Australian Canegrower - 26 October 2015

Canegrower AUSTRALIAN

The flagship of the sugarcane industry 26 October 2015 Price $8.95

World ag journalists tour tropical farming

Sugar price rally is cause for optimism

FREE COLEMAN 59 CAN ESKY

JUST BUY ANY 2 FLOTATION TYRES OR 32� PLUS REAR TRACTOR TYRES 1. Visit www.alliancetyres.com.au for your local dealer.

2. Print out the application form.

3. Mail in application form with receipt as proof.

HURRY STOCKS ARE LIMITED.

Expires 31 Dec 2015.

Alliance high speed, heavy duty flotation tyres are imported by Tyres4U & distributed to tyre dealers to service your vehicles.

100% Australian owned & operated

For technical help or to find your nearest dealer

tyres4u.com.au

Free Call Tyres4U

1800 788 688

CONTENTS 26.10.2015

CHAIRMAN'S COMMENT

3

The world sugar price has started to climb steadily. It is the best news we have had for months and gives us optimism. We now need a long horizon of policy certainty to encourage investment in renewable energy to open up this income stream for growers..

Paul Schembri CANEGROWERS Chairman

Cover: Delegates at an international agricultural journalists' meeting visit the Sugar Research Australia site at Meringa. Story on page 10.

Photo by Rodney Green.

Opposite: With an El Niño weather pattern strengthening, CANEGROWERS is calling on the Queensland Government to reduce the cost of electricity for irrigation. Story on page 4. Photo

by John Flynn.

Canegrower AUSTRA LIAN

26 October 2015 Price $8.95

2 Editor's desk 3 Chairman's comments 4 Power cost cuts will save jobs and drought-proof cane World ag journalists tour tropical

farming

Sugar price rally is cause for optimism

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 21 Printed by Screen Offset Printing 202 Robinson Road, Geebung, QLD, 4034 Subscriptions Yearly subscriptions for 25 issues (postage included) Within Australia Overseas (AUD)

INDUSTRY NEWS

The flagship of the sugarcane industry

5 Facilitator called into marketing debate 6 Regional round-up 7 SRA Snapsot - New staff appointments in Herbert region

WHAT’S NEW 10 Tropical agriculture on show to world journalists 12 Momentum builds for Smartcane BMP 15 QSL - US Quota Pool captures precious value

ON FARM 16 Targeting nutrient and herbicide applications in red soil country 18 How deep is your trash? Why should it matter?

20 Crowdfunding – an option for projects in agriculture 21 Taking a look at Jamie Oliver’s sugar documentary

MEMBER SERVICES 22 Classifieds 23 Rainfall report

$140 inc GST $220

26 October 2015

| Australian Canegrower

1

EDITOR’S DESK

Put 60 agricultural writers on a bus and drive them around some farms and what do you get? Lots of photos being taken and lots of questions being asked!

CANEGROWERS recently helped to host a tour for delegates headed to an International Federation of Agricultural Journalists event, showing them the farming and natural environment of the tropical north. Overwhelmingly they were impressed by what they saw and you can read why on page 10.

There’s been another development in the debate over the future of sugar marketing with industry, growers and millers, agreeing to appoint a facilitator.

The article on page 5 explains who he is and what he’ll be doing.

The graph of world sugar prices has finally taken a turn north! Chairman Paul Schembri sees it as a sign for optimism on page 3 while QSL runs through what’s happening around the world sugar industry on page 14.

a drier time for eastern Australia and CANEGROWERS has put the case for early government action to ease the cost of irrigation on page 4. It was part of a wider pitch for an easing of power prices made to a community cabinet meeting in Bundaberg recently.

Not all trash blankets are the same when it comes to supressing weeds it seems. An SRA study featured on page 18 looks at the link between the depth of the trash and its ability to supress weedy vines.

And something for your 2016 diary, the date and venue has been set for next year’s Women in Sugar conference.

Check the inside back cover of the magazine for details. See you there! 

Neroli

Foreign ownership of agricultural land Foreign nations who have invested in Australian agricultural land now need to register any investments or purchases regardless of their value.

The register was introduced on July 1 2015 and will be administered by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

The ATO’s Mark Konza says it will ensure greater transparency of this important sector of the economy.

“If you’re a foreign investor or acting on behalf of foreign investors, you need to tell us about existing agricultural land interests by 31 December this year.

“You also need to tell us about any new investments or purchases, or if you dispose of any interest you hold in agricultural land.”

There’s more information at the ATO’s website www.ato.gov.au. 

The weather outlook, though, is dominated by a strengthening El Niño pattern which generally means

History hits the internet to secure funding The sugar industry in Australia has a fascinating story to tell – through settlers clearing land, to the use of South Sea Islander labour, leading the world in mechanisation and now developing environmentally sustainable farming practices.

It’s a history the Sugar Museum at Mourilyan has been proudly sharing with schoolchildren and tourists.

Now the Museum wants to make its sugar history experience even sweeter.

It’s planning improved signage, audio visual presentations and interactive displays.

With the Sugar Museum, it’s an opportunity to put your money where your heart, your history and your future is – in the sugar industry!

Every donation above $20 will earn a gift from the Sugar Museum. Go to www. indiegogo.com and search for ‘sugar’.

So it’s launched an online pitch for funds to upgrade its exhibits to do the industry’s history justice and everyone is being asked to participate – growers, millers, history buffs and travellers.

‘Making a Sweeter Experience’ is the name of the Sugar Museum’s campaign.

Money is being raised through Indiegogo's website, www.indiegogo.com, one of many crowdfunding platforms which have gained popularity in recent years, pooling small amounts of money from many supporters to bring great ideas to fruition.

