Australian Canegrower - 12 October 2015

Canegrower AUSTRALIAN

The flagship of the sugarcane industry 12 October 2015 Price $8.95

TPP trade deals small gain for sugar

Farm machinery 10-page feature

CONTENTS 12.10.2015

CEO'S COMMENT

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The US needs more sugar and we want to sell more to them. Going into the TPP negotiations we wanted a four to five fold increase as a minimum to our access. The outcome is that we will probably double our access but the tide is turning against US protectionist politcies.

Dan Galligan CANEGROWERS CEO

INDUSTRY NEWS Cover: Mackay grower Tony Bartolo with daughter Sarah.

Their irrigated farm (pictured opposite) is now accredited in the three core modules of Smartcane BMP. Story on page 10. Photos by Sonia Ball

Canegrower AUSTRALIAN

2 Editor's desk

The flagship of the sugarcane industry 12 October 2015 Price $8.95

3 CEO's comments 4 TPP gives sugar small gain 6 Growers sign up to BMP as govt flags compliance measures TPP trade deals small gain for sugar

Farm machinery 10-page feature

8 Regional round-up

WHAT’S NEW Editor Neroli Roocke Design, subscriptions, advertising and classifieds Wayne Griffin Articles appearing in Australian Canegrower do not necessarily represent the policies or views of CANEGROWERS Published every second Monday by CANEGROWERS Level 6, 100 Edward Street, Brisbane, Queensland Australia ABN 94 089 992 969 Postal Address: GPO Box 1032, Brisbane, Queensland 4001 Australia Telephone: 07 3864 6444; Fax: 07 3864 6429 Email: info@CANEGROWERS.com.au Website: www.CANEGROWERS.com.au CANEGROWERS/Members Card Hotline 1800 177 159 AUSTRALIAN CANEGROWER ISSN 157-3039 Volume 37, Number 20 Printed by Screen Offset Printing 202 Robinson Road, Geebung, QLD, 4034 Subscriptions Yearly subscriptions for 25 issues (postage included) Within Australia Overseas (AUD)

$140 inc GST $220

10 Mackay growers move into BMP zone 12 QSL - Conference signals a move towards the positive

FARM MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT 14 The cost/benefit balance in new machinery 15 New tech improves weed control, efficiencies & enviroment 16 On a quest for perfection 17 John Deere launches new CH570 cane harvester 18 Big tractor features with four cylinder efficiency 20 Spray leg innovations 21 Brazilians visit North Queensland cane growimng resions 24 New addition to economy tractor range

MEMBER SERVICES 26 Classifieds 27 Rainfall report 12 October 2015

| Australian Canegrower

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EDITOR’S DESK

A big trade agreement has been finalised after five years of negotiations and while there are some gains for sugar, they fall short well short of what the industry was seeking. CANEGROWERS CEO Dan Galligan was at the final round of talks and he writes about the TransPacific Partnership on page 3 while there’s an industry summary on page 4.

The sugarcane industry has had its clearest signal yet that the Queensland Government is looking towards developing a compliance program for reef water quality outcomes.

With 45% of the sugarcane area now in the industry’s Smartcane BMP program, CANEGROWERS is urging the government to respect the gains and effort farmers are putting into this area.

Mackay is the latest district to celebrate the accreditation of a number of growers in the three core modules of Smartcane BMP.

Local management for water

The article on page 10 introduces you to two growers who farm under very different circumstances and have checked their activities again best management practice.

The Queensland Government will transfer four irrigation schemes to local management.

Whether you like it red, blue or green – farm machinery is a big part of farming! This edition we have ten pages of advertisements and feature articles for you starting on page 14!

Minister for Energy and Water Supply Mark Bailey said irrigators accessing the Eton, Emerald, St George and Theodore schemes had demonstrated their strong commitment to the local management concept.

“Local management is designed to use local knowledge and know-how to reduce costs, increase productivity of the irrigation scheme, and add value to our agricultural sector,” he said.

For more on the issue, read the Spotlight column on page 6.

“Special structures are proposed to be established for these four schemes to commence the transition to local management which is likely to occur over the next 12 to 18 months, subject to agreement between irrigators and the government.

Shake out, fold up & drop off

“The four companies will be led by boards of directors made up by local irrigators and appropriately skilled independent directors.”

Three simple steps will make the trial recycling scheme for sugarcane fertiliser bags a success.

Collection points for used bags will be open until mid-December at which point processors and recyclers will take the bags.

The aim of the trial is to show there is a resource available which can be used and to make the scheme a permanent feature of the sugarcane farming process.

Given that more than 350,000 one tonne bags and 2,000,000 25kg bags are used

Neroli

on cane farms each year, that’s a lot of plastic that could be available.

The trial is being run by Farm Waste Recovery with support from regional councils, the Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, fertiliser bag manufacturers Incitec Pivot Limited and Impact Fertilisers and CANEGROWERS. Check out the website for details of collection points www.canegrowers.com. au/page/bags. 

Queensland Farmers’ Federation (QFF) President Joanne Grainger welcomed the move saying it empowered local irrigators to better service their regions.

“This announcement is a culmination of over two years of local, industry and government cooperation and discussions in which QFF and their member organisations played a major role,” she said.

“We have particularly made an effort to ensure that the new Queensland Government understands the importance of moving forward with the implementation of locally managed irrigation schemes.

“We hope that over the next 12 months the Burdekin-Haughton, Bundaberg, Lower Mary and Mareeba-Dimbulah channel irrigation schemes can too complete their investigations and be transitioned to local management.”

Mr Bailey said irrigators will be given the opportunity to respond to expressions of interest to become directors and members of the interim boards and special purpose vehicles.

Further information about the process towards local irrigator management for SunWater’s eight channel irrigation schemes is available at https://www. dews.qld.gov.au/policies-initiatives/ water-sector-reform/local-management-arrangements-for-sunwaterirrigation-channels. 

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Australian Canegrower

| 12 October 2015

CEO'S COMMENT

Trade access is so important – How do we convince others of that?

By Dan Galligan CANEGROWERS CEO As I write this column, what many experts are calling the biggest world trade deal ever negotiated, the TransPacific Partnership (TPP), has just been finalised.

It includes 12 countries representing 40% of the world economy.

If you believe in trade, and more liberalised trade at that, then you need to be involved in this trade deal.

I was in Atlanta, Georgia, as part of a team of industry representatives and participated in the final week of the talks.

It is an enormously broadranging negotiation and after spending a week in Atlanta, I am pleased to bring a small window of perspective to the complexity of the deal.

This was my only firsthand experience of the TPP process.

The hard yards on behalf of our industry have been done by other individuals; people you know well, including Warren Males.

We've been featuring this issue within this magazine for many months and years as Australia has fought for fairer access for its sugar to the US market.

These negotiations have being going on for five years.

The Australian Sugar Alliance, which brings together CANEGROWERS, sugar millers, our research community and QSL, has been there at every opportunity with a joint strategy.

Trade is at the heart of Australian agriculture. For our industry it is critical as we are the third largest sugar exporter in the world with the majority our production goes overseas.

The ambition for the TPP was big. The United States is an important market for us and has tremendous potential for growth.

The US economy is close to 3.7 million tonnes short of sugar.

Every year we are guaranteed to sell to them around 85,000 tonnes (our quota) plus we get access to more opportunities if other countries are not in a position to fill their quota.

The bottom line is the US needs more

“For the US, the tide is turning against the type of protectionist policies it has entrenched in its production system.”

Dan Galligan CANEGROWERS CEO

sugar and we want to sell more to them.

Our desires going into the TPP were admittedly ambitious; we wanted a four to five fold increase as a minimum to our market access.

The outcome, depending on how you cut the pie, and pending confirmation of the detail, is that we will probably double our access.

There has been a number of sticking points for Australian producers to overcome to be successful in these negotiations.

The largest of which is the power of the US sugar lobby.

The reality is that despite many in their domestic economy wanting change, the US sugar producer benefits from a government-funded support program that ensures growers there receive a guaranteed level price of 10US c/lb above the world sugar price.

Meanwhile the Australian producer gets the world price – no matter whether the price is above or below the cost of production.

We are completely unsubsidised, fully exposed to the world market.

Trade deals such as that just signed for the TPP are built on the premise that nations are keen to move to freer movement of trade.

The United States sugar industry lobbied hard for their government to only agree to any increase in access for other nations on the basis that their support program would not change and that they would trade with countries that have zero subsidy (they will only move to zero subsidies when everybody else has).

The answer of course is that it is good, but it could be so much better.

We had high hopes.

The enormous effort put in by Australian Government officials and Trade Minister Andrew Robb in keeping sugar on the table to the end and increasing our access against what is an extremely powerful domestic lobby, must be acknowledged.

I can attest to the effort, diligence and understanding of our arguments. But this is still a wake up for call two great sugar producing nations.

For the US, the tide is turning against the type of protectionist policies it has entrenched in its production system.

The world will not put up with this situation for much longer.

And for the Australian industry?

We need to look at our strategy on trade and indeed on our relationship with every market.

We need to establish our priorities for the long term and focus our efforts on growing markets as competition for us exists everywhere and being proactive in meeting future opportunities will require a coordinated collective response.

Like every issue we talk about, our industry must work with our strengths in this regard.

Trade negotiations are a long process, but success can have real positive hip pocket impacts for every farmer.

These, like our strategies on reducing costs for electricity, transport and water, must mean something to the bottom line. n

Our claim for increased access met these two objectives.

So as everyone wants to know, is the TPP deal good or bad for the sugar industry?

12 October 2015

| Australian Canegrower

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INDUSTRY NEWS

TPP gives sugar small gain The Australian sugar industry today acknowledged the finalisation of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement as a bittersweet end to five years of complex and difficult negotiations.

There are some clear wins, however the major disappointment is with the USA maintaining their protectionist stance on market access for Australian sugar.

Dominic Nolan, CEO of the Australian Sugar Milling Council on behalf of the Australian Sugar Industry Alliance (ASA) said “Our first point of call is to congratulate the Australian negotiators, from Minister Robb at the helm, to the Chief Negotiator and the entire team for the incredible work that has been sustained over the extremely challenging drawn out process.

