 with predictions of this ending closer to 13.7 for the season should the remainder of the crop be delivered.

At the currently high sugar price, there was significant motivation for growers to get the full crop off, but this would be weather dependent as the crush moved further into December.

With the mill starting later than planned following impacts from industrial action and early rainfall, an extended season end date was an unfortunate outcome.

Paddocks around the Proserpine supply region remained waterlogged following early December rains making harvesting operations difficult for the end of the crush. (Photos courtesy John Casey)

MACKAY / PLANE CREEK

Writing in early December, Mackay had just topped 82% and Plane Creek 75%.

Mackay Sugar had a projected finish of 5 January, while Wilmar Plane Creek was offering an outlandish 24 January end date.

It is concerning that the miller would cut its maintenance season short to that extent, when mill performance across the past several years has been so poor at Plane Creek.

Every minute possible of maintenance and capital works are needed to ensure a smoother 2025 that will restore grower confidence and allow millers and growers to enjoy what are still good sugar prices and new markets and economic opportunities for sugarcanebased products.

Those works, alongside training and maintaining people working in the mills, are presently the single biggest critical point to maintaining our industry.

There may be concerns from the milling sector that grower representatives are speaking out on poor mill performance and

its accumulated costs to the grower and harvester sectors.

There have been claims that grower reps who speak up are “talking down the industry”. But with end dates like this it is a necessity – a responsibility, in fact – that we speak out on the impacts to growers, declining the profitability of their businesses.

This is not purely an industry issue: it has ramifications for the community and the regional economy, and therefore, these communities have a right to know about issues impacting a significant number of family farming businesses.

In any event, the likeliest outcome will be that the arrival of the monsoon will bring the crush to a halt.

Any growers requiring assistance with any issues are encouraged to call 4944 2600 to get the ball rolling on a solution.

Keep an eye on our Facebook page, The Billet and weekly District Manager Updates for emerging training and industry opportunities.

We would like to thank Mill Manager Rob Zahn, Cane Supply Manager, Micheal Green and all mill staff on a job well done.

The Bundaberg Cut-out Party was held on Thursday 19 December and was well attended by growers and industry representatives. This was a great opportunity for everyone to catch up on the past season.

In December we reinforced our views of Fox Resources’ MDL3040 application by writing to Hon Dale Last MP, Minister for Natural Resources and Mines. This pending decision poses a significant threat to both our agricultural industry and the long-term sustainability of our natural resources.

We recently recognised the extensive career of Heather Best. Heather first completed her cane-testers course in 1966 eventually ending up working

at Millaquin Mill. Heather has recently stepped back from her role as a Cane Analyst Auditor although her passion and support for the industry continues. We express our deepest gratitude for Heather’s years of exceptional service.

The date of the 2024 Season Sugar Industry Dinner and Awards has been locked in for Friday, 21 March 2025. Invitations will be in letterboxes soon.

The 2024 crushing season finished on Wednesday 11 December crushing a total of 1,205,229.24 tonnes for the season.

The season average CCS was 13.5897 and the assigned area Relative average CCS was 13.8190.

It was a season of challenges including wet weather, low CCS and intermittent mill issues although we were able to work through each issue as they arose for another successful season and our initial assessment is that mill availability was 96%.

disrupted the last few weeks of harvesting across the Isis district.

At the time of writing Isis Mill had crushed just over 1,256,000 tonnes with a season to date average CCS of 13.41 and approximately 30,000 tonnes left to crush. CCS rapidly declined over the last 6 weeks of the season dropping from a weekly average of 14.10 to just 11.51.

We recently held our AGM and saw a good roll up of growers eager to hear from our guest speakers Bundaberg Regional Council Division 3 elected representative Deb Keslake and QSL Grower Relationship Officer Glenn Harris.