2

Australian Canegrower

| 26 October 2015

Want to know more about crowdfunding?

Turn to page 20 and read how crowdfunding is helping finance agricultural, business and environmental projects in Australia and overseas. 

CHAIRMAN'S COMMENT

Price gives cause for optimism

By Paul Schembri CANEGROWERS Chairman The Australian sugar industry for most of 2015 has been plagued by many adverse factors that have weighed heavily on grower morale.

A failed wet season, coupled with Yellow Canopy Syndrome, has impacted on yields. Uncertainty around the future of marketing arrangements and environmental pressures have shaken grower resilience.

However in recent months, the best news for the Australian sugar industry has been the steady rise in the world sugar price.

The world price has lifted itself out of the doldrums of six year lows and continues to build. Sugar prices rose to three-month highs as rains in Brazil Centre South raised concerns around production.

Additionally, Brazil has approved a 6% hike in the price of gasoline, encouraging more production of ethanol. Higher ethanol production pushes down sugar production and pushes up sugar prices.

There is even more evidence that the fundamentals are changing with a recent devaluation of the Brazilian currency failing to weaken the world price further and this gives us confidence.

We have also been fortunate that the Australian to US dollar exchange rate has fallen to six year lows.

Whilst the currency has stabilised at around the 70 cent mark, the lower currency is boosting the Australian dollar prices of sugar.

Does this mean that a sustainable world price recovery is assured?

Predicting price movement is difficult, but there has been a significant tightening of world production coupled with strong demand.

Whichever way this goes, the recent price rally has given us hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Reef regulations It is now official that some form of environmental regulation will again apply to Queensland’s cane farmers.

Speaking to farmers of late, most growers are shrugging their shoulders in frustration at what more they need to do to convince governments that they have

"Predicting price movement is difficult, but there has been a significant tightening of world production coupled with strong demand. The recent price rally has given us hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel."

Paul Schembri CANEGROWERS Chairman

gone the hard yards in environmental performance.

Regulating Queensland cane farmers will achieve no environmental dividend.

The mistaken view by government and some in the research community is that large numbers of ‘cowboy’ farmers are creating the environmental problem.

The economics of cane farming has changed so much that it is doubtful that environmental ‘cowboys’ have survived without changing their farming practices over the past decades – economics usually has the final say.

CANEGROWERS is not yet aware of the final nature of these regulations but we understand that they will strongly focus on chemical and fertiliser use. We have said to government that burdening growers with more paper compliance does nothing for growers, least of all the Great Barrier Reef.

and particularly those from the United States pointed out to me that we are in a prime position to build a successful renewable energy and fuel industry.

All of the attributes needed for biofuels and renewable energy are present – critical mass of cane, research and development, proximity to ports and adequate human resources – but little is happening.

The one missing ingredient to encourage substantial business investment is that governments at both state and federal levels, of both political persuasions, have failed to give us long horizons of policy certainty.

An often used saying in business is that uncertainty is the enemy of business investment. We need bipartisan political support to help us reach our potential in this area.

We think this reef regulation journey will be a long one and we assure you that we at CANEGROWERS will advocate strongly for growers on this important issue.

The Queensland Government is to be commended for its announcement of a 2% ethanol mandate, however, given past experience it is not likely to take us far.

Biofuel production

It would be a safer bet, however, if this proposal had multi-party support and guaranteed a 20 year surety of policy stability.

For as long as I have been an elected member of CANEGROWERS (for 33 years), the prospect of ethanol, biofuels, cogeneration and renewable energy has always been portrayed as the future economic salvation of the sugar industry.

The vision is real but somehow it has not translated into a reality which sees sound investment and growers also rewarded for their contribution of the raw material, their sugarcane.

Only then when there is greater investment certainty are we as a sugar industry likely to see greater investment in renewables and growers begin to realise a direct financial benefit for their role in energy creation. 

At present growers are not paid at all for any energy component value adding industry derived from their cane.

At a recent forum organised by Diversify Mackay, foreign delegates 26 October 2015

| Australian Canegrower

3

INDUSTRY NEWS

Power cost cuts will save jobs and drought-proof cane The Queensland Government has been told that tens of thousands of jobs are at risk if it doesn’t intervene in Ergon Energy’s bid to increase its revenue over the next five years. And, with the strongest El Niño since 2007 confirmed, the sugarcane industry has called for proactive policies to minimise the impact of the looming drought in coastal areas.

CANEGROWERS representatives put the issues to a recent Community Cabinet meeting in Bundaberg.

electricity for everyone in regional Queensland, without costing a single job at Ergon Energy,” Mr Dingle said.

Local growers warned that if something drastic was not done to lower the price of electricity soon, irrigated sugarcane production would cease to exist in the region.

“The Queensland Government owns the network companies and it sets the rules for the regulators.

It is certainly within its power to act on electricity prices.”

“Not only are high electricity prices sending irrigators broke, small businesses and local communities in sugarcane growing areas are also feeling the pinch,” said Chairman of CANEGROWERS Bundaberg Allan Dingle.

CANEGROWERS has also called for a proactive approach to help farmers and communities survive during the big dry that is expanding across the state.

“The cost of delivering electricity has not changed in the past 10 years, yet electricity prices have been spiralling out of control.

“All of Ergon Energy’s customers have faced year-on-year, double-digit price increases, the state’s network companies have been delivering ‘super profits’ to the Queensland Government – totalling $1.8 billion in 2015/16 alone,” he said.

“I reckon up to $12,000 a year of an irrigators’ annual electricity bill is going to the Queensland Government through Ergon Energy’s books.”