“It was always going to be difficult balancing competing interests from industry and governments across 12 nations, and the Australian effort has been exemplary from the outset, including strong communication with industry, and work above and beyond the call of duty,” Mr Nolan said.

“We should focus on the gains made in this agreement for Australian sugar, and not the success of the powerful US sugar lobby in maintaining their protectionist stance against bringing sugar into their deficit market.

“The wins include an improvement on access to Japan above and beyond the

Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement which will result in commercially meaningful reduction of costs of $25 per tonne for Australian sugar going into that market. Japan has shown leadership and commitment in delivering this TPP outcome.”

Paul Schembri, CANEGROWERS Chairman, says Australia’s major interest in the TPP negotiations from the outset was rectifying the USAAustralia Free Trade Agreement which excluded sugar, by achieving commercially meaningful access for Australian sugar to that market.

“The USA needs to import sugar, and what better opportunity than to import from the most liberalised trader in the world, with unsubsidised, unprotected Australian sugar,” he says.

“Unfortunately, despite all of the logical, economic-based arguments put forward by the Australian industry and Government negotiators, the US sugar lobby was successful in blocking all but a small amount of additional market access for Australian sugar.

“The increase in access for Australian sugar is welcome but it must be recognised that it comes from a very low start, with an annual increase of 65,000 tonnes, for a total of 152,000 tonnes.

“In today’s market, that extra access translates to approximately $13 million per year benefit for the Australian sugar industry.

“On top of this, the removal of the inquota tariff is worth a further $3 million per year, plus there is a potential annual additional allocation based on US needs.

“The opportunity to greatly enhance the business relationship between our industries has been lost for now, mainly due to US domestic politics, despite our clear capacity to achieve increased access without harming the US sugar program.”

The ASA concluded by emphasising their gratitude to the Australian negotiating team at the end of a gruelling five year project.

“Overall, the deal is net positive for Australian sugar, not in the ball park of what we would have liked from the USA market, but is certainly as a whole better than where we started 5 years ago,” they concluded. n

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Australian Canegrower

| 12 October 2015

Racecourse cogen record The cogen plant at Racecourse Sugar Mill has recorded its highest electricity output since it started operation in 2014.

The plant produced 5200 MWh after increasing mill throughput.

The facility is into its third harvest season and produces about one third of the Mackay region’s electricity.

100 Brazil mills in trouble The International Sugar Journal is reporting that up to 100 sugar mills in the Ceter-South of Brazil face the prospect of bankruptcy.

It quotes a leading banker as saying that a large part of the sugarethanol sector in the country is heavily indebted and, with global sugar prices depressed from five years of surplus, the situation is dire for many mills.

Alexandre Figliolino said the business environment in Brazil was very bad and there was a lack of public policies to boost ethanol production.

Sugar tax in the UK A city council in the United Kingdom has become the first to introduce a voluntary sugar tax.

Brighton and Hove is calling on food and drink shops to impose a 10p surcharge on all sugary soft drinks with the proceeds to go to a children’s health and food education trust.

Backed by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, the council is also taking steps to ensure healthy snacks are available in vending machines in local authority and health care buildings and bring food education studies into every primary school.

Pepsi swaps sweetener In the United States, PepsiCo has started selling a Diet Pepsi version without the artificial sweetener aspartame which studies have linked to an increased cancer, allergies and premature birth risks.

The new Diet Pepsi contains sucralose which may have other health implications including enlarging the liver and kidneys and reduce the population of beneficial microbes in the stomach.

Soft drink market observers say the new product and its ‘Now Aspartame Free’ label with test the theory that the sweetener was to blame for falling sales or if other issues are at play.

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INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

Growers encouraged to sign up to Smartcane BMP as government flags compliance measures

By Matt Kealley, CANEGROWERS Senior Manager – Environment The Queensland Government has announced that it will be looking at developing a targeted compliance program for reef water quality outcomes.

CANEGROWERS came out immediately, making it clear that the industry’s own Smartcane BMP is a better approach for growers, being a system which is focussed on growing more cane, putting dollars in the pocket and ensuring that the environment is looked after.

Regulations are a tool, yet we do not consider them the best approach.

We continually inform the government that reef health is important and no one understands better than those who live right alongside the reef.

This is evident by the sheer number of growers implementing the industry driven best management practices program (BMP) which focuses on the farming business.

We’ve had the program out there for just over 18 months and during these initial stages this industry has put its clear focus on getting as much land area in Queensland under sugarcane into the program.

that future reef report cards reflect this contribution.

We are also going to work with government on getting their language right when it comes to describing practices that the cane industry uses so everyone understands what is being said.

If it is a regulated practice – say that. If it is a practice for a water quality outcome – say that.

We are telling government that it is important not to confuse industry practices that deliver productivity, profitability and sustainability with practices that focus solely on water quality.

We believe that the reason so many growers have become involved in the initial stages is that the Smartcane BMP is driven and owned by growers.

Our system is set by our experts - by science not by politics. It’s an approach that is more about making the best decisions for your farm.

There is a growing acceptance across the Australian farming sector that BMP is a tool which will help Australia maintain its competitive edge in the

increasingly competitive world market - not just by helping keep growers up to date with the latest practices and technology, but being able to show that you are productive and sustainable producers of quality sugar.

This is becoming increasingly important to our customers worldwide, and the Smartcane BMP is the way we are going to show just that.

" "

What really excites me is that 36% of Queensland’s total sugarcane area has already achieved the first major milestone of the program.

There is so much commitment and goodwill which has helped us get to this stage it would certainly be a strong show of the good faith and support for that effort to be further supported. n

45% of the sugarcane area in Queensland is already registered in Smartcane BMP. What really excites me is that 36% of Queensland’s total sugarcane area has already achieved the first major milestone of the program, with farmers having completed a self-assessment in the three core modules of the program.

This should provide some comfort to the government that Smartcane BMP is working.

While the accreditation process had taken a while to bed down, the process had now been reviewed and streamlined, and there is now a backlog of accreditations building in the system.

We believe government needs to respect this effort and ensure

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Australian Canegrower

| 22 June 2015

CANEGROWERS Senior Manager – Environment, Matt Kealley, addressed delegates at the International River Symposium in Brisbane recently. He told them about the everyday actions of our growers to safeguard the water quality of the Great Barrier Reef, likening them to superheroes

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INDUSTRY NEWS

CANEGROWERS Regional round-up

By CANEGROWERS district offices

Mossman and Tableland At the end of week 20 Mossman Mill had processed a total of 644,766 tonnes of cane for a mill average of 12.27 CCS. The coast has supplied a total of 355,059 tonnes of cane for a pool average of 11.78 CCS and Tableland supplied a total of 289,706 tonnes of cane for a pool average of 12.87 CCS. In addition to this, about 167,000 tonnes of cane has been toll-crushed to date.

Week 19 and 20 were plagued with mechanical issues once again and the area received some much needed showers of rain. The crop estimate has stabilised for now around 1.21 million tonnes of cane in total with about 250,000 tonnes of this to be toll-crushed. The predicted finish date for the season now sits around November 29.

Tableland Mill crushed well over the past fortnight with 28,658 tonnes crushed in week 15 and 31,743 tonnes crushed in week 16. The Tableland Mill is also on track to finish around the end of November.

Cairns Region Crop estimates and the fibre figure continues to rise adding to concerns surrounding season length.

Weather conditions have been favourable for harvesting and farming operations. Planting is still being undertaken particularly in the Babinda Zone and bean orders have been distributed. A successful spray demonstration has been held in collaboration with WTSIP and QDAFF and it is envisaged that a similar night will be held in Babinda in the coming weeks.

Innisfail The crop continues to increase with the current estimate now at 115% of the pre-season estimate. Last week the cut to estimate was 118%. Some are suggesting that the pre-season estimate may have been incorrect, but back in March/April visually there wasn’t much of a crop. At week ending September 27 for South Johnstone Mill the crush had reached 47% of the current estimate and a new weekly crush

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Australian Canegrower

record with 85,866 tonnes was achieved.

This is on the back of outstanding efforts by harvesting operators who are still incurring disappointing supply deliveries of empty bins. For all involved it was an outstanding effort.

CCS is still much lower than what it could be and not inspiring any great thoughts of a reasonable seasonal average CCS despite some individual high levels being achieved. With the planting program starting to wind up, it is clear that there has been a much lower than expected level of planting undertaken this year, which is a significant reduction in the grower investment in the district.

Tully A revised crop estimate of 2.8 million tonnes for the Tully district is a record and will be a challenge to achieve given than we are now in October and have crushed 55% of the estimated cane available. CCS is still rising and is approaching 14 for the week and has exceeded the seasonal long term average at 12.8 for the season to date.

The district received around 60mm of rain mid-September which was good for the plant cane and weed control. There was little disruption to the harvest from the rain. Bin weights and fibre levels are giving the mill the opportunity to maximise crushing rates and we will need several weeks of maximum crushing rates to get all the crop off.

The 2015 season harvest and crush has been a little behind the target pace of 31,000 tonnes per day for quite a few weeks now for a whole raft of reasons as harvesting moves into the peak value period which disappoints the field sector. Conditions remain generally dry and ideal for field operations.

Herbert River Season to date tonnage is 2,696,361 tonnes. That is 111.4% of the original estimate and more than 60% of the available crop. CCS has improved remarkably on early season levels but still needs to do more to save a downward adjustment of estimated seasonal CCS for payment purposes.

CCS for Week 15 to 4 pm Thursday was 14.2 whereas it needs to be

| 12 October 2015

more than 14.48 for the rest of the season to hold the current estimated seasonal average for both pools.

Field operations are now focusing on fertilising earlier harvested ratoons.

Planting has wrapped up. There is evidence of a shift to mound planting which is showing good results especially for the earlier planted areas.

Burdekin More than six million tonnes (73%) of the 8.27 million tonne crop had been crushed at the end of Week 16. Since the start of the crush on June 9, only three hours has been lost due to wet weather.

CCS continues to rise hitting 15.84 and the four mills are averaging over 379,000 tonnes per week. If the mills can maintain this throughput and there are no weather stoppages the crush is likely to be completed by the first week in November.

The Burdekin Falls Dam level continues to drop an average of 1% per month and is 61% compared to 89% at the same time last year.