Patchy storms

BUNDABERG

Bundaberg CANEGROWERS recognises Heather Best for her extensive career as a Cane Analyst Auditor and thanks her for her exceptional service

Top: Tony Russo chats with Roy Parfitt from SRA

Bottom: Paul Frohloff and Hector Fleury SRA

Farm maps should have been sent out for updating and Logitrix staff were to contact growers in early January to assist with updating records and maps for changes to your farm.

MARYBOROUGH

A damp finish to the season in the week of 20 December brought the season to a close.

Accurate finish numbers weren’t available before this report was prepared but the mill had passed 1.26 million ton and 435k ton with a few days to go.

It has been a frustrating year where delays in the field were somehow connected to events in the supply chain or the weather, and momentum has been hard to feel like it was occurring.

What to do differently for 2025?

Discussions have already started on redesigning the harvest group system to reconnect truck transport movement to a group and bring

back some clearer efficiency in the operation. Better use of local knowledge amongst the drivers will also help make their work less frustrating.

The Transloader has been undergoing some tinkering in the software to manage a better consistency of bin weights when transferring cane. Over the last month of the season trials were run to develop this and should be implemented for start of 2025.

The long-term plan with the mill is to shift to an onsite (mill) unloading facility that will remove some of the potential impediments we currently have annually. This can’t be achieved before the start of 2025 harvest but further improvements in the coordination of deliveries is being worked on.

The wet and steamy conditions have been great for establishment of the 2025 crop and a strong sugar price

is also helping to encourage activity. Soybean activity will also be busy around the district although the bean prices have steadied a little.

At week 19 (8 December)

the Rocky Point Mill has crushed a total of 188,235 tonnes of cane at an average CCS of 14.19.

CCS has continued to fall, with many readings now in the 11-12 range.

We are still targeting only 60% of the crop due to Mill reliability and wet weather, which has again hampered the crush with over 100mls of rainfall in early December causing a 7-day stop.

Between 11 November and 8 December, only five days of harvesting was achieved.

We had hoped for a better year, but to date, this has been another disastrous season for Rocky Point. We still have approximately 350 hectares of standover to be cut at time of writing.

Now that it’s beginning to dry up, growers are looking to catch up on farm work, fertilise, chase weeds and prepare ground for soybean planting.

There are predictions of further rain the week commencing 9 December, which we hope does not eventuate so the season can finish up in a reasonable manner.

ROCKY POINT

Establishing the seed cane plot for Maryborough

Top: Glenn Harris QSL Grower Relationship Officer, Norm Anderson

Bottom: Wallaville Growers Judy and Brendon Boon attending CANEGROWERS Isis AGM

WORKING TOGETHER

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.

Growing your business | Growing your industry www.canegrowers.com.au

2025: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

Sustainability & Environment

BY MICK QUIRK

2025 will present a number of opportunities, and challenges, in relation to reef water quality, chemical use, and capacity to manage biosecurity risks.

Reef

water quality

CANEGROWERS looks forward to much better prioritisation and planning of government investments that support increased uptake of practices providing win-win outcomes for growers. This will be a result of careful analysis at a district level lead by the DPI and informed by local industry advisory staff and technical specialists.

This should result in investments with much more realistic and relevant objectives, much greater local ownership, and with adequate resourcing to be successful.

CANEGROWERS also looks forward to a review of the Queensland Government reef regulations that impact growers. This is an opportunity to remove unnecessary complexity from the process. For example, is the regulation of phosphorus use justified? There is little if any emphasis on phosphorus management in any practice change projects and forcing P management into a regulated cap system is not consistent with its logical management on a crop cycle basis.

It is encouraging to see Australian and Queensland government staff recognise that there is no opportunity for growers to further reduce nitrogen rates. This means there are no ‘easy metres’ left, in the push for further reductions

in risk of inorganic nitrogen (mainly nitrate) losses to waterways through agronomic means. And any specific agronomic opportunities have been carefully evaluated by the recent DPI district analysis referred to above.

Consequently, any further reductions in nitrate losses require means of intercepting and slowing down subsurface and surface movement of water, including a mechanism for removing nitrate. Possible treatment systems include constructed wetlands, sediment basins, vegetated drains and recycle pits.