The sugarcane industry has been pressing for the Queensland Government to make some simple and effective changes to the management of the state’s electricity network companies, including: using the state’s actual debt costs to finance the networks, paying for the legacy cost of the Solar Bonus Scheme through general revenue, not collecting corporate tax payments and not forcing consumers to pay for ‘gold plated’ parts of the network.

“Adopting these changes would immediately reduce the price of

4

Australian Canegrower

“The huge cost to farmers of running pumps to water crops starts as soon as an extended dry kicks in,” said CANEGROWERS CEO, Dan Galligan.

“We have the technology at our fingertips to know when these extreme climatic events are upon us so it makes sense that we use that information now.

"There is no point in waiting for the economic impact when we can avoid it through known practical measures.

“It would be smart policy to get ahead of this and use credible climate forecasting to activate drought measures now, especially waiving the fixed irrigation electricity tariffs and providing a deferred payment option for those facing financial hardship for the duration of the current El Niño.”

New faces at QFF The Queensland Farmers’ Federation has elected a new president.

Darling Downs cotton grower Stuart Armitage will replace Joanne Grainger who remains on the QFF Board alongside Les Williams, Allan Dingle, Brian Tessmann.

QFF has also announced the appointment of a new interim CEO, Ruth Wade.

Third detection of banana disease Further test results on samples taken from a Tully banana farm have confirmed a third detection of Panama disease tropical race 4 on the property.

Biosecurity Queensland says the sample was from a different area of the farm to where two previous positive detections were confirmed.

The farm is operating under a strict set of biosecurity procedures and further detections were considered possible as the fungus can live in the soil for many years before becoming apparent in banana plants.

US sugar producers respond to the TPP deal The American Sugar Alliance has issued a statement about the announcement that an agreement had been reached on the 12 nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal which increases the amount of sugar the Australian industry can import into the US from 85,000 tonnes to 152,000 tonnes The American Sugar Alliance says it still needs to review the final language and verify details in the TPP but was cautiously optimistic about what we've learned from the US trade negotiators

CANEGROWERS says this will be the difference for some farming businesses being able to survive the coming summer season.

"It is important to farmers and taxpayers alike that TPP not threaten America's no-cost sugar policy,” the Alliance said.

“Farmers across the state are urging their government to step up to the plate and lead this innovative policy solution which will help so many and yield immediate economic benefits and certainty,” Mr Galligan said.

“It appears that United States Trade Representative Michael Froman and his team have achieved that goal with their skillful negotiation of provisions appropriate to such a complex market in this 21st Century trade agreement."

| 26 October 2015

INDUSTRY NEWS

Facilitator called into marketing debate A meeting of sugarcane farmer representatives and milling companies has appointed a facilitator in a bid to identify the common ground and key points of difference in the longrunning dispute over the future of sugar marketing arrangements.

The dispute was triggered by the decision of three large milling companies to sever ties with QSL and take all of the sugar they produce to market themselves, denying growers the right to choose a pathway for the sugar in which they hold an economic interest.

Mike Logan, the founding CEO of New South Wales producer group Dairy Connect who addressed the Australian Sugar Alliance forum in Brisbane this year, is also working to assist growers and millers to see whether an industry agreement is possible.

Australian Party Bill to amend the Sugar Industry Act. “As industry representatives it is incumbent on us to vigorously pursue any strategy that will resolve this dispute in the best interests of our members and with a view to the long term prosperity for the industry,” CANEGROWERS CEO Dan Galligan said.

Contrary to reports on ABC radio, the Australian Cane Farmers Association has not walked away from the industry process.

" "

As industry representatives it is incumbent on us to vigorously pursue any strategy that will resolve this dispute in the best interests of our members and with a view to the long term prosperity for the industry CANEGROWERS CEO, Dan Galligan

Mr Logan’s appointment as facilitator is not part of a mediation process proposed by Ian Macfarlane MP when he was Industry Minister.

CANEGROWERS is participating in the process to see what it delivers, without prejudice to any other solutions we may be pursuing and ahead of the consideration in December in the Queensland Parliament of the Katter’s

Mike Logan, the founding CEO of New South Wales producer group Dairy Connect, has been appointed facilitator in the ongoing marketing dispute between growers and mills.

26 October 2015

| Australian Canegrower

5

INDUSTRY NEWS

CANEGROWERS Regional round-up

By CANEGROWERS district offices

Mossman At the end of week 22 (October 11) Mossman mill had processed a total of 713,911 tonnes of cane for a mill average of 12.41 CCS. The Mossman Pool had supplied 399,990 tonnes of cane for an average of 11.96 CCS and the Mareeba Pool a total of 313,921 tonnes for an average of 12.98 CCS. Factory throughput was reduced due to a planned clean of the evaporators and a boiler tube leak. In week 23 a major steam-off maintenance day is planned. With the factory now at 75% cut it is estimated a further six weeks of crushing is left.

The Mossman Canegrowers Limited Annual General Meeting will be on 2 November 2015 at the Mossman Bowls Club Hall commencing at 1.15pm to be followed by a grower information meeting to discuss Smartcane BMP and seasonal matters.

Tableland Mossman Mill continues to have maintenance issues with 35,200.86 tonnes crushed in week 21 and 33,621.81 in week 22. Tableland Mill crushed well over the last fortnight with 30,907 tonnes crushed in week 17 and 29,308 tonnes crushed in week 18.

CANEGROWERS Tableland hosted a farewell afternoon tea for outgoing Mackay Sugar CEO, Quinton Hildebrand.

Tableland Mackay Sugar Shareholders

are encouraged to attend a telecast of the AGM at 4pm in the Mossman Mill Boardroom on Thursday October 29.