Water restrictions for irrigators are in place at 71% for the BRIA and 50% for the Delta area and restrictions are to be imposed on residential properties. There is a great deal of concern of the impact if the region is hit with another failed wet season.

CANEGROWERS Burdekin recently met with consultants engaged by the Queensland Government to undertake Parts 2-7 of the Lower Burdekin Catchment Development Project. This is a Queensland Government project developed in response to the growing demand to access water. The project is looking at how the best use can be made of the currently available water.

Proserpine Dry conditions continue to prevail over the entire Proserpine district and rain is desperately needed to stimulate next year’s crop. On the positive side, the dry weather has assisted harvesting operations with nearly 190,000 tonnes crushed over the past fortnight despite a number of minor stops at the mill to attend to mechanical and cleaning issues. ►

Continued on page 9

INDUSTRY NEWS

Proserpine Mill has now crushed 1,204,118 tonnes of cane representing just over 70% of the 2015 crop’s revised estimate. CCS has steadily increased since early August. Last week’s average was 15.45 units which lifted the season to date average to 13.91 units.

With fine weather predicted for the next few weeks, it’s anticipated the crush will be completed in the last week of October. The exact date will be determined by the Operations Review Committee.

SSP has been operating the hot water treatment plant for the past four weeks with a steady stream of cane treated.

Demand has tapered off and the facility will be shut down in the next fortnight.

Isis Dry conditions have continued across the Isis cane supply area hastening the end of the harvesting season expected to be the end of October.

Isis Mill has crushed close on one million tonnes of cane at a seasonal average CCS of 13.96. Individual CCS levels are still in the high 16s and low 17s which is making it difficult for some growers to get to mill average. The remaining crop will be harvested within four weeks if no major interruption occurs.

Some planting is still in progress.

Growers wishing to bale sugarcane trash should contact the CANEGROWERS office to secure a contract. It is important that growers give an

indication to the baling contractors of the blocks they intend to bale.

Contracts are available from Australian Prime Fibre and Collins Hay. Isis Mill has planned to conduct a meeting for harvester owners and operators to discuss the volumes of extraneous matter received at the mill this year. This matter has become very topical since the Landline program. It will take a whole of industry approach to resolve the reported cane losses.

Any grower who would like to participate in the pump audit program should contact Isis Productivity Limited, Isis Mill or CANEGROWERS.

Bundaberg The Bundaberg Sugar mills crushed a total of 80,975 tonnes, bringing the tonnes crushed so far this season to 1,288,628. This is approximately 74% of the estimated 2015 crop.

The highest variety average for the week was 16.53 units for KQ228A (13% of supply). Q208A (21% supply) was the next best variety with an average of 16.08 units.

Q240A (13% supply) provided an average of 16.00 for the week.

Maryborough Approaching the end of week 15, MSF has crushed 558,110 tonnes (approximately 67% of estimate) at CCS of 13.34.

To date this week the mill has crushed 41,121 tonnes at CCS of 14.55. CCS levels have risen significantly over the past few weeks. The district has received some storm rain which has been well received in most areas.

Rocky Point

The continued dry weather is having a positive influence on the CCS results with the average weekly CCS increasing by 0.25 units to 15.82. Millaquin and Bingera mills’ average was 15.92 and 15.68 respectively. The highest individual CCS result for the week was 18.50 units for Q240A plant cane.

As a result of the current CCS trend, the base CCS for both mills will be increased to 14.30 units. This adjustment will take effect from the commencement of week 16 and growers will see the adjustment in this week’s cane pay advice

At the end of week 11, Rocky Point Mill had crushed a total of 180,356 tonnes of cane at a season average CCS of 13.37.

During the last two days of week 11, issues with the co-generation plant boiler resulted in lost time.

Most planting has now been completed.

The weather is unseasonably cool.

A large fire broke out in wood piles next to the co-generation plant adjacent to the mill on Sunday September 27 and resulted in a further two days of lost time.

The fire is expected to burn for several weeks. n

A fire in wood piles at the co-gen plant at the Rocky Point mill at the end of September interrupted crushing operations. Photos from Samuel Mischke 12 October 2015

| Australian Canegrower

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WHAT’S NEW

Mackay growers move into the BMP zone

By Neroli Roocke

Two Mackay growers are now among those to be presented with certificates of accreditation in the three core modules of the sugarcane industry’s best management practice program, Smartcane BMP. Local facilitator John Turner guided Tony Bartolo and Wayne Peach through their registration, self-assessment and evidence gathering activities and says the exercise proved that best practice is different on different farms.

“Both of these growers are farming under very different circumstances,” he said.

“Tony is on irrigated flat straight drills and Wayne has hilly, contoured dryland country but both had a desire to check their farming practices against Smartcane BMP.” “It was a pleasure to work with two growers who had an understanding of environmental issues while striving to reduce their impact off farm.

“I know that as the harvest season draws to a close, more growers who are already doing great things on their farms will step up their participation in the BMP program and demonstrate their credentials as environmentally sound farmers,” he said.

The core modules cover soil health and plant nutrition, pest, disease and weed management and drainage and irrigation management.

Tony Bartolo With wife Deanne and children Sarah, Sam and Isabelle, Tony farms 120 hectares at Rosella, just south of Mackay.

He says he set out to use BMP as a tool to build on the good practices already established on the family property he returned to full time in 2013 after a balancing a busy career as an accountant and farming for several years.

“The accreditation process was the culmination of those farming practices and some further refinement,” Tony said.

“As an industry we need to advocate our sustainable management of the natural resources in our control and which we use to produce a product that is exported worldwide.”

Tony believes improving the quality of water leaving farms is paramount to the protection of oceans for future generations.

“Living in Mackay means we spend a lot of time on the water and reef fishing is my favourite pastime.”

Grower Tony Bartolo accepts his Smartcane BMP accreditation certificate from Mackay district facilitator John Turner.

A tail water sediment trap that catches a large portion of the farm’s runoff is part of Tony’s commitment to water quality.

He has worked hard to fine tune farm inputs – to reduce environmental impact while maintaining or boosting production.

“Our fertiliser program has consisted of a rotation of granular and BioDunder, with ash, mill mud and lime being applied when necessary,” Tony explains, adding that he’s into his second season of trialling slow release urea in a bid to minimise nitrogen loss.

“Granular products are applied sub-surface using side dress coulters on the ratoons and the plant cane dresser is a reversed trash incorporator which applies fertiliser and hills up in one pass.”

Both applicators were built and modified with partial assistance from Reef Rescue.

Also accessing Reef Rescue funding (the forerunner of the Australian Government Reef Programme) Tony has been converting the farm to GPS controlled traffic on 1.8m rows. Most of the farm has also been laser levelled.

Tony Bartolo applies fertiliser sub-surface using side dress coulters on his ratoons.

10 Australian Canegrower | 12 October 2015

“These days the fallow rotation usually only just requires a final trim to touch up the paddock and headland or re-align an irrigator tow path before planting,” Tony says. Soy beans are being introduced into the fallow rotation to improve soil health by introducing more nitrogen and organic matter. ►

WHAT’S NEW

Limited access to groundwater, which because of his proximity to the coast is impacted by sea water intrusion, has influenced a move to low pressure overhead irrigation. Tony currently has two booms and when BioDunder is applied, it is gently watered into the soil within four days of application.

“Considering the lack of wet season, this should return a good result on the current crop which is averaging about 100 tonnes per hectare against the Mackay average of about 70 tonnes,” Tony says.

Wayne Peach Wayne and his wife Sharon bought their 92 hectare farm from his parents in 1990 and 60 hectares is planted to cane.

Wayne admits to being surprised at being one of the first growers in the Mackay area to be accredited.

“I had to do a few things to get through but I knew I had to do them anyway,” he says of getting his dryland farm through the Smartcane BMP process.

“I guess it inspired me to get my act together and our facilitator John Turner made it all fairly painless.”

In sight of Mt Blackwood, the farm has undulating blocks and light soils.

It’s a combination that makes it prone to erosion, a factor that prompted Wayne to move to zonal tillage.

“Although we don’t have irrigation, I’ve been around the Mackay Sugar tonnes per hectare average and around their

Wayne Peach has been using zonal tillage since 2014 to minimise erosion on his undulated farm.

average PRS but erosion was always a major problem,” Wayne explains.

“My father started contouring in 1980 and then I moved into green cane harvesting in 1993 but we were still at risk of erosion in the plant cane areas.

"I’ve been zonal till since 2014 starting with a few hectares and the farm is now on 1.83m centres.”

“This is only my second year but the bit of rain we did have didn’t produce the erosion that I would normally have seen,” he says.

“We’ve got grandkids starting to come along too so that also made me think that a chemical shed wasn’t such a bad idea,” he says.

Wayne estimates the move from 1.5 to 1.83 centres has given him a time saving in fewer hours spent on the tractor and a corresponding diesel fuel saving, because he’s working 20% fewer rows.

Grower Wayne Peach with Smartcane BMP facilitator John Turner.

“It’s reduced the cost of harvesting too and the contractor thinks we might also get an extra ratoon out

Wayne’s tractors have now all had their wheel spacing converted to suit the wider rows.

It was one of the tasks Wayne says he needed to complete to meet the Smartcane BMP requirements.

Putting in a chemical shed was another thing on his list.

Zonal till appears to have worked.

“The fuel truck came the other week and didn’t even bother giving me diesel and if that happens just once a year, I’m in front by not having to buy 400-600 litres of fuel,” he says.

of the cane because we’re cutting slower, while getting the same tonnes per hectare with less fuel in the same amount of time.”

While he’d been keeping paper records, Wayne has recently upgraded his computer skills and started using the AgDat program to record his chemical usage.

“Learning the technology side of things was a bit of a learning curve for me but it’s here to stay and you’ve got to go with it,” he says.

“The next thing will be to move to using a mobile phone in the paddock and uploading the information because even though I don’t have GPS in my tractors it will use the GPS in my phone. n

12 October 2015

| Australian Canegrower 11

QSL

Sign up for market updateS and QSL newS at www.qsl.com.au

ICE No.11 Prompt Futures Contract 20.0 19.0

Market Update

By Shaun Tupou, Treasury Analyst

18.0

Current as of 6 October 2015

17.0

Sugar

16.0

It was an eventful fortnight for raw sugar futures as we saw the October15 contract roll off the board and numerous developments across the industry. Increased volatility in the sugar market near the October expiry saw prices finish up positively at 12.17 c/lb. The March16 contract followed suit, pushing higher since becoming the new prompt contract and rallying to highs not seen since July 2015.