While such measures can slow water and reduce nitrate leaving the treatment system, they tend to be variable in effectiveness and also vary in their suitability depending on local hydrology, topography and soils.

Obviously, significant structures such as constructed wetlands can change the hydrology of adjacent and downstream farms. Getting the confidence and support of local landholders is critical for implementing such measures for long-term success.

Ongoing access to effective and safe chemicals

The APVMA’s proposed changes to allowable rates and uses of paraquat took all of agriculture by surprise given it was based primarily on environmental concerns. Its recommendations for further reducing risks to human health were expected and understood.

But at no time during its review of paraquat did the APVMA flag any new evidence of risk to wildlife, and the proposed restrictions on use appear to be internal risk assessments based on data and scenarios from Europe.

This required sugarcane and other industries to quickly get up to speed on the process and assumptions used by the APVMA, which is less than ideal. We are hoping future reviews will flag the nature of any concerns so that the ag sector is not left in the dark.

SRA and CANEGROWERS responded to the APVMA’s proposed changes with evidence-based critiques of their environmental risk assessment, but it’s unlikely we will hear their final decisions before mid-2025.

During 2025 we expect the APVMA review of the nicotinoid group of chemicals, which includes imidacloprid, to finish and for any proposed changes to its allowable use to be released for public consultation. Most concerns with agriculture in the past have focused on the risk of broadacre spraying of imidacloprid to non-target insects such as honeybees.

But its use in sugarcane and bananas will also be under the spotlight due to instances of relatively high concentrations of imidacloprid in several waterways, typically at the start of the wet season. While this does not prove any impact on freshwater organisms, it indicates a potential risk.

The industry has been preparing for the result of this APVMA review, with SRA evaluating alternative control methods, and numerous research and farm trials showing how risk of imidacloprid loss to waterways is minimised by correct placement and careful irrigation management.

Biosecurity threats – be prepared

their presence in nearby countries and the difficulties in controlling people and material movements across the Torres Strait.

Being prepared for a new pest or disease requires our industry to have knowledge about their biology and control options (responsibility of SRA), to be part of the national arrangements that govern coordinated and cofunded responses to a new pest or disease (responsibility of CANEGROWERS ), and to be ready to play our part in assisting a containment or eradication response (responsibility of all of us).

To help assess and improve the sugar industry’s readiness for contributing to such responses, CANEGROWERS has funding from the DPI to run a workshop based on various threat scenarios. This will explore how responses are managed, the role of industry personnel to assist and advise, and the information and local knowledge needed to help decision-making.

T H E F U T U R E O F

CANEGROWERS continues to advocate for strong border control and surveillance to minimise risks of new crop pests or diseases entering Australia. But the risk of a new sugarcane pest or disease remains significant, given

This workshop will involve growers and staff from CANEGROWERS , SRA, and the productivity service companies. Follow-up training will involve a biosecurity response exercise to practice, test and evaluate industry capability.

G R I C U L T U R E J U S T G O T B E T

T E R

WELCOME TO 2025

Membership Engagement & Innovation

BY MATT KEALLEY

Welcome to 2025. I am looking forward to what this year brings from a membership and innovation perspective.

It will be a year with a new Queensland Government, with an updated Department of Primary Industries; a new US leader that may influence trade and markets; the possibility of a change of Federal Government in Australia and of course a new three-year term for the CANEGROWERS Policy Council.

Membership engagement activities for 2025 will continue to focus on face-to-face meetings with members across the districts, professional development opportunities with younger growers and the delivery of the 2025 Next Ratoon mentoring program. There will also be the CANEGROWERS Sugar Cubed conference in Brisbane and celebrations in Tully to mark 100 years of sugarcane growing in that District.

Community is important to the success of CANEGROWERS , and it is these interactions with growers across the state that allow us to understand your needs and represent you and your industry from the paddock to the international stage. Regardless of your farm size, our diversity is our strength to achieve our vision of a secure and profitable future.