Cairns Region Some rain during this last period has caused holdups and delays in harvesting and farming across the area and causing anguish with bin delivery and equity.

Area estimates have increased, CCS continues to rise slowly as does fibre with a notable differences between the two areas. Growers are reporting suckering in some varieties. Mill performances have been disappointing and continue to cause season length concerns. A reasonable season length appears to have now become a thing of the past, with little or limited compensation to the grower. At this point a midDecember finish is on the cards.

CANEGROWERS Cairns Region, in conjunction with QDAFF’s Jack Robertson, ran a dual herbicide sprayer trial demonstration on John Ferrando’s farm recently. 19 growers attended and the feedback was very positive. WTSIP Officer Kimberley Kennedy is currently sourcing a venue for a night in Babinda.

The Queensland Government has recently announced that it will reinstate staff to undertake some reef regulation compliance checking and growers are encouraged to strive for BMP. We have staff available to assist and record keeping templates are available.

With regards to cane payment, growers are encouraged to undertake self-auditing of their CCS, bins and delivery advices. Variations in CCS or bin weights can be checked via a robust audit system. Representatives continue to work with MSF in relation to the web sites. We encourage growers to raise their concerns and ideas for improvements with MSF.

The Cairns Region recently welcomed CANEGROWERS CEO Dan Galligan for a visit as as he was keen to get out into the field, harvesting contractor Joseph Arcidiacono briefly let him take the controls.

6

Australian Canegrower

| 26 October 2015

Innisfail The crop continues to cut well above the pre-season estimate. At October 11 the crop was a working estimate of 116% of the estimate. 887,731 tonnes had been crushed representing 57% of the current estimate.

Spring rain with falls as high as 100mm were recorded over the district during the week which will have a double effect on the crop - a loss of harvesting time and additional growth in the standing cane. Early indications are that the finish date will be pushed back from December 9 to 14 if there’s no further loss of crushing time.

The Innisfail district lost one of its most experienced and recognised growers with the passing of Bowse Darveniza.

Bowse was a well-known figure during his 73 years in the sugar industry.

Herbert River Rain in various parts of the district disturbed harvesting mainly north and west of Ingham with falls ranging from 75 mm in some parts to virtually nothing in others.

The Working Group oversighting the staggered finish met on Monday 12 October to review quota recalculations.

The estimate continues to hold at a target of 4,521,220 tonnes being the average of proportional and adjusted estimates although there are some ups and downs at group level. Wilmar’s official estimate remains at 4.35 million tonnes.

The target daily crush has been downgraded to 29,000 tonnes following disappointing mill throughputs for several weeks and on that basis the projected finish has blown out to 27 November.

Groups are reminded to communicate any changes in likely loading to the Operations Centre as early as practical to provide the best prospects for bins being shifted to where they can be loaded for best utilisation of mill crushing capacity and avoid unnecessary extension of the season. ►

INDUSTRY NEWS

The new quotas will, in aggregate, exceed the mill daily crushing capacity and as such daily loadings will be adjusted to the percentage of quota required by the groups on roster.

CCS hit 16.02 and the four mills are averaging over 378,000 tonnes per week. Wilmar has advised that if there are no rain disruptions, and based on the revised factory throughputs, harvesting is expected to finish in November as follows: Invicta Monday 2, Kalamia Tuesday 3, Pioneer Wednesday 4 and Inkerman Wednesday 11.

With effect from the October 22 delivery, advance increased and weighbridge payments for cane harvested. The estimated pool average CCS has been downgraded by 0.1 unit for each pool.

A fresh schedule of advances to reflect the change has been distributed building in the better than previously estimated seasonal prices for the QSL managed pools and new estimated pool average CCS values of 13.4 for Relative Payment Pool A and 12.76 for Pool B. Field operations apart from the harvest are focused on applying fertiliser to earlier harvested cane.

Interest in Smartcane BMP has reignited following the Queensland Government’s announcement that Reef Regulations are to be subject to Interim Compliance measures targeting the Wet Tropics and Burdekin catchments.

Burdekin More than 6.8 million tonnes (82%) of the 8.27 million tonne crop had been crushed at the end of Week 18.

The Burdekin Falls Dam level continues to drop and is now at 59% compared to 89% at the same time last year. Water restrictions for irrigators remain in place. Wilmar’s 2016 Season Outlook is that the next crop will be down by 10% (800,000 tonnes) to 7.5 million tonnes.

On November 14, NQ Dry Tropics hosted a tour of the Pacific Reef Fishery where MBD Energy has incorporated microalgae ponds into its water management plan to extract nitrogen and phosphorous from the discharged water whilst at the same time growing microalgae. John Moloney (General Manager of Pacific Reef) said the water leaving the fishery was cleaner than when it arrived and gave an overview of the strict requirements GBRMPA places on the business, including zero nutrient run off.

Dr Rebecca Lawton from James Cook University spoke about her research into algae and the potential of using it to clean run off from cane

farms. Separately, BBIFMAC has been engaged to undertake a feasibility study on the suitability of microalgae systems for treating irrigation tailwater. This feasibility study is due for completion by December 2015.

Mackay The Mackay area mills crushed a total of 225,819 tonnes with an average PRS of 16.39 for the week ending October 11. Despite a stoppage at Marian Mill, due to No3 Mud Filter, and downtime at Racecourse Mill to effect repairs on the rotary crush frame, the Mackay mills managed an average availability of 88.3%.

To date 3,750,948 tonnes has been crushed, which is 75.55% of the crop. The 2015 estimate comes in around 4,965,000 tonnes.

