CANEGROWERS REGIONAL ROUND-UP Supplied by CANEGROWERS district offices
MOSSMAN Mossman’s weather and crush turned a corner in mid-July, with the district experiencing mainly fine, sunny days, cool nights and minor lost time since then.
The Hot Water Treatment tank is now up and running. MAS has used some Department of Agriculture water quality funding to purchase a number of weather stations for the Mossman area. They are hoping to install them on cane farms and allow all growers access to the information through a website or app.
At the end of Week 10 (23/8/2020) Mossman Mill had processed a total of 308,007 tonnes of cane for an average of 11.87CCS and an additional 54,061 tonnes of Mossman cane had been toll-crushed at the Tableland Mill.
CANEGROWERS Mossman has been invited to be part of developing a Terrain NRM water quality project in the Mossman basin. The first meeting was held on 18 August and involved reps from MAS and the Wet Tropics Sugar Industry Partnership.
Coastal growers supplied a total of 227,660 tonnes and Mossman Tableland growers supplied 134,408 tonnes. CCS continues to be quite low but the coast is starting to see some improvements in weekly averages so it now sits at 11.49, while the Mossman Tableland growers average is 13.30.
This project, once signed off by the Minister, will be funded under Reef Trust funding as the Great Barrier Reef Foundation funding is focused on higher priority catchments.
The crop estimate has dropped below 700,000 tonnes to 685,000 tonnes of cane. Mill availability has improved since the start of the season and sits well above 80% most weeks. As at 23/8/2020, Mossman Mill is approaching 45% cut.
The three-year project is to be designed to provide real productivity benefits for growers but to also have measurable water quality outcomes for government.
With the finer weather, growers have been able to get ground ready for planting. Mossman Agricultural Services (MAS) has opened its cane seed plots and allocations have been made and sent to growers.
CAIRNS The weather has remained fine with sunny days and quite cool nights. Taking advantage of the good conditions, growers are busy in the paddocks. Mill performance has been pleasing. The base CCS at both mills will remain unchanged for the present. Please remember, any members intending to use the bean planter are asked to make contact with the office so plans can be made. The mud spreader is also avail for use by members.
Pictured: preparing the ground on the Fasano farm.
INNISFAIL With the impact of wet weather on the harvest abating, there has been good supply to the mill. As of 18 August, 28% of the pre-season estimate of 1,433,525 tonnes had been crushed. The South Johnstone Mill performance has continued to be excellent so far this season, maintaining an average crushing rate above 524 tonnes per hour with only minor stoppages The planned daily crush of 12,500 has been achieved on a number of days so far. CCS levels have eased back, mainly due to the wet weather. With the easing of conditions in the paddock, much of the district is in the midst of planting. In a reversal of recent trends, 31.6 hectares of ex-banana land is being returned to sugarcane production. The grower is busy preparing the land to plant this year.
34