CANEGROWERS 2025 Member survey –tell us what you think!

The 2025 CANEGROWERS member survey will be open in March 2025.

Your participation will give us valuable insight into your needs and satisfaction with CANEGROWERS More importantly, your feedback will allow us to refine and improve our products, services, and advocacy to support your business today and for the seasons to come.

The last survey, undertaken in 2021, provided recommendations such as engaging with younger growers which has resulted in young grower group meetings and the delivery of the Next Ratoon mentoring program. Other recommendations included developing strategies to improve the use of our services including a members-only area on the website as well as looking at increasing value across the supply chain.

CANEGROWERS has updated our website and created a member’s portal and has championed the Sugar Plus industry roadmap and opportunities for diversification including Sustainable Aviation Fuel.

The 2025 survey questions will focus on:

ƒ Demographics including age, district, and production

ƒ Where growers get their information

ƒ Satisfaction with CANEGROWERS products, services and advocacy

ƒ Opinion on the future direction for the Queensland sugar industry

ƒ Consideration of future needs and plans for member businesses.

The data will be aggregated and analysed to create a report into our members needs which will be shared with CANEGROWERS districts, the Policy Council and the QCGO board. The survey results will inform CANEGROWERS ’ membership engagement, provide insight into member satisfaction and identify opportunities to improve our products, services and advocacy to support your business needs.

Next Ratoon 2025

The 2024 program was a great success and I’m looking forward to getting to know the 2025 participants and watch their personal growth and professional development over the next eight months.

CANEGROWERS is busy working with our partner Pragmatic Thinking to deliver the 2025 program which will kick-off on 26 and 27 February in Brisbane.

WH&S – TIME FOR GROWERS TO STEP UP

Industry & Farm Inputs

BY BURN ASHBURNER

I am sometimes disappointed in the lack of uptake of services, resources, training and education offered to growers when a clear grower need has been expressed. This leads to some soul searching as to why we are not hitting the mark.

Is it because there was not a need in the first place, or it was poorly promoted and growers did not see the relevance, or just haven’t heard about it, or it is poorly designed and not suitable for growers so gets a bad rap right from the start, or is it grower fatigue with off season workshops and training offers.

Clearly as CANEGROWERS we try and offer what growers want and need. The evidence that we have hit the mark is measured by the level of use or attendance.

Workplace health and safety (WHS) is the first one that comes to mind. The WHS law and regulations have applied to growers for many years. This is not something new. Growers have been exposed to a plethora of information and afforded many opportunities to fully understand the WHS requirements of a business owner for compliance.

There are (outdated) 20-year-old glossy publications in the CANEGROWERS office and an up-to-date WHS Guide for Sugarcane Farms on the website. Over the years there have been a number of road shows and workshops offered.

There are and have been commercial offerings which provide a WHS system with all the paperwork (or computer work) and even a safety audit if required. These range in price and from my understanding in the region of $1,000 to $2,000 (say 25 tonnes cane) once off for the most basic system with some more detailed app-based systems for about $75 per month. There are also government resources available through Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) and I am sure there is more at a district level.

My point is that there is no excuse for growers not to understand their WHS obligations and do something about it.

The kicker is that growers have to want to embrace a safety culture and WHS system for their businesses. Nobody else can do this for them. It may be work for business owners (growers) to develop, document and follow safe procedures and keep records of training and maintenance etc. and only the business owner can be responsible for this.

There have been some fatalities in the sugarcane industry over the last few years and near misses with power lines and this has not gone unnoticed by the regulators who follow an evidence-based approach to enforcement.

I think the time has come for growers to think carefully about their WHS and keep improving their systems.

CANEGROWERS is looking to provide growers with opportunities to step up and get their WHS house in order in 2025. It is planned to have a series of Business Essentials WHS webinars in April followed by workshops with WHSQ focusing on compliance in May. Workshops will be free of charge for members.