In the Plane Creek district, a total of 48,741 tonnes of cane was crushed for the week ending October 10.

The one million tonnes milestone was reached during the week.

Significant repairs to cane carrier chains disrupted crushing from Friday afternoon until early on Monday morning.

Continues page 8...

LOOK UP

FOR YOUR MATES

Contact with overhead powerlines can kill.

So for your sake and your mate’s, please look up and live.

For electrical safety information specific to your industry, visit ergon.com.au/outdoor-workplace

26 October 2015

| Australian Canegrower

7

INDUSTRY NEWS

The contents of one 6.5 tonne cane bin was divided into four piles by Isis mill. From the bottom of the picture the piles are sound cane, trash, tops and a final pile of dirt, roots and stool. The piles were on display at a forum for harvesting contractrors and divers.

individual CCS result was again in Q208A at 18.30 in older ratoon cane.

Isis

Harvesting was also halted across the weekend as a result, resuming on Monday.

CCS levels continue to increase with the highest CCS sample for the week from a rake of fifth ratoon Q208 at 18.76 from Koumala Productivity District.

Bundaberg A few showers have fallen across the district over the last month but mature cane is still suffering severe stress and ratoons and young plant cane are also struggling with the prolonged dry weather. With sugar and power prices where they are, many growers are still praying for the heavens to open up and provide some moisture.

Bundaberg Sugar mills crushed 63,410 tonnes of cane during week 18, bringing the total so far to 1,432,296 tonnes.

With approximately another four weeks left of crushing, around 82% of the 2015 season estimate is processed.

The sugar price is on an upward trend and so is the CCS in the continued dry weather. The weekly average has increased by 0.09 to 15.94 units.

Millaquin reached an average of 15.92 and Bingera recorded 15.96 units. The season to date average for both mills is 14.47 units. The highest

8

Australian Canegrower

Isis Mill expects the crushing to terminate after the completion of daily allotments on Saturday October 31.

The mill had also announced a 20,000 tonne increase in estimate to 1,270,000 tonnes of cane. 1,117,570 tonnes has been processed for a seasonal average CCS of 14.15. That leaves 152,430 tonnes to be harvested and crushed by the end of October. Growers with specific issues should talk to the Mill’s Field Officers immediately.

The Isis Sugar Partnership, comprising Isis Central Mill, CANEGROWERS Isis and Isis Productivity Limited, hosted a forum with harvesting contractors and harvester drivers at Isis Mill with the theme “Let’s Start the Conversation – Cane Quality”. The message was that a whole-of-industry approach is needed to address the high level of extraneous matter being received in the cane supply and harvesting losses in the field.

The meeting was informed that extraneous matter was double what it should be. Speakers addressed topics including results of sucrose loss trials conducted by SRA which point to potential cane loss exceeding 15% as today’s harvesters are more powerful and the speed of travel contributes to high levels of extraneous matter and how this level of EM impacted CCS. The Sugar Partnership emphasised that growers and the mill have parts to play in helping to improve the cane supply. Growers must present the cane according to best management practice and the mill must not encourage harvesting recommencement too soon

| 26 October 2015

following rain and improve bin deliveries so that contractors are not rushing to fill the daily allotment at the end of the day. SRA plant breeders should take account of cane harvestability in the plant breeding programme and provide contractors with a recommended extractor fan speed by variety. Isis Mill will take grower shareholders through the same information at the Mill AGM on Friday October 23.

Maryborough Toward the end of week 17, MSF has crushed 626,216 tonnes at CCS of 13.44.

With the official crop estimate having been increased to 850,000 tonnes, the mill is approx. 74% of the way through the crush. To date this week the mill has crushed 33,445 tonnes at CCS of 14.36. A broken shaft in the No 2 mill resulted in approx. 38 hours of lost time at the end of week 16. The mill is on target to complete crushing by the third week of November.

Rocky Point As at 11 October 2015, Rocky Point has crushed 210,035 tonnes of cane (representing 55% of the estimated 382,000 tonnes) at an average CCS of 13.42. The crush has again been delayed due to co-generation plant issues.

CANEGROWERS Rocky Point has written to the owners of the cogeneration plant expressing our concerns with their performance. Based on the current estimate there are 8.7 weeks remaining, which will likely take the crush to the second week of December.

New South Wales The harvest in NSW sees approximately 63% of the total crop processed.

Nuisance rain and storm activity are hampering the operation. All three mills are also experiencing above budget down-time due to breakdowns. Despite this we are confident that harvesting will be completed mid-December. CCS levels are improving as each week passes.

The planting programme is well advanced although it too is being hindered by shower/storm activity. Those growers who were in a position to get their cane planted early are seeing the benefits of the conditions. The clean seed plot is working overtime getting seed to growers. Some of the new varieties available are showing excellent results, which is a good sign for future yields. 

SNAPSHOT | SRA

SRA announces new staff appointments in the Herbert region

By Neil Fisher, Chief Executive Officer, Sugar Research Australia

SRA has started to implement enhancements to the sugarcane plant breeding program in the Herbert with the appointment of two new staff in Ingham. The appointments follow the recommendations of the independent review into SRA’s plant breeding activities in the Herbert, with one of the recommendations being the appointment of additional staff to assist the SRA breeding program.

SRA has appointed Andrea Bryan as farm manager for SRA’s Herbert station and Melanie Adams as planting breeding technician. They join the current Herbert SRA team of Heidi Clements, Fulvio Gori, Vince Blanco, Glen Park, Megan Zahmel, and Phil Patane, with the breeding program overseen by SRA breeder Dr Felicity Atkin.