15.0 14.0 13.0 12.0 11.0

Much like the past two contract expiries, the October15 contract expiry was no different. The sugar market saw one single receiver of 1.2 million tonnes of sugar. Interestingly, we note that all deliveries will be derived from Brazil, with no Thai sugar delivered to the tape.

10.0

Fundamentally, we had a few developments in the past fortnight. Brazil’s Petrobras announced a hike in gasoline prices, the latest UNICA (Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association) report was released, weather patterns in India and Brazil remained indecisive and the Indian Government continue to cloud the market with talk of how they will assist local mills.

Australian Dollar (AUD v USD) 0.97 0.95 0.93 0.91 0.89 0.87 0.85 0.83 0.81 0.79 0.77 0.75 0.73 0.71 0.69 0.67 0.65

Petrobras announced a 6% increase in gasoline prices ahead of the October expiry, which sent the market into a buying frenzy. With the increase in gas prices, the price of ethanol remains below parity. This means that price increases will have little-to-no effect on the sugar offer from Brazil.

The latest UNICA report for the first half of September was released, providing less direction for the sugar market. Brazil’s crush numbers mirrored market expectations, however ATR (sugar) levels were slightly higher. Their sugar/ethanol mix showed a slide in the percentage of the cane crop directed to sugar production, now at 40% from 41.6%.

Weather in Brazil and more importantly India continues to offer little-to-no support for the market. Dryness in Brazil has been marred with five-and-a-half days of harvesting lost due to rain. In India, rainfall has remained well behind year-to-date averages, with rain received now approximately 15% behind this time last year.

Last week, the Indian Government announced that there will be no renewal of the current export subsidy. Much of the market expects that this will lead to mandatory exports for mills which are already struggling. With the previous announcement of export quotas (not official), it appears the government is working with ways to assist voluntary exports instead of imposing involuntary regulations.

QSL Forward Fixed Price Contract (A$/mt) 500

The latest Commitment of Traders report listed a 57,000-lot swing from net-short to a current 26,000 net-long position. This was largely expected, considering the continued rally in flat prices.

480

Currency

460

The Australian currency has had a fairly up-and-down fortnight following the US Federal Reserve’s decision to hold rates in late September. Weakness in the Australian Dollar returned in the week commencing 21 October, as the local unit tumbled from its 72-cent high to test the 69.50-cent levels seen in early September, however strong support remains at that level and it saw plenty of profit taken off the table. Last week saw much narrower trading ranges as the market consolidated and the Aussie Dollar drifted back towards 71 cents.

520

440 420 400 380 360 340 320 2015

2016

2017

Data source: QSL Daily Market Report (Futures and Currency) & QSL Daily Indicative Prices

12 Australian Canegrower | 12 October 2015

Data has been a mixed bag, with US jobs results still positive but both local and US housing releases showing signs of weakness. Commodity prices continue to face headwinds, with crude oil flat and iron ore still drifting lower, providing little support for the Aussie Dollar. Aside from housing, domestic economic indicators continue to point at a flagging economy which will make for an interesting November RBA meeting where the Board have been known to sneak a rate change in among the Melbourne Cup furore.

While all care is taken in the preparation of this report the reliability or accuracy of the information provided in the document is not guaranteed. QSL does not accept any responsibility to any person for the decisions and actions taken by that person with respect to any of the information contained in this report.

QSL

QSL: WORKING FOR YOU

Conference signals a move towards the positive

By Stephen Stone, QSL Treasurer Sugar producers, traders and refiners from around the world gathered in New Delhi last week for the annual Kingsman India Conference.

The conference, one of a number held around the world each year, draws sugar industry participants keen to gain an insight into the key issues and factors affecting the global sugar market and the subsequent prices to come.

QSL was once again a speaker at this event, with our General Manager Operations Damian Ziebarth presenting on the outlook for Australian sugar.

But the primary topic of interest for delegates was the state of the Brazilian currency, which has recently been at historic lows with expectations it could slip further against the US Dollar, keeping Brazilian sugar producers very competitive at current ICE 11 rates.

Other points of interest from the conference included: • While Brazilian farmers’ returns respond quickly to the Real’s fall, it takes much longer for the impacts of higher inputs, such as fertiliser, to flow through to producers.

• The Brazilian Government has announced a 6% gasoline price increase, coinciding it nicely with a stronger sugar market – leading to further price strength (tempered by the negative of a 4% diesel price increase to the producers and freight participants).

• At this stage there are no predictions for the Brazilian crop to grow much past this year’s level.

• The Indian crop, while strong this year, is liable to reduce due to dry conditions associated with the El Nino weather system.

• There was general consensus that the global sugar market is headed toward a deficit of between 2-6 million tonnes, depending on the differing analysts’ calculations.

In Thailand, their substantial raw sugar surplus has been reduced via strong refining premiums pushing raw sugar to refined sugar.

No Thai sugar found its way to the October expiry on its last night, and that is a positive.

• Conference organiser Jonathan Kingsman was quoted as saying that “all the bad news is out” and raw sugar prices should rise in the near future.

Overall, the positive factors are simply looking more likely and more timely.

The behaviour of Indian stocks and a volatile macro environment remain the major hurdles.

So what does QSL make of it all? In general, we feel it is positive news but we’re not out of the woods yet.

QSL believes the markets are looking favourable for Australian producers, with sugar prices having found a base and the Australian dollar still vulnerable to US strength and weaker commodity prices (65 cents Q1 2016).

Current market strength is really a reflection of factors that have been present for some time.

We are heading into a deficit market and current weather conditions are increasingly likely to increase this deficit and bring it forward.

QSL Annual General Meeting and Annual Report

Two obvious impediments to market strength are the level of global raw sugar stocks and macro conditions, particularly the Brazilian currency.

QSL’s 2015 Annual General Meeting will be held at 2pm on 23 October 2015 at the Christie Conference Centre in Brisbane.

But the Real is losing its hold over sugar prices, possibly a reflection of advanced producer pricing, especially by their big millers.

The ethanol/sugar mix has also been higher than everyone expected, pushing more Brazilian cane away from sugar.

Indian producers can clearly export and it appears their Government is wiling them to do so via a four million tonne export quota.

QSL Chairman Guy Cowan and QSL CEO and Managing Director Greg Beashel will both speak on key issues and initiatives for the business.

The QSL 2014/2015 Annual Report is now available via the QSL website at www.qsl.com.au. n

But will they subsidise this, and will India still export sugar if their crop is downgraded again?

It looks like they will play cat and mouse here.

12 October 2015

| Australian Canegrower 13

FEATURE

The cost/benefit balance in new machinery

By Neroli Roocke Machinery is a big cost and commitment for a farming operation. And while shiny new ‘toys’ are exciting, there are a lot of factors to consider when weighing up the costs and benefits of a new purchase.

In a presentation to farmers earlier this year, WA Department of Agriculture and Food economists Tamara Alexander and James Hagan said summarised the factors to consider.

“Decisions on investment in machinery should be based around what the business can afford (profitability), how much additional revenue/cost savings the new or upgraded machinery can generate and does this additional value justify the additional cost,” they said.

The pair also warned to be aware of the often

high fixed costs of buying a new machine, match it with the ability of the farm enterprise to absorb this overhead and also consider the opportunity cost of alternative uses of the capital.

“An upgrade or new equipment may have some benefits (for example, time) but may not create sufficient new income or cost savings to justify the higher machinery cost,” they said.

Their checklist for farmers included the: • cost, availability and reliability of contractors, • cost and availability of leasing or renting equipment, • cost of complementary investment to reduce logistic delays such as additional on-farm storage,

• costs and problems with sharing a machine or implement with a neighbour such as potential costs of delays to harvest or planting, • skills you have in maintaining and repairing machinery, or availability of mechanical expertise should it be required, • cost of new versus secondhand equipment and expected lifespan of that equipment, • size of both your current and future cropping programs and seasonal conditions, and • opportunity cost of using capital that could be allocated elsewhere.

You can find a summary of their presentation here http:// bit.ly/1Lu9KNy

5240 • Tight turning radius • 4 wheel steer available • High crop clearance (1.83m) • Gain productivity through tank and boom sizes • Local service and support National Distributor for Miller www.mcintoshdistribution.com.au

14 Australian Canegrower | 12 October 2015

Contact your local dealer or visit www.millersprayers.com.au

FEATURE

New technology improves weed control, efficiencies and environment Supplied by McIntosh Distribution An aim of increasing on-farm efficiencies and reducing their environmental footprint led the Singh family in the Kennedy Valley to invest in new sprayer technology.

David and Manjit Singh, together with their sons Randeep and Hardeep, farm more than 1,000 hectares. Around 800ha is used to grow cane which is processed at the Tully Sugar Mill and the remainder produces bananas.

Their cane is grown on mounds on 1.8 metre single rows with GPS guidance.

The Singhs recently purchased a Miller Nitro 5240 self-propelled sprayer, which features a 27m boom and 4500-litre tank.

“We had been keeping an eye on the Nitro for a while and then Dad went to have a look at one and was pretty impressed,” Hardeep said. “Previously we were using a high clearance tractor with a three point linkage sprayer and 1,100L tank, but we were having to rely more on residual chemicals to give control of weeds.

“As the Nitro gives us excellent crop clearance (1.83m), we are able to concentrate more on using knockdown chemicals instead of residuals as they are better off for the environment and also the pocket.

“This can be achieved by delaying spray applications late as possible, as the clearance and boom width allows us to cover lots of country in a short time frame,” he said.

They are also considering adopting WeedSeeker spot spraying technology in the future.

Hardeep said they were currently having trail legs custom built; a height-adjustable system which would attach to the boom with nine nozzle bodies to spray the inter-rows, allowing them to access weeds at ground level.

“The trail legs will spray nine rows when the cane is at the younger age. Later, when the crop cannot be accessed with conventional tractors, the overhead spray system on the Nitro will allow us to spray 15 rows at once, which will further increase our efficiencies,” he said.

“It means we can get out there as soon as we need to and get stuck into some serious spraying. Especially if there’s some weather around, time is a factor.