I urge growers to engage in these. WHS is not just about compliance but about safety for the grower, their families, visitors, workers, and contractors. For more information, visit www.canegrowers.com.au/information-hub/what-iscanegrowers-business-essentials

CANEGROWERS ELECTIONS: WHO CAN NOMINATE AND WHO CAN VOTE

CANEGROWERS Legal Advisor

BY CHRIS COOPER

The CANEGROWERS 3 yearly elections will take place in early 2025. Let’s look at who can nominate and stand for election as a grower director and who can vote in the election.

Who can stand for election?

The constitution of the local CANEGROWERS company quite clearly sets out who can stand for election. Only a current member can stand for election and hold a position as a director. A candidate’s nomination must be supported by a certain number of supporters, either 2 or 6, depending on the district.

Who can be a member?

CANEGROWERS is a member only organisation. Only growers can be members of CANEGROWERS

A grower is defined as a person or entity who supplies sugarcane to a mill. CANEGROWERS policy is that a person or entity supplies to a mill if they have a cane supply agreement (CSA) with the mill. So, to be a member of CANEGROWERS a person or entity must supply sugarcane to mill with a CSA and apply for and be admitted as a member. Usually, the member is also identified by an ABN.

What are the types of members structures?

A farming business can have a variety of structures. For  CANEGROWERS purposes there are really three types of structures:

1. The grower might be an individual person; or

2. The grower might be a partnership of two or more individual people; or

3. The grower might be a company, a trust or some other type of corporate entity

In the case of 1, the individual person who supplies cane to the mill, and the person who has a CSA with the mill, is the member. The person is a member in their own personal, individual right. Only this person can stand for office as a director.

In the case of 2, the farming business is conducted by a partnership, and it is the partnership that supplies the cane to the mill and has a CSA with the mill. It is the partnership that is the member. Even though there is more than one individual person involved in the partnership, only one of the partners has the right to stand for election. It is the person who is listed first in the partnership name that is the person allowed to represent the partnership and stand for office. However, if all the partners agree, they can appoint, using the authorised representative form, a different partner than the first named if they so decide.

In the case of 3, a corporate entity supplies the cane to the mill and the corporate entity has a CSA with the mill. It is the corporate entity that is the member. The corporate entity can nominate an individual person to be an authorised representative of the corporate entity by lodging the appropriate form with the local CANEGROWERS office. The person nominated must be connected to the entity, such as an officer (who can be a director, secretary or someone heavily involved in the management and decision making

for the entity), a shareholder or beneficiary depending on the nature of the corporate entity. The duly appointed authorised representative can represent the entity and stand for office as a director.

Who can vote in the election?

It is the member who is entitled to vote in the election. For most CANEGROWERS local companies each member has one vote in the election. In some areas, such as Mossman and Tableland, voting is on a basis of one vote per 70 ha of cane area.

The voting right is tied to the membership. So, in the 3 cases above:

1. An individual member’s vote is exercised by the individual.

2. A partnership member’s vote is exercised by the first named partner, unless the partners lodge an authorised representative form nominating another partner to exercise the vote.

3. A corporate entity’s vote is exercised by the person who is nominated, by lodging of the relevant form with the local CANEGROWERS office, as the authorised representative for the corporate entity.

It is essential for members to ensure their membership is correctly described in the CANEGROWERS membership register. It is also really important to ensure that for corporate entities and potentially some partnerships that valid and up to date authorised representative forms are lodged with the relevant CANEGROWERS local company. If proper authorised representative forms are not up to date, the right to nominate and /or stand for election, and the right to vote might be lost.

For further information please contact your local CANEGROWERS office or call me direct on Free Call 1800 177 159 

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

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* 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.