Farm manager Andrea Bryan will have responsibility to manage the SRA farm operations on station plus provide farm services for SRA research trials, including those off-station. Andrea is currently a breeding technician at SRA Meringa and has also acted in the role of farm manager at Meringa.

She has a strong background in all facets of breeding and in the management of breeding trials, equipment and staff.

Plant-breeding technician Melanie Adams is a Herbert local whose family has been heavily involved in the cane industry. Melanie holds a science degree in plant biology from James Cook University and has been working as an ecologist. She comes with great skills in conducting detailed field observations and data collection, which are skills that are vital to successful screening of potential new varieties.

The changes to the Herbert breeding program have come in response to local industry needs, which includes a

greater emphasis on using commercial conditions to test varieties. The main extra Herbert activity will be in stage-2 selection trials, called Clonal Assessment Trials or CATs. This will allow us to more quickly select clones that are adapted to the needs of Herbert region. These clones will then be tested in regional Final Assessment Trials (FATs) and Regional Variety Trials (RVTs), the latter in conjunction with the Herbert Cane Productivity Services Limited (HCPSL).

SRA appoints new Executive Manager, Operations SRA has announced the appointment of its new Executive Manager, Operations, Mr Stephen Annells.

SRA CEO Mr Neil Fisher said that the role was a key executive position within SRA and that Mr Annells would have direct responsibility for important components of the SRA business that assist SRA in delivering valued solutions for a growing sugarcane industry.

“As Executive Manager, Operations, Mr Annells will have direct responsibility for health and safety, human resources, information technology, SRA resources including laboratories, offices and farms, and the SRA records and library,” Mr Fisher said.

Mr Annells has considerable management experience in agribusiness and government and has worked for companies including Elders, Ausbulk, and Hi-Fert.

He has held senior Executive and Leadership roles across the entire supply chain from RD&E, through to retail / merchandise, marketing, and contract / project management.

He comes to the role with a Bachelor of Agribusiness Science (economics, agronomy, and viticulture), an Advanced Management Certificate in Business Administration and Management, and a Graduate Diploma in Commerce (cost management, law, and management).

Mr Annells said that he looked forward to working with SRA

investors, the broader sugarcane industry, and the SRA executive management and corporate services teams to focus on delivering valued outcomes for sugarcane growers and millers.

“The sugarcane industry is a vital contributor to the national economy and regional communities and I am excited about the prospect of working within this industry to identify, manage and deliver outcomes for SRA that allow SRA to undertake targeted research, development and extension activities for sugarcane growers and millers,” Mr Annells said.

SRA Annual Report and AGM The SRA Annual Report 2014-15 is available on our website www. sugarresearch.com.au. Electronic copies have been emailed to SRA members, and hard copies have been posted to those members who have requested a hard copy. You can also request a hard copy by emailing members@ sugarresearch.com.au or (07) 3331 3333.

The SRA Annual General Meeting is on October 29 at Indooroopilly, Brisbane.

SRA will have a new Chairman at the AGM with the retirement of our longserving Chairman of SRA (and formerly Chairman of BSES), Paul Wright AM. SRA members will be asked to approve the new Directors recommended by the Director Selection Committee (DSC).

For more information regarding the AGM please contact Company Secretary Michael Shannon at mshannon@ sugarresearch.com.au or (07) 3331 3333.

SRA soldier fly collaborative trials SRA Manager for Plant Health, Dr Andrew Ward, spoke to ABC Rural recently about new solider fly trials that have started this year. The collaborative trials at Bundaberg, Isis, Maryborough and Mackay are a partnership with the local Productivity Boards in those regions. This follows the appointment of Dr Ward to SRA Manager for Plant Health earlier this year in recognition of the need for SRA to have a continued focus on plant health for our investors.

For more information on the trials contact Dr Andrew Ward at award@ sugarresearch.com.au or visit the SRA website www.sugarresearch.com.au for more information on soldier fly. 

28 September 2015

| Australian Canegrower

9

WHAT’S NEW

Tropical agriculture on show to world journalists

By Neroli Roocke

A group of 60 delegates from 12 countries recently spent a whirlwind four days in Far North Queensland immersed in the region’s agriculture – and they were blown away by what they saw.

The event was organised by the Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists and CANEGROWERS and Smartcane BMP were among the sponsors, seeing the visit as an excellent opportunity to showcase modern cane farming practices and their relationship to the future of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

He says he was enlightened and delighted by the day-long visit to the Great Barrier Reef where there was a chance to dive or snorkel as well as hear firsthand from farmers, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the Queensland and Australian Governments about their work to improve water quality.

The response from the delegates, who were farm and agricultural writers for magazines, newspapers and websites, was overwhelmingly positive.

“Before I came I thought that the Reef is something to be protected and is more for tourists, I didn’t actually realise from far away that it has a relationship with agriculture and that the future of the reef also depends on farmers doing a good job when it comes to water, pesticides and nutrients.

“I was really impressed,” said Canadian freelance food and farming writer Lilian Schaer. “I saw so many things you would never see in Canadian agriculture - bananas and prawns and sugarcane and crocodiles - so from a production perspective completely different.

“What really struck me also were so many similarities. The drive for innovation and the pride and passion people have for what they do is the same.

“There is a continual drive to do things better and to be better for the environment and pass that legacy of passion and caring on to the next generation.”

" "

What really struck me also were so many similarities. The drive for innovation and the pride and passion people have for what they do is the same.

Markus Rediger is the President of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists and at home in Switzerland heads up a news agency dedicated to stories about agriculture.

“It was very interesting for me to see what people are growing in the tropics, it’s a whole lot different to what we are growing in Switzerland and Europe,” he said.