“The Nitro was a big investment upfront, but I’m confident that in around eight years it will have paid for itself through the increased efficiencies and yield gains.”

for each leg, ensures a stable, smooth ride for the boom and operators as well as minimum soil compaction, which Hardeep said was a big plus.

He said the placement of the engine meant it was barely audible from the cab, but it was also easily accessible for servicing and any maintenance.

“It’s very easy to operate, with the multi-function joystick and everything else is right there,” he said. “I’m pretty impressed with the cab. It’s very comfortable and quiet and the added visibility with the front-mounted boom is a huge advantage.

“You can actually see the crop and keep an eye on the boom the whole time.

We’ve got some tight headlands here, but the design of the Nitro means it handles those with ease.”

For further information on the Miller Nitro 5240 self-propelled sprayer, visit www.mcintoshdistribution.com.au or www.millersprayers.com.au 

The 50:50 weight distribution and Miller’s four-wheel, independent Hydra-Link suspension, including full suspension travel and automatic hydraulic levelling

Miller Nitro 5240 sprayers are powered by 275 horsepower, Cummins QSB 6.7L turbo diesel, Tier III engines and while they can be configured with any GPS guidance and product control system, the Singhs use Trimble Field IQ and guidance to ensure accurate applications and boom section control.

Hardeep said through the Trimble Field IQ system they were able to use automatic section control over 15 sections (15 rows) which eliminated overlap and enabled boundary control, ultimately saving them money.

“It means you can actually concentrate on where the boom is rather than flicking nozzles on and off,” he said. “It also means we’re not wasting chemical, especially around the grassed headlands.

Hardeep and David Singh with their Miller Nitro self-propelled sprayer.

12 October 2015

| Australian Canegrower 15

FARM MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT

Valentini - on a quest for perfection Supplied by VIN ROWE FARM MACHINERY The tractor driven rotary hoe was an integral part of cultivation practices throughout the world all through the 1950’s, 60’s and 70's and it was often cited that it was perfect, unable to be improved.

However the road Antonio took has been full of challenges. The main one being the explosion of tractor power.

In two decades a 120hp that was considered large was pushed aside by 150-180-250-300+horsepower units.

Nobody could foresee the rapid increase in tractor horsepower coupled with the need for farmers to improve their efficiencies.

For years he appeared to be always 30 hp behind as tractor powers climbed, until he made a discovery that was to be the hallmark of his career and that would catapult his products and his personal reputation to the highest levels where they remain today.

In the 1970’s, Antonio Valentini established his company in Padova after spending many years with leading agricultural machinery companies in Italy’s north.

Antonio had a thirst for quality in design and longevity in performance.

As tractor horsepowers grew, he produced a facility where most of the leading European manufacturers of power driven cultivation gear brought to him two hoes, harrows, mulchers, etc and he joined them into a folding frame configuration.

Eventually these manufacturers began to make their own frames and Valentini began to manufacture his own hoes, harrows and mulchers.

His driving force was for strength and reliability - the divide in quality that existed then, still exists today.

Chain drive transmissions had proven inadequate in high horsepower applications and were replaced with a three gear system.

As tractor horsepower rose to 180+ the three gear system was found to have limitations, because of the frictionderived heat. Thicker gears, more oil, oil coolers, etc were all tried but Valentini realized that it was a design problem.

The small top drive gear simply was not able to handle, with any type of acceptable longevity, the double problem of both transmitting the enormous power from the tractor and withstanding the backlash and shock from the collision impact and inconsistent power requirements of the rotor blades.

In the first real advancement in power

NEW RELEASE

sugar cane special HEAVY DUTY FOLDING ROTARY HOES • Cage Roller • Anphibious Version (rubber hoods etc) • Removable Flanges • Hydraulic Rear Door Adj

driven cultivation machinery in 50 years, Valentini developed a four gear system, where the centre gear becomes a cluster with an intermediate gear fitting into it by way of a splined hub.

The top gear meshes with the normal middle gear which drives the intermediate gear, which in turn meshes with the rotor drive gear.

The result is remarkable. Not only is the machine easier to drive but the lack of heat due to friction is hard to believe.

Even with Valentini’s 7.7m hoe in the hotter parts of Australia, there is no need for high maintenance oil coolers.

Valentini now produces an almost unbreakable rotary hoe, even quoting a minimum of 20,000 trouble free hours on his 400 hp Ercules side transmission.

The other main challenge was frame strength. In the 1980s a 5.2m folding machine was 2100kg, today it is 3800kg.

As tractor horsepowers increased, so did their ground speeds and larger operators have multiple farms so road travel is common.

Valentini saw the frame problems of lighter machines and realized that these problems were in fact caused in the transport mode, not in the working mode.

Similar to his side drive transmissions, he developed an unbreakable hitch and frame combination. The frames were extended out to within 50cm of the width of the machine.

All Valentini folding machines fold into well below the 3m width and are offered with an extensive range of rollers, rotors, wheels etc.

Standard common features include, cam clutches on the lateral drives, side filling discs on the hoes, BYPY gearboxes and PTO shafts, four rams for lifting and transport rigidity, four rams for roller depth control and all covered by a two year warranty.

Antonio Valentini products are distributed in Australia by Warragul, Victoria, based Vin Rowe Farm Machinery.

For your nearest dealer contact Graham Rowe (03) 5623 1362 16 Australian Canegrower | 12 October 2015

For more information contact VIN ROWE FARM MACHINERY (03) 5623 1362. 

FARM MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT

New John Deere CH570 cane harvester Supplied by John Deere John Deere's deep customer understanding has guided the company into reengineering the well-known 3520 to deliver a distinctive experience through its new CH570 Cane Harvester.

The optional Floating Crop Dividers have been enhanced with an updated linkage system. They follow the ground profile without ploughing, while constantly keeping the toe under lodged cane.

Innovative design improvements have given way to John Deere's most powerful line of sugar harvesting products ever.

The precision of the exclusive Contour Base Cutter Height Control has been also improved with the addition of a pressure signal to the existing position input.

This optional feature ensures that cane is cut at the desired height, resulting in higher yield (tons of sugar/ha), cleaner cane, and healthier stubble for improved future crops.

The Feed Roller System has been optimised by reshaping the lower feed rollers so that the cane spreads out across the entire width, enabling better billet quality, cleaning and blade life.

The all-new CH570 Cane Harvester, which is available as a wheel or track model, offers outstanding comfort and an advanced cane handling system that provides customers with better returns for their operation by increasing the total tonnage and quality of cane delivered from the field.

Some of the main improvements are the completely new front end crop dividers, adjustable side knives, knock down rollers and floating sidewalls. These have been redesigned for a smooth uniform feed, reducing cane losses and soil content.

The outside scrolls are now standard and their length has increased so that the separation of lodged and tangled cane starts closer to the ground.

Moreover, its new Modular Chopper, which is now independent from the harvester mainframe, offers more precise fitting, simpler servicing and reduced vibrations thanks to its rubber mounts.

The longer chopping area and even blade contact improves cane handling, billet uniformity and better feeding into the primary cleaning chamber.

The CH570 features an upgraded primary extractor. Its optimisation starts with a wider and better distributed cane mat being fed from the new wider chopper area, allowing more cane surface to be in contact with the air flow for better trash separation. Blade life is significantly extended thanks to their new harder surface and a much lower

required operation speed.

John Deere understands that hydraulics is critical to harvester functionality.

The new CH570 Cane Harvester is designed with a more powerful and efficient hydraulic system that’s easy to maintain.

Its circuits have been enhanced to reduce power losses, which translate into fuel savings.

The new Auto FieldCruise™ adjusts engine speeds to the load automatically, allowing an optimum engine RPM and further fuel savings.

Growers can boost productivity and maximise uptime through JDLink™† remote machine capability.

This system sends machine information via a mobile connection and makes it available on the JDLink website. With JDLink†, you can remotely monitor equipment health, transfer data to and from the machine, and access information such as engine hours, fuel consumption and location.

And for improved comfort, take a seat in the new premium cab which is now 30% more spacious with reduced noise levels plus improved air conditioning to keep you relaxed during long working hours.

Every day you run with purpose – to go faster and farther while pushing the limits of your day and equipment.

John Deere’s CH570 is ready to run with you, delivering technology and support to help you go the distance. To learn more visit www.JohnDeere.com.au 

The all-new CH570 Cane Harvester from John Deere is available as a wheel or track model. Inset: The new premium cab is 30% more spacious and offers all the necessary comfort, convenience and intelligent features operators want.

12 October 2015

| Australian Canegrower 17

FARM MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT

Big tractor features with four cylinder efficiency Supplied by AGCO The MF6600 Series from Massey Ferguson introduces the best features of the award winning MF7600 range in a medium horsepower package.

Designed to meet the broad requirements of the Australian farm industry, this new four-model range precisely matches the needs of farmers and contractors employing modern and efficient crop establishment and mechanisation techniques.

“Massey Ferguson has developed the MF6600 Series for the new generation of farmers who are looking closely at their asset management in terms of labour, power, soil protection, cropping and the environment,” says Tim Andrew, Product Manager, Massey Ferguson Tractors for Australia and New Zealand.

“This range combines the right size and power with productive features that are needed to farm most effectively in today’s challenging conditions.”

The MF6600 Series offers users the power, torque and operating benefits associated with a six cylinder tractor in a four cylinder compact and extremely agile tractor with a great power to weight ratio.

Fitting in between the MF 5400 Series and the awarding winning MF7600 Series, it offers a high level of standard specification with a wide choice of transmissions, hydraulic systems and cab comfort to suit their specific requirements.

As well as sharing a similar size and style of cab as the MF7600 Series, the MF6600 Series is also available with Dyna-4, Dyna-6 or Dyna-VT transmis-

sions and in Essential or Efficient cab specifications.

“While keeping everything that has made Massey Ferguson tractors great, the MF6600 Series has been developed to meet the needs of the latest generation of farmers,” he said.

MF 6600 Series features: • Pioneering high capacity 4.9 litre, four cylinder AGCO Power engine delivers enormous power and high torque. Equipped with Generation 2, Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology with Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC) for high efficiency and low emissions.

• Superb maneuverability from a light, compact design providing excellent power to weight ratio with a short overall length, but long wheelbase for superb balance and traction. Front support for close coupled, integral front linkage.