Kubota Zero Turn ZG 222 with catcher 48" cut. Fiat 980 2WD – 3,500hrs. Fiat 1000 2WD –5,000hrs. John Deere 4040 2WD – 3,600hrs. Chamberlain JD 4080 2 WD – 5,000hrs. Case 2590 2WD – 5,700hrs. Massey Ferguson 3635 4WD – 5,500hrs. 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

1997 JD 7810 4x4, 7,896hrs. Quade box., duals 20,8 38, 70%. Intergrated JD auto steer, 2630 JD screen and JD 3000 RTK reciever. JD Q-hitch. In cab 10" monitor and rear camera. Tinted windows. Cab in good condition as per whole tractor. Total rebuild of rear end 2 years ago, receipts available. Original owner. $100K + GST. International 1486 2wd cab tractor with double bin trail with 7,000L tank, Honda pump and truck crane mounted, ideal for planting, $30k + GST. 120" Howard rotary hoe with roller and rippers, $15K + GST. HBM heavy duty billet planter, new dip, elev chains, drive shafts and bushes. New drive tyers. Stainless boxes, holds over half ton. Rear wheel steer. Tanks and PTO pump for tractor, $30K + GST. 2.5t Gessner fert box with double disc openers and 300L tank and tool bar attachment to fertise plant. On 3-point hitch. $25k + GST. Case 28 plate 770 offsets, new tyres with 30" round discs, fronts worn to 28" rear 30" with cover discs. 2 new spare 30" discs $20K + GST Ph: 0428 682 886.

Case/Stiger 9250 & 1200 Obryan Ejector bucket. With cushion hitch. 6,366hrs. Fitted with T3rra Cutta, I-Grade , Panasonic Tough Book 726hrs 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

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

Howard Rota Vator HR51 Rota. Ph: 0457 255 961

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

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

Massey 4608 excellent condition 2,000hrs. Ph: 0418 972 705

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 hours. Ph: 0427 665 759

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 and 3 row fill in grubber with folding wings $4,000 incl GST ONO. Ph: Gavin on 0448 345 139

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 – 6,800hrs $24,200 (inc. GST) Tully area. Ph: 0427 665 759

Tractor TE20 good condition $3,300 GST incl. Tractor AV International 130 with fertiliser equipment and scarifier $3,300 GST incl. Tractor AV International 140 with spray equipment $3,500 GST incl. Ph: 0428 183 307

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 1,500hrs, 2,200L tank, 85ft boom, GPS ready. $235,000 plus GST. Ph: 0429 912 135

10 blade faggy chopper box for 3510/3520. $6,000 + 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 & rims $1,000; gear boxes $750.00; electrical motors & gear boxes $1,000 each ONO; 6 irvin spray legs $80.00 each; 2x torsion axles v -shape 2,200kg each $500 ONO. Ph: John 0418 198 177

Newton 4T tipper bin $4,000 + GST. Hardi spray tank 850L, 3-point linkage $4,500 + GST. Ph: 0429 653 461

6 cyl. Perkins turbo-charged motor, mounted on trailer to Kelly & Lewis water pump $5,500; 6t Newton bulk fertiliser bin $2,500. Please call 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

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

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

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

1968 International Farmall 756, 2WD, tricycle, 6 cyl, 5,560hrs, $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, 2,912hrs, $156,000. 1976 rear feed whole stick planter, s/s fertiliser boxes & chutes, 2x200L 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

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

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

Service unit/fuel tanker, flat 115-90 4wd tactor set up with hitch & brakes. 4,500L diesel fuel tank. 2,000L aluminium water tank, many more extas. Phone for more details. Ph: Craig 0436 332 044

Bonel whole stick harvester; double fan cane stripper; four trailers. Ph: 07 4056 1742

Hydraulic spraying machine – high rise diesel motor, 1,600Lstainless steel tank $25,000 + GST. Ph: Tim 0428 183 307

Olympic 20.8.42 65% $500+ GST; front end loader with 4 in 1 bucket, blasted and 2pac painted, resembling required $4,500 + GST. Ph: 0437 434 280

Babinda area – 2006 Case 7700 track harvester. 10.3L Iveco motor 3,500hrs. Very good condition. Ph: 0467 198 700 AH 4067 1498

2012 Case 8800 fulltrack cane harvester fitted with Trimble GPS and new walking gear. All in good condition. Near new 6t side tipper. Mulgrave area. Ph: 0407 160 673

