The 2023 cane crushing season is underway

The 2023 cane crushing season is underway after months of maintenance work in the harvesting and milling sectors.

Clarence growers are expected to cut some 500,000 tonnes of sugarcane and the Tweed crop is estimated to come in at 405,000 tonnes of sugarcane.

With the Richmond crop still impacted by the 2022 flood events, the total crop is forecast to come in at 350,000 tonnes and is being processed at Broadwater sugar mill on a 5-day crushing week. Despite the reduced crop, growers are set to receive $54 per tonne, which is a record cane price. This positive price, along with favourable weather conditions, is expected to drive a major planting effort across the Tweed, Richmond and Clarence Valley regions later in the season. The sugarcane industry has been a stalwart of agriculture in the northern rivers for over 150 years. Sugarcane is such a hardy and reliable crop for this area. Add to that an industry model that is set up to support growers with the best pricing outcomes, farm productivity advice, variety development and a sales and marketing network for finished goods – and you have an industry that is strong and vibrant enough to handle not just the good seasons, but also the not-so-good seasons.

Lismore Tree Day

This community tree planting day will take place on the riverbank near Trinity Sports Fields on Saturday, 29 July.

Join us as we aim to plant 1000 new plants on the riverbank, linking previous plantings and creating a corridor for our wildlife. This is a great opportunity to make a positive impact on our environment and create a sustainable habitat for our local flora and fauna.

All are welcome to be a part of this amazing initiative. The event will commence at 10am with a Welcome to Country.

For any inquiries or more information about the event, please feel free to reach out to Wilsons River Landcare at wilsonsriverlandcare@ gmail.com.