• SpeedSteer option offers effortless swift headland turns.

• Leading Massey Ferguson Dyna4, Dyna-6 semi-powershift with AutoDrive option, as well as Dyna-VT continuously variable transmission for certain models, allows users to easily select the best speed for their business and tasks.

• 110 litre/min closed center hydraulic system is standard across all models, and right-hand joystick operates transmission, hydraulics and loader with one hand.

18 Australian Canegrower | 12 October 2015

• The same spacious and comfortable cab as the MF 7600 is standard with mechanical suspension, or optional hydraulic suspension, and new controls. Two levels of specification are available to better match customer requirements.

• Guidance ready and Datatronic 4 tractor terminal options are available.

• The tractors are AGCOMMAND ready allowing the simple addition of a control box to provide full telemetry. New APP allows the AGCOMMAND option to be used with smart ‘phones and tablets.

Available models MF6612 Essential Dyna 4 – 120Hp (Max) fitted with the Dyna 4 16x16 Semi Powershift Transmission MF6613 Efficient Dyna 6 – 130Hp (Max) fitted with the Dyna 6 24x24 Semi Powershift Transmission MF6614 Efficient Dyna 6 – 140Hp (Max) fitted with the Dyna 6 24x24 Semi Powershift Transmission MF6614 Efficient Dyna VT – 140Hp (Max) fitted with the Dyna VT Constantly Variable Transmission For more information on the MF6600 Series tractors, contact your local Massey Ferguson dealer or www.masseyferguson.com.au. 

REAL DEAL

FARM MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT

POWER

MF6600 SERIES | 120 – 140 HP

POWER AND FLEXIBILITY IN A COMPACT PACKAGE Powerful and fuel efficient AGCO POWER engines Unmatched, fully integrated loader ready features and an excellent weight distribution for loader work Performance of a large tractor with the size of a small tractor for all round versatility – perfect for dairy units, mixed farms, arable enterprises and contracting businesses

Achieve excellent manoeuvrability with the short wheel base and frame design for increased steering angle Excellent implement functionality with 3 valves as standard and a high lift capacity from a dedicated 110 litres per minute Closed Centre hydraulic pump – enough for any job Your tractor, your specification, your choice.

Choose the horsepower, the transmission and the comfort level you desire

CONTACT YOUR LOCAL MF DEALER FOR A REAL DEAL MASSEYFERGUSON.COM.AU | FREECALL 1800 802 914 12 October 2015 MASSEY FERGUSON®, MF®, the triple-triangle logo® is a worldwide brand of AGCO. © 2015

| Australian Canegrower 19

SRA | SNAPSHOT

Spray leg innovations

By Phil Ross, Development Officer, SRA Mackay Ray Abela has a particular interest in spraying. Farming 106 hectares, on a dual row, 1.93m row system at Eton, west of Mackay, Ray reckons he has finally got the right design for his own spray bar.

“I’ve been trialling different configurations of spray bars for some years now. I wanted a better alternative to the usual octopus leg and I wanted something that gave me better spray penetration into my 450 mm dual rows and allowed more time in the paddock,” he says. “These spray arms can be used on a dropper system like mine or can replace the trailing legs on an Irvin spray system”.

Ray’s spray leg uses a stainless steel dropper with two angled side-arms.

The side-arms mean the side nozzles are close to the row. Droplets retain their velocity into the duals, allowing for good penetration and coverage.

“Dropper systems without side arms means that the droplets lose velocity before they reach the weed in the row.”

The side-arm angle combined with nozzle selection allows for the spray swath to meet precisely with the spray swath from the middle sweep nozzle.

“Nozzle selection is important; to get the best spray swath I’ve used Teejet AIUB03VS 80 degree offset nozzles for the side-arms and a Teejet Twinjet TTJ60 for the centre nozzle. At 2.7 bar at 6 km/hr this nozzle set-up puts out 150 L/ha. Each side nozzle delivers half the rate of the twin-jet centre nozzle.”

Ray says the accurate and even spray swath means this water rate is versatile enough to use for both glyphosate and residual herbicides.

To test the spray swath and water rate, Ray recently used this rig to blanket spray for nutgrass in a block to be planted to mung bean.

“Coverage was excellent and the kill on the first flush looks good, even though the water rate for glyphosate is slightly on the high side,” he said. “Likewise, with proper ground preparation, I also get good results with this water rate from residuals”.

Eton farmer Ray Abela has trialled different configurations of spray bars to optimise efficiency.

Ray will use his system mainly in-crop.

“The biggest advantages I’ve noticed is better penetration into the row, fewer spray shadows caused by uneven row profile as the side sprays come in from the top, easy adjustment of spray height and the lower spray volume allows more time in the paddock.”

For more information contact Ray 0428761324. n

Nutgrass before spraying, above, and ten days after spraying with the dropper system, below. Mung beans have emerged.

Ray Abela's spray bars mounted on droppers on his high-rise.

20 Australian Canegrower | 12 October 2015

FEATURE

Brazilians visit North Queensland cane growing regions Supplied by Case IH Increasing productivity was the main focus for 50 Brazilian cane industry leaders as they toured North Queensland last month.

cutting edge technology so the tour was a fantastic opportunity to be able to demonstrate this to our Brazilian counterparts.”

Accompanied by representatives from Case IH Brazil, the group included growers, millers and Case IH machinery dealers.

The tour was also an opportunity to showcase the innovations made by Case IH in the area of sugarcane mechanisation.

The group spent five days visiting a number of cane farms throughout the Burdekin, Herbet River, Ingham and Tully regions as well as the Tully Sugar Mill, Lucinda Bulk Sugar Terminal and Sugarcane Research Australia.

“The information we gather from our Austoft sugarcane harvesters in Australia, including hydraulic oil temperature, fuel consumption, engine revolutions, map creation and monitoring, is used to make our farms more productive – this is something they are looking to introduce in Brazil,” he said.

Lawrence Polga, Case IH Aftersales Business Manager for Northern Queensland, said the tour was a unique opportunity to showcase Australian industry advancements.

“Australia is one of the world’s most efficient producers and exporters of sugar,” said Lawrence.

“We are recognised world-wide for our sustainable cane growing practices and

offer advanced solutions to the sector.

“The technological innovations offered by the Case IH harvesters provide not only high productivity and reliability, but also contribute to delivery of a raw material in accordance with industry specifications,” said Lawrence.

For more information about Case IH products, see your local Case IH dealer or visit www.caseih.com for more details. 

“Backed by 50 years of product research and development, the Case IH Austoft A8000 sugarcane harvesters 12 October 2015

| Australian Canegrower 21

FEATURE

Proserpine Machinery Service adds a Mackay based technician to the team Supplied by Proserpine Machinery Service Proserpine Machinery Service, your locally owned and operated Massey Ferguson and full AGCO dealer including Fendt, Valtra and Challenger, have been servicing our regional farmers for over 28 years.

With our service area extending north to Bowen, south to Flaggy Rock and inland to the mine fields, our field service units are fully equipped with the latest AGCO diagnostic equipment to enable us to offer onsite repairs and maintenance and ensure continued performance of your tractors.

of maximum power, choice of three transmissions and three levels of specification, you can be assured efficiencies across all farming operations.

Massey Ferguson’s latest range of tractors are designed by AGCO’s best engineers and built in the most state of the art tractor facility in the world.

Having won 'Top Tractor Shoot Out 2015', the Massey Ferguson range of tractors has proven they are excellent value for money in terms of what the tractor offers.

In our fully equipped and modern workshop, we are able to service all ranges of tractors from the latest technologically advanced to the trusted old favourites.

This year’s selection of tractors for the Shoot Out included six cylinder tractors under $140000 that represent ‘value for money’.

Our team of fully qualified factory trained technicians regularly attend training to continually update their skills and maintain the latest knowledge.

In order to triumph over the rest, the Massey Ferguson 7615 Dyna 6 tractor had to suit the target market, be able to be used frequently, not be overly complicated, be of a solid build and have a comfortable and well laid out cab.

We have technicians based at our premises at 73 Main Street in Proserpine, and a new mobile field unit to service Mackay and surrounding areas.

And don’t think that you are too far away.

Our comprehensive freight options allow for delivery to you 6 days a week.

This ensures your parts will be on your door in the shortest possible time.

The Massey Ferguson 7615 won overall with best controls, best innovation, best serviceability, best hydraulics, best equipped and best dyno closest to rated power.

With the demands placed on our farming community, AGCO are committed to supporting parts service for the duration of the service life of AGCO machines.

Parts can also be dispatched direct from the AGCO warehouse or delivered to our friends at Farm HQ Sarina for collection.

Either way, we aim to have you hassle free in the shortest time possible.

When it comes to farming, AGCO provides an outstanding choice of highly productive, straightforward and dependable tractors.

With a large range

22 Australian Canegrower | 12 October 2015

AGCO Parts Books is a FREE service provided to farmers to easily and conveniently view any of the AGCO brand tractor parts from the comfort of your home and at a time that is convenient for you.

Now to make it even easier, AGCO Parts Books to Go is available in both Android and Apple iOS platforms providing anytime, anywhere access so you can find information while managing your fleet in the field.

From searching for and ordering parts with the interactive drawings and an off-line capability, this application is just another means to help make the most of your business with the least amount of effort.

Download the Parts Books To Go app and complete the application form on our website to get started.

Proserpine Machinery Service has solidified our commitment to our customers by engaging a technician to assist our Mackay based customers.

At Proserpine Machinery Service we really are ‘here tomorrow to service what we sell today’.

Come and see us, give us a call, visit us online www.prosmachinery.com.au or like us on Facebook. 