“For me it was very inspiring to see how it all relates and how the farmers try to do a really good job. I think that there is an absolutely positive future for the Reef,” he said.

“They really try to do what they can and be innovative and find new ideas to try to include the Reef in their thinking – not just producing as much as they can and exporting but also really being aware of what’s going on around them in the environment and in the water especially.”

After visiting the huge Mackay family banana farms in the Tully valley, who are also sugarcane growers, the Sugar Research Australia facility at Meringa and the Puglisi family sugarcane and cocoa farm near Mossman, Yoshihito Yasuda from Japan described Australian farms as very spacious and farmers as energetic and innovative.

“In Japan, some farmers expect to receive money from the government but in Australia farmers are by themselves.”

The colourful conference shirts ensured there was lots of interaction with locals as the group attended the Reef Feast Festival in Palm Cove and a reception hosted by the Cairns Airport with producers of niche and specialty fruit and dairy products.

The event finished in Sydney with a forum hosted by the Council of Rural Research and Development Corporations on the topic of

10 Australian Canegrower | 26 October 2015

innovation in agriculture. Themes that were explored included the use of robotics, research funding and the communication of research outcomes and commodity and country branding as a marketing tool.

" "

The future of the reef also depends on farmers doing a good job when it comes to water, pesticides and nutrients. It was very inspiring to see how it all relates and how the farmers try to do a really good job. I think that there is an absolutely positive future for the Reef.

Many in the group travelled on to the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists congress in New Zealand.

Not only will there be many written stories produced out of the trip, Slovenian television journalist Branko Vrabec filmed many interviews which will form part of a series of stories on his weekly agricultural television program which is similar to our very own ABC Landline, even down to running at midday on a Sunday. CANEGROWERS will share these via Facebook when they are aired. 

WHAT’S NEW

Growers take to the water to talk about Reef-friendly farming

By Neroli Roocke Between them, a small group of north Queensland farmers did more than a dozen interviews with international and Australian agricultural journalists when they joined them for a day on the Great Barrier Reef.

Sugarcane growers Jamie Dore and Paul Gregory along with Reef Award winning banana farmers Jade and Craig Buchannan answered questions about the changes in farming practices that were improving the quality of the water entering the Reef Lagoon.

Paul, who farms in the Gordonvale area, explained that being at the end of the catchment with fresh water and rainforest at one end of his farm and mangrove flats at the other presented challenges and opportunities.

He stopped burning his cane before harvest in 1982 and since then has steadily reduced the amount of fertiliser being applied so that it is now half of what was needed before the trash was left on the soil.

“The challenge for me is keeping water on the property,” he said. “A lot of the farm drains away from the creeks and water runs through a series of grassed drains and naturally occurring wetlands around the property.”

This, he explained, meant sediment and nutrients are filtered out before the water goes out to the sea.

Pictured: Jamie Dore and Paul & Gillian Gregory (above) joined delegates on the Reef. Gerard Puglisi hosted the group on farm to see the cane production process including harvesting courtesy of the Shepherdson team (below).

“I do welcome government intentions to further quantify nitrogen and sediment that runs off from our farms,” he said.

“The science by the regulators and our practices will then be irrefutable and we can put our hands on

our hearts and say best management practices make a difference.”

Jamie, who farms with his two brothers at Tully, explained how lagoons and controlled traffic farming, which was made possible through cooperation with other farmers and the Australian Government Reef Programme, also mean cleaner farm runoff.

“We’ve all swum around one of the greatest wonders of the world today,” he told the 60 people on the boat. “We’re doing everything that we can to protect it and feel compelled to do our best.”

The Tully grower, who is the subject of a video in this year’s CANEGROWERS Virtual Bus Tour series, also told the crowd that a massive scientific effort is needed to improve water quality further.

“I’ve done everything I can on my farm, I’ve got nothing left in the tool chest,” he said. “If we want to hit the targets that are being set for nitrogen etcetera, big money is going to need to be spent because we need another leap forward in research and development.”

Jamie and his wife Michelle took their two daughters on the trip and Jamie says it was a fantastic learning experience for all.

“Even though they are only young they really got the concept that we are part of this great big global village that has its gaze firmly focussed on the Great Barrier Reef and our custody of it.

“We go to the reef and islands every other weekend but interacting with people from all over the world out there and seeing their responses, is just something that's new for us and reminds us not to take what is around us for granted,” he said. 

26 October 2015

| Australian Canegrower 11

Driven by growers. Used by growers. Owned by growers.

Momentum builds for Smartcane BMP

By Mick Quirk, Smartcane BMP Project Manager Momentum is building in the Smartcane BMP program. Over a thousand growers have now registered and 844 of these have completed the core modules (soils/ nutrients, irrigation/drainage, pests/ diseases) via self-assessment.

BMP program’s turn to be audited Smartcane BMP commissioned GREENCAP consultants to conduct a third party audit of the program’s auditing and certification procedure. The audits of farms agreed with the certification decisions previously made, showing the reliability and credibility of the program.

Its major recommendation regarding process was to move to on-farm audits, from the remote audits currently employed. On-farm auditing is standard practice across similar types of programs. The implications of such a change in audit procedure are currently being evaluated and a recommendation will be made shortly to CANEGROWERS and other project partners. The GREENCAP report also recommended a number of improvements to the program’s administrative processes.

Further, 22 growers have now achieved accreditation through an independent audit process. We expect at least another 80 growers will seek accreditation by the end of this year.

This means that completion of core modules by self-assessment has been achieved by 24% of Queensland’s growers representing 40% of the total cane production area. In the first half of next year, we should have 5% of growers, and 10% of the cane area, accredited in Smartcane BMP. Smartcane BMP provides a credible industryled pathway for growers to demonstrate their stewardship of the land.