Rotocult 1 shot cultivator $7,000 ONO + GST. Ph: 0149 988 158

HERBERT RIVER – BURDEKIN

New Holland T6030 tractor 1,746hrs, near new tyres, VGC, $65,000. Ph: 0407 154 250

New Holland TT490 tractor, 455hrs, VGC $48,000. Ph: 0407 154 250

2002 New Holland TM135. 3,000hrs, quick hitch, hyd, top link, tinted windows. Excellent condition. Ph: 0427 622 006

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

Rainfall Report

New Holland T6030 tractor, 1,746hrs, near new tyres, VCG. $65,000 + GST. Ph: 0407 154 250

New Holland TT490 tractor, 450hrs, VGC. $48,000 + GST. Ph: 0407 154 250

3-point linkage international plough, 4 furrows, 1 drag plough – 3 furrows, self lift. 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.

Brought to you by

Herbert River 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

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

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

1997 Fiat Agri Genius 190. Good condition, one owner, Hyd toplink, hubs for dwels – 5,200hrs. Ph: 0419 666 544.

MACKAY-PROSERPINE

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

Irrigator Avoka 75 model. Capable of carrying two hoses, however hoses are not included. Good condition. $5,000 + GST. Ph: 0417 714 209

Hardi spray tank, Hardi pump and press reg, 4x row Irvin boom, 4x trailing legs. $6,600. Ph: 0400 948 630

Elevator chains for 102. Ph: 4954 1174 for price.

Stick planter suscon box and tank mounted on planter ground driven pump and new tyres, $1,200. Ph: 0477 232 929

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

Jarrett offsets 28 x 24" discs. $6,500 plus GST.  Ph: 0427 593 848

Case Maxxum 140HP tractor with front end loader with 4-in-1 bucket and forks/jib. Near new condition 168hrs. $140,000 ONO incl GST. Howard 7ft slasher, good condition $11,000 incl GST. Ph: 0418 770 218

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

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

Massey Ferguson 8110 4-wheel drive with cab, 135hp, only 2,636hrs 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

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 & 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, 1,000L home-made trailable steel fuel tank, 1,000L steel fuel tank. Ph: 0458 121 546

Pegorano power harrow 100". $3,500 incl GST Koumala. Ph: 0429 027 377

60HP Western Electric motor, foot & flange $2,750. Ph: 0417 158 656

Various farm implements: Hodge 4-furrow reversible plough. 3 row McLeod multi weeder rake. Two tyres & rims to suit fiat 1000 & 1300. Agri/Master; CB538 size 24.5/32R/1 12 ply. Ph: 0417 612 883

GPS autosteer kits and base station can be fitted to any tractor. FJ Dynamics brand, $15,000 excl GST. Ph: 0401 847 162

Double row McLeod fertiliser box with various sprockets for various applications. Ph: 0417 612 883 for price.

Massey Ferguson harvester 102 base cutter box. Ph: 4954 1174 for price.

Pegoraro 120" rotary hoe in good condition. Ph: 0417 542 783 for price.

3 point linkage cane topper. Ph: 0417 542 783 for price.

4,000L of 50/50 diesel/petrol mix suitable for Firebug burners or parts washing Ph: 0411 196 860

Water meter never used Siemans brand (no before or after the meter pipework required) 150mm flanged, table D/E. Ph: 0411 196 860

6" and 8" cast iron flanged gate valves. New never used. Ph: 0411 196 860.

2 fan stripper $500. Moller single chain planter $4,000. Roberts 6t goose neck trailer $5,000. Grubber & box $300. Hodge upright planter

$3,000. Ph: 0408 776 336 or 4959 1765 after 7pm.

BUNDABERG-ROCKY POINT

Tractors for wrecking. Case International 485XL $1,000. Fiat 1000 $2,000. Both start and go. Ph: Kevin 0435 026 622

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

Secondhand Case 2090 2wd tractor All machines located in Ingham.