REAL REAL DEAL DEAL economy economy

MF7600 SERIES | 140 – 255 HP

POWER AND FLEXIBILITY FROM LOADERS TO SEEDERS

MF7600 SERIES | 140 – 255 HP Excellent transmission options – Dyna-4,

Variety of specifications from basic

flexibility for any operation

Exclusive

Powerful efficient 6.6 or 7.4– litre Excellent and transmission options Dyna-4, AGCO POWER engines Dyna-6 and Dyna-VT, with unmatched

Excellent functionality Variety of implement specifications from basicwith 3 valves as standard and high lift capacity Essential through to the advanced from a dedicated 110 L/min Close Centre Exclusive hydraulic pump – enough for any job Excellent implement functionality with 3 Greaterascomfort andand ease of lift operation valves standard high capacity with aa spacious from dedicatedcab 110 L/min Close Centre hydraulic pump – enough for any job

Dyna-6 and Dyna-VT, unmatched Essential through to the advancedTO SEEDERS POWER AND with FLEXIBILITY FROM LOADERS

Unique power control lever for full flexibility for any operation transmission control on theorshuttle Powerful and efficient 6.6 7.4 litre

Excellent weight distribution for heavy AGCO POWER engines loader work Unique power control lever for full transmission control on the shuttle

CONTACT YOUR LOCAL MF DEALER FOR A REALGreater DEAL comfort and ease of operation Excellent weight distribution for heavy MASSEYFERGUSON.COM.AU with a spacious cab loader work

CONTACT YOUR LOCAL MF DEALER FOR A REAL DEAL MASSEYFERGUSON.COM.AU

PROSERPINE MACHINERY SERVICE

07 4945 1388

73 MAIN STREET

prosmac@bigpond.net.au

PROSERPINE QLD 4800 www.prosmachinery.com.au MASSEY FERGUSON , MF , the triple-triangle logo is a worldwide brand of AGCO. © 2015 ®

®

®

MASSEY FERGUSON®, MF®, the triple-triangle logo® is a worldwide brand of AGCO. © 2015

FARM MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT

NEW HOLLAND SERIES TT4.90

The new addition to the economy tractor range Supplied by New Holland New Holland’s TT4.90 economy utility tractor is the latest addition to the economy tractor market. This range of tractors now offers four models producing engine powers from 55 up to 90 hp.

The TT4 replaced the original Series TT which revolutionised the economy tractor market in Australia in 2005. The New Holland Series TT tractor delivered proven technology reliability, simplicity with low cost of ownership, at a very economical price.

The TT4.90 is a highly versatile tractor which offers excellent manoeuvrability, ergonomic comfort and fuel efficiency.

Economical engines The TT4.90 model will boast FPT Industrial’s S8000 turbocharged mechanical fuel injection engine. This 3.9 litre powerplant boasts two valves per cylinder and offers maximum torque of up to 340 Nm guaranteeing outstanding productivity for the most demanding applications. The engine uses Tier 3 technology to meet engine emission standards. Overall vehicle efficiency is further enhanced with a 540 eco PTO speed. This enables the engine to run at a lower working speeds for reduced fuel consumption.

New Powershuttle transmission The TT4.90 features a 12 x 12 transmission offering as standard further enhanced with the introduction of the NEW dash mounted Hydraulic Powershuttle control.

The servo assisted Powershuttle control enables direction changes without electronic management or assistance.

From neutral, the shuttle lever can also be used to smoothly feed power to the transmission without using the clutch.

Direction changes can be made without removing the hand from the steering wheel, enhancing safety and improving loader productivity.

and reach, for the ultimate in ergonomic operation and safety.

Balanced steering system The TT4.90 benefits from a new front axle, incorporating a single, balanced steering cylinder. The steering is an integral part of the front axle and is positioned high and behind the axle for added protection. The axle delivers a 550 steering angle, delivering exceptional turning at headlands, in loading operations or working in sheds.

Precision hydraulics The capacity of the dedicated implement pump is an impressive 52 Lpm which ensures the required hydraulic performance even when carrying out the most demanding applications. Back that up with a dedicated 33 L/min independent steering pump, and the result is steering accuracy that is maintained without compromising loader cycle times, or three point linkage operation.

Two remote valves are fitted as standard equipment, and are colour coded for ease of hookup.

Purpose-designed for loader work New Holland AP Plus loaders have been specially developed for the TT4 tractor range. Designed for Australian conditions and featuring excellent visibility, their durable performance and solid construction allows operators to handle bigger tasks for longer periods.

New Holland’s mechanical level lift system is the best form of operator protection against “rollback” and is designed to meet the stringent standards of the TMA Code of Practice for Supply and Manufacture of Front End Loaders. They also feature the “Cam Lock”

An optional 20 x 20 creeper transmission with Powershuttle is available, with speeds as low as 0.30km/h (300m/hr).

The TT4 transmission controls are situated either side of the operator and all gear changes can be carried out from the seat without the need to stretch

24 Australian Canegrower | 12 October 2015

attachment system, which secures the loader arm in place and is easily released without the use of any special tools.

There is excellent visibility to the bucket thanks to the loaders mid-mount design, narrow boom arms and small uprights. All key pivot points are fitted with heavy-duty bushes which can be lubricated from the side of the loader.

ROPS platform The new TT4 range ROPS platform has specific trim, fenders and noise protection to enhance the operator’s experience. A canopy for the ROPS frame is also standard equipment.

Striking New Holland styling The striking TT4 styling is reminiscent of the award winning T7 range. Key New Holland styling cues have been integrated into the overall design, including the distinctive front hood lights and oval front and rear work lights to guarantee impressive visibility. They have been combined with the brand’s signature sloping nose for unobstructed forward visibility. 

Cash flow management is key for farming future This is the second of a four-part series covering some of the important financial issues facing cane farm owners, including debt reduction, cash flow management and estate & succession planning.

Following on last month's article addressing debt reduction, Dan Allman and Kim Evetts of Evetts and Allman Financial Advisors, discuss how a well structured cash flow management plan is essential for the on-going health of your business.

Understanding cash flow Having a well thought-out cash management system is not always easy to attain, however it is vital for the future of your family and your business.

increase the income from the two farms.

After restructuring the assets, this enabled George to pay off his debt straight away, so he had more freedom with his cash flow, allowing him to focus on improving his farming equipment and even looking into investing in offfarm assets.

Ultimately, by making yourself more viable, you have greater control over your future to improve your lifestyle long term.

Ensuring your cash flow is distributed correctly in order to achieve your future goals requires careful planning to ensure there is minimal impact on your current lifestyle.

Free your cash flow and increase your options

At Evetts and Allman, we understand that one size does not fit all. A solution we create for one client will more than likely not work for another client’s concerns, so we take the time to immerse ourselves into our client’s business to fully understand the entire situation.

This then means you will have less interest to pay the bank due to the reduction of your debt levels, giving you more options to improve the financial health and future of your farm.

Having done this, we are then well equipped to take the time to determine what assets they have and how much they are worth as well as looking at other options, such as asset management.

Manage assets to reduce debt As an example, recently, our client George came to us for some financial advice after buying his second cane farm.

He wanted to repay the debt off faster so he could improve his cash flow to

Paying back the debt on your farm allows you free cash flow.

Could you then…

1. Improve the farm to achieve a larger yield from the crop further improving your cash flow?

These are all questions we ask our clients when they engage with us, as we want to ensure they are well informed and aware of the various options available to them for improving the future of their business and family, once they start repaying their debt.

Repaying debt however, is only one aspect of cash flow management for rural businesses.

At the same token, we also ensure that our clients can maintain a comfortable lifestyle whilst growing the business and also supporting other family members and staff.

Come and talk to us about your goals and we can help you plan for your future.

At Evetts and Allman, we offer a complimentary one hour consultancy session for new clients, so we encourage you to take this opportunity to talk to us and find out how we can help you be in the best financial position for your family’s future. 

2. Continue to reduce your debt, increase your equity and cash flow to give you the option of purchasing another farm and increasing your tonnage?

3. Diversify your asset base and build off-farm assets to start planning your retirement?

4. Purchase off-farm assets to assist with your Estate Planning requirements?

DISCLAIMER Kim Evetts and Dan Allman are authorised representatives of Financial Wisdom Limited ABN 70 006 646 108 AFSL 231138.

This document contains general advice. It does not take account of your individual objectives, financial situation or needs.

You should consider talking to a financial adviser before making a financial decision. Taxation considerations are general and based on present taxation laws, rulings and their interpretation and may be subject to change. You should seek independent, professional tax advice before making any decision based on this information.

FIRST 5 LINES FREE* FOR CANEGROWERS MEMBERS! Book online anytime of the day or night at www.canegrowers. com.au or email us at ads@CANEGROWERS.com.au.

Next deadline is 16 October 2015.

*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 noncane growing activities. Advertisements must relate exclusively to cane farming activities, e.g. farm machinery etc. Advertisements from non-members are charged at $11 per line incl GST. Only pre-paid ads will be accepted.

Beaulieu R.U.M.

Graham Twyford Machinery Sales Pty Ltd

Attention Canegrowers The first step in achieving a high yielding cane crop is a good strike and vigorous growth in the early stage of your crop.

This can be achieved easily by simply adding 5 litres of R.U.M per acre to your dip water.

For a cost of around $25 per acre Can you afford not to give it a go?

For further information contact – Burdekin & Northern Region call Wally Ford 0417 937 722 Mackay Region call Noel Jensen 0438 595 325 Childers Region call Peter Irwin 0428 427 212

INGHAM AGENCIES EXTRACTOR FAN BLADES GREAT RANGE! BETTER PRICES! NEW PRODUCT AVAILABLE CORRADINI TIPPER ELEVATOR FLIGHTS

BASECUTTER DISCS

JOHNNY FARMING COMPANY

610mm & 585mm 5 blade and 6 blade versions

New Hydraulic Heavy Duty

OFFSETS

3 metre width, 28 discs, All bath bearings $11,000 plus GST ($12,100 incl GST) Other size offsets available are 1.8m, 2.2m, 2.5m, 3m & 3.4metres.

3 point linkage offsets available also

New Heavy Duty

SLASHERS

2.1 metres width $3,300 incl GST Other sizes available are 1.2m, 1.5m & 1.8m

HILLING SWEEPS

VIDA PLATE LINER

MADE IN QUEENSLAND FOR AUSTRALIAN CONDITIONS Contact: Michael Pelleri Phone: 07 47761273 Fax: 07 4776 2326 sales@inghamagencies.com.au

Phone (07) 4952 2577 or 0412 535 887 (John) or 0407 638 674 (Andrew) 133 Schmidtke Road Mackay Qld 4740

26 Australian Canegrower | 12 October 2015

2011 MASSEY FERGUSON 5465 4 WD Tractor 120 HP. 1,967 Hrs. Fitted with 6 tonne Side Tipper BSM type.

2005 JD 6920 4WD Tractor 150 HP 5,264 Hrs. Coupled to a HBM Billet Planter 1,000 L. water tank on tractor.

Complete Unit.