5 wheel finger rakes 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

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 5,100hrs, 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

Trailco 110x360m hard hose irrigator $23,000 incl GST. Koumala. Ph: 0429 027 377

KMC 3 bed folding wing fluffer. VGC, always shedded, ready to work. Ph: 0422 118 466

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

Secondhand Kubota M120 tractor

New Holland T6070 tractor, $185K neg Challenge FEL, quad remotes, excellent condition, 450hrs. Ph: Justin 0415 626 715

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. Volvo BM 4400 front end loader. Good brakes and hand brake 14,000hrs works well + spares, $38,500. Prices include GST. Ph: 0427 769 086

Gessner 1.5t stool splitter good condition, $33,000. Toft J150 whole stick harvester modified to load onto planter trailers, $5,500. 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 $1,100 tank and frame, no pump or boom, $4,400. Prices include GST. Ph: 0427 769 086.

Komatsu PC 228 US-3 22t excavator 8,000hrs. Tilt hitch lots of buckets, hammer etc, some rust and panel damage. Mechanically sound has been used for contracting. $66,000 for machine and 1 bucket. Extra buckets by negotiation. White Road Boss air bag rear suspension in excellent condition, $44,000. Drake low loader with top deck. Elevator stand, non widening, 17.5 rims, excellent condition, could use paint, $44,000. Prices include GST. Ph: 0427 769 086

White Centurion center point suspension bogey tipper 2 way tailgate and electric tarp. Excellent condition, $44,000. JD cotton picker 4,000hrs with rear wheel assist, was going to use for a sprayer. Offers. Prices include GST. Ph: 0427 769 086

Plant cane cultivator 2 x 1.6m row w/ 3 weeder rakes and tines, $1,320 incl GST. Land plane w/ 4m hyd blade, $3,300 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

2011 John Deere 3520 trac harvester. Machine has new tracks, new elevator chain and floors, 2 x new plastic extractor hoods. Some pumps rebuilt and some replaced. Engine rebuilt and plantary hubs replaced. Machine repainted –very tidy machine. Ph: 0413 584 728

7485 MF tractor tier 3 with Dyna VT transmission and hilift double 6t side tipper. Bundaberg. Ph: 0413 698 922 or 0427 561 072

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.

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

Brand new Howard AH4000/255 2.5m heavy duty rotary hoe w/wheels $38k incl GST. Rocky Point. Ph: Greg 0421 277 126

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

WANTED TO BUY

Wanting 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

Valpadana interrow tractor in working order Ph: 0407 967 570

2 tractor tyres 13.6-38/12-38. Tully. Ph: 0437 681 397.

HBM billet planter. Ph: 0429 651 233

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

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

Wanting 100 to 120 HP 6 cylinder 4x4 tractor. E.g. Ford tw 20., Fiat, Case ih, basic old tractor. Mossman, Herbert, Mackay (for Ingham). Ph: Lloyd 0439 375 301

Shredder topper suit John Deere or Case or Toft or Bowder. Any condition. Ph: 0413 584 728

18.4-38 tyre/s. Plane Creek area. Ph: 0458 121 546.

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

2.5 tonne or similar tipper bins suitable for billet planter. Mulgrave area. Ph: John 0427 563 318.

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

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

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.

All panels for Fiat 780. Mackay / Sarina area. Ph: 0438 421 217

1x Ford 6600 or Ford 7600 two-wheel drive tractor. Ph: 0439 591 455

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

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

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

PROPERTY – FOR SALE

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

PROPERTY WANTED

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

Wanting to buy, cane farm in Mackay or surrounding areas. Ph: 0437 410 434

Looking to purchase a sugar cane farm in Proserpine or surrounding area. Require land only no house needed. Ph: 0451 272 057

Want to buy farm in Victoria Plains, Eton, Pleystowe area. Ph: 0490 029 387

Wanted permanent purchase lower Mary River water allocations on Mary River, Tinana Creek and channel pipeline sections of the scheme. Ph: 0427 930 696