WESTHILL TRACK INFIELD TRANSPORTER Front Unloader 4 Metre Delivery. 12/14 Tonne Elev.

CAT. 3306 TA Eng. 275 HP. Eaton Track Drive Pumps, Sunstrand Pump Driving Elevator With Radial Piston Motors. NEW Walking Gear, Inc. 24’’ Curved Grousers, Chains , Track Rollers, Front Idlers & Sprockets.

WRECKING TOFT 6500 Track Harvester. CAT. 3306 T.A. 275 HP. Eng. Pump Box & Pumps, Tracks.

NEW! 4 SLAT OPEN BUTT ROLLERS Suit JD 3510/20 and CASE. Helps Drop Dirt. Enquire NOW! NEW PLANTING TIPPERS Triple Side Tippers on trailer remote hydraulics.

Immediate Delivery.

VIDA PLATE STRIPS

Johnny Farming Company

Specialising in Used Cane Harvesting Equipment Sales

IN STOCK NOW 12, 10, 8 & 6 BLADE DIFFERENTIAL CHOPPER DRUMS Suit ‘05 to current 3520 CAMECO/JD. Tungsten Hard Faced on Wear Areas.

New seal plates, Clamping Bars & Dowels with kit.

Graham Twyford 48 Central Park Drive, Paget, Mackay Mobile: 0418 742 696 Phone: 07 49526 668 graham@gtmachinerysales.com.au www.gtmachinersales.com.au

WHAT’S NEW MEMBER SERVICES

Mossman –Tully

Mackay – Proserpine

BACK WHEEL CENTRES for Case 38” rims, 90mm axle. John Deere centres for 42” rims, 90mm axle. Newton whole-stick planter with trailers. Ph: 07 4068 5298 / 0458 685 298 80 inch Howard rotary hoe $900. 60 inch Howard rotary hoe $800. 3 foot slasher $700. 2 x coulter rippers – offers. All prices negotiable. Ph: 0427 620 316

12T SELF-PROPELLED 6x6 elev infielder VGC. 6t side/tipper on Leyland tandem GC. Don Mizzi 741 model on Fiat 750 special turbo plus MF102 half-tracks to suit. Mason 9550 4-row precision vacuum seed planter GC. 0438 606 578 (Mackay) CAMECO 2000 track harvester, 5ft primary extractor, leg base cutter box, all new walking gear, $110,000 inc GST. Ph: 0407 714 172 TOFT FULL TRACK HARVESTER, 1983 model, good condition. Ph: 0458 525 310 McLeod 3 row multi-weeder (extended to 5.2 metres/17 feet), good condition $5000.00 +GST Ph 49595883 or 0407643441.

Hodge -1 ton fertilizer box, fitted to heavy duty double row Hodge grubber with 10 x 1 ¼ legs $3200.00 + GST or near

Herbert River – Burdekin SET OF RAILS Suit 2670 T-Line, 6 tonne bins, suit Kalamia, Inkerman & Invicta bins. $5000 inc. Ph. 0409 481 269.

JOHNNY FARMING COMPANY

Australian Distributor Belshina Tyres & Chinese Imports 5 Tractor Tyres 5 Earthmoving Tyres 5 Truck Tyres 5 Cars & 4WD Tyres DROVER EQUIPMENT AUSTRALIA

UTV’s, ATV’s & AG BIKES See website for more details

P: 07 4952 2577 M: 0412 535 887 www.johnnyfarmingcompany.com.au E: johnnyfarmingco@bigpond.com 133 Schmidke Road Mackay 4740

offer. Ph 0407643441 or 49595883.

1989 International Truck 1850D, 15 ton GVM, tipper, recon motor 300hrs ago, new drive tyres, steers 90%, VGC. $33,000.00. Ph 0407643441 or 49595883 HBM 1 row Billet Planter. Good condition, lots of money spent on adjustable rear wheels and casters. Could do with a paint job, or put straight to work. $13000+gst.

Ph: 0408 770 905 Ford TW30 2WD Runs well body needs tidy up as is $7000 incl gst. Ph: 0428529216 Valtra 6400 4WD tractor - 1ooHP, aircon cab, 2004 model. 3700 Hours. Good Condition. $30, 000 (incl gst) ONO. Ph: 0418710958 / 49503048.

Ford 8401, air cab, recond. Gearbox, new hyd pump, 3ptl, tidy unit, registered, $11000 inc gst. Ph: 0428 880 771 2 x 23-1-30 Good walls 5-10% rubber. $110 each. Ph: 0428 880 771

Rainfall Report Recorded rainfall (mm) Location Mossman

7 days to 9am 28.09.15

05.10.15

Average rainfall (mm)

Year to date

Jan–Oct

0

0

1009

0.8

1

579

751

Cairns

0

10

1384

1729

Mt Sophia

0

10

2968

2894

Babinda

0

0

1422

3753

Innisfail

11

4

2017

3135

Tully

0.8

7

2269

3647

Cardwell

2

6

1073

1807

Lucinda

6

2

745

1831

Ingham

4

0

830

1717

Abergowrie

8

0

969

1561

Townsville

0

Tce

248

933

Ayr DPI

0

0

350

780

0.4

0

618

1136

Mirani

0

0.4

632

1252

Mackay

0

5

668

1293

Sarina (Plane Ck)

0

5

806

1423

Bundaberg

3

1

604

795

Childers South

1

15

656

687

Maryborough

9

10

784

940

Tewantin

2

29

1207

1350

Eumundi

3

22

1440

1383

Mareeba AP

Proserpine

Nambour

1897

9

31

1529

1376

0.7

3

1132

1088

Murwillumbah

8

0.8

1353

1284

Ballina

25

6

1549

1510

Woodburn

19

0

892

1161

Woongoolba

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

Weather forecasts, radar and satellite images and other information for the farming community can be accessed on www. bom.gov.au. Weather report provided by the Bureau of Meteorology’s Commercial Weather Services Unit.

12 October 2015

| Australian Canegrower 27

CLASSIFIEDS

Bundaberg - Rocky Point DROP-DECK, tautliner and flat top extendable for hire. 07 4159 8174 or 0417 004 717.

K line speedtillers for hire, efficient tillage implement, phone AgQuip hire. 1300 859 869 www.agquiphire.com.au TOFT POWERHAUL, elevator type, Cummins engine, new cross elevator, rebuilt transmission, always sheded, no rust. Ph: 0417 764 952 MASSEY 205 HARVESTER, 4ft extractor. $3,500.00 + GST. 0428 790 773 FORD 8360 tractor, 8000hrs, good condition and FORD 5000 tractor with planter bin for sale. Ph: 0741296149 or 0428798744

Wanted TRACTOR TYRES of all sizes. 0418 775 698 all hours.

Austoft 7000 or Cameco wheelie for plant cutter Phone 0407495022 or 0429876441 Aluminium pipe - 30 lengths of 5 inch with Ajax ends (will consider bigger or smaller quantities) Ph: 07 4959 1451 Wanted to Buy - Set of Ratoon Crumbler Rollers. Ph: 0407 161 941

Positions Vacant Harvester operator required for 2016 season Tully area Phone 0407960575

Property MACKAY: For sale cane farm Pinnacle area 07 4958 5253.

HERBERT RIVER: Cane farm 60.73ha with machinery and 4 bedroom dwelling at 194 Lannercost Ext Rd, Ingham Ph. 40454321

WANTED TO LEASE - Cane farm; SarinaMackay area. Ph: 0419 771 504 2 bedroom relocatable home 6.6mx9.6m split system air con cyclone rated, Rainwater tank and pressure pump grease trap and septic all included, may include hire of removal trailer in sale $75 000 neg. Ph: 0422 324 564 INGHAM: Cane Farm for sale. Hawkins Creek. Total area 48.3ha. CPA 46.6ha.

Shed, electricity, & water. Genuine enquiries Ph 0407635175.

Do you want a FREE electronic version of Australian Canegrower delivered to your email inbox every fortnight?

To receive your free electronic copy, email us on: editor@CANEGROWERS.com.au.

I T ’S CANETUBE TIME!

IT’S ON AGAIN!

Calling all budding film-makers $18,000 of cash prizes up for grabs!

1ST PRIZE - $10,000

2ND PRIZE - $5000

$3000 - SCHOOL PRIZES

WHAT DO I DO? Just make a 2 minute video about sugarcane farming in Australia and enter it in the CANEGROWERS Canetube competition.

Make it fun, make it quirky, make it dramatic make it any way you like but make it informative because farmers have been doing a lot to protect the environment and grow a great product (and they are a bit shy about shouting about it themselves).

We are looking for short, entertaining and educational videos showing best practices in the Australian sugarcane industry.

There’s categories and prizes for school students, university creatives and community or individual entries. All videos will be uploaded to the CANEGROWERS Youtube page.

Not sure what to include? Check out the resources and competition details at www. canegrowers.com.au/thecanetube or go straight to our YouTube site to check out entries in previous years at www.youtube.com/thecanetube And please help us spread the word – to schools, hobby animators, closet movie-makers and IT tinkerers!

Entries close 1 December 2015

28 Australian Canegrower | 12 October 2015

Not everything we put on years ago still works today

ONFIDO

R

C

While other old favourites have thankfully gone out of fashion, you can still put on Confidor® Guard with complete confidence that it will work for you.

SINCE 1994

bayercropscience.com.au Bayer CropScience Pty Ltd, ABN 87 000 226 022, 391– 393 Tooronga Road, Hawthorn East, Victoria 3123.

Technical Enquiries 1800 804 479. Confidor ® is a Registered Trademark of the Bayer Group. BCH0773C

Introducing the new CH570 Cane Harvesters from John Deere The all-new CH570 harvester with its outstanding comfort and innovative cane handling system will provide better returns for your operation by increasing the amount and quality of cane delivered from your ďŹ eld during the whole life cycle of your crop.

Speak to your John Deere dealer today for details.

Nothing runs like a Deere™

Images used are for illustration purposes only and may show features or attachments not available for Australia

JohnDeere.com.au