It permits the grower to tell the how, and why, of their farm management.

12 Australian Canegrower | 26 October 2015

CANEGROWERS Herbert River Manager Peter Sheedy congratulates grower Frank Russo.

Group work a big hit for Burdekin BMP

By Terry Granshaw, Smartcane BMP facilitator The Burdekin region has five farming entities accredited in the three key modules (soil health & nutrient management, irrigation & drainage, weed pest & disease management) and three growers well down the track to completing all seven of the Smartcane BMP modules.

A further 22 growers are currently working towards accreditation while, in the past three weeks, 30 additional growers have completed the core modules via self-assessment.

Since taking over the Smartcane BMP program in the region, Burdekin Productivity Services (BPS) has taken a close look at what makes growers most comfortable when undertaking the self-assessments.

Field officers are now selecting around five like-minded growers

in their areas for workshops which I facilitate. This group size seems perfect.

The workshop is paper-based and all three modules are completed in a session lasting no more than two and a half hours.

The information is then uploaded onto the Smartcane BMP website by staff of BPS. Grower discussion is encouraged around the questions and so far we have had positive feedback from participants.

These discussions have led to headland talk which has led to more growers requesting that they be part of the program.

Through the work of BPS to help growers achieve BMP accreditation, Smartcane BMP is now being seen as a tool for growers to improve their farms, for profitability and productivity.

Herbert River accredits two more growers

By Maria Battoraro, Smartcane BMP facilitator The Herbert River district has recently accredited two more growers in the three core modules of Smartcane BMP, bringing its total of accredited farms to seven.

The latest growers to be congratulated are Frank Russo from Hawkins Creek and Steve Adams representing the Adams Brothers.

Workshops are continuing with the recent media stories about the reactivation of Reef Regulations sparking more interest in BMP. At the workshops I am now running through the option for growers to keep records via the Smartcane BMP website.

This option has appealed to a number of growers and I have assisted them with the setting up and use of this.

Even growers who use mobile phones quite a lot find that entering information into their phones can be difficult while they are handling machinery, chemicals or fertiliser so they are jotting down the information

MYTH GPS guidance to establish rows is a requirement for BMP Smartcane BMP Facilitator Maria Battoraro with accredited grower Steven Adams. in a notepad and entering on the PC when convenient.

I have pointed out the advantages of this record-keeping system in that they cannot lose their records even if their PC fails, and it provides all relevant fields for recording practices.

I have also allayed their fears that the information may be passed on to others, as it is stored on a server in Brisbane and only aggregate data is reported.

Module review and training plan underway Sugar Research Australia (SRA) has been commissioned for two roles in the BMP program: • Undertake an annual review of the BMP modules and recommend any changes to ensure the practice standards remain contemporary and consistent with research and development and industry innovations.

The first review workshop will be held in early November.

• Develop and deliver a training program for growers that assist them to improve their management practices and meet accreditation requirements. This is being coordinated by SRA’s Belinda Billings who is working with various parties to ensure the program is complementary to existing training initiatives.

Smartcane BMP Farms & Areas 1035

growers registered for BMP (29% of growers, 45% of cane area)

844

completed one core module by self-assessment (24% of growers, 40% of cane area)

22

growers completed core modules by accreditation (5 applications under review)

FACT

BUSTED

If GPS is not used, the grower just needs to indicate how he marks out for planting.

MYTH There is a specific row spacing required for BMP

FACT

BUSTED

There is no specific row spacing for BMP. BMP is met if most machinery wheel spacings match the row spacing

MYTH Accreditation requires a lot of time to upload photos and records to the website

FACT

BUSTED

Photos are not required to be uploaded.

Some evidence, such as nutrient management records, need uploading however, assistance is provided by your district BMP coordinator

MYTH Digital/computer records are needed to meet BMP

FACT

BUSTED

The few records required may be in any form. Diary entries are fine, as are paper reports such as soil tests. Growers may keep records in a book, on their computer/GPS or in AgDat. 26 October 2015

| Australian Canegrower 13

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 19 October 2015

17.0 16.0 15.0

Sugar

14.0

It was a whirlwind fortnight for the sugar market as flat prices rallied for five consecutive sessions, before sliding lower on speculative selling to finish generally stronger on Friday.

Despite the rise and fall effect seen in sugar, the general movements remained positive across the long run. The prompt March16 contract continued to outperform the rest of the flat price board, trading across a 105-point range (14.43c/lb to 13.39c/lb) for the fortnight.

Spread activity was highlighted by a firming to +32 in the prompt March/May spread, while the end result saw the prompt settle 10 points lower at +22.

13.0 12.0 11.0 10.0

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

The latest Commitment of Traders report was released on Friday illustrating what most had expected. The non-index funds now sit net long 133,000 contracts as an increase of approximately 42,000 contracts were bought over the Tuesday week period. Our further expectation going forward is that the speculators have continued to buy back, with Friday’s session settling 40+ points above Tuesday’s high. With two days remaining before the next reporting period is finished, we believe another subsequent amount has been brought back.

The next UNICA (Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association) report for the first half of October is due to be released at the end of the week and if not then, definitely by October 26. Expectations are that heavier rains in the second week of October would impact the Brazilian crush somewhat.

To India and the stance on a ‘type of’ export subsidy to assist mills continues to be as clear as mud. We are still hearing that farmer subsidies are to replace export subsidies, however there is little certainty that this will be the case.

Political instability in Brazil remains, which has been highlighted in the recent Brazilian Real price action. Across the fortnight, the Real’s exchange rate with the US dollar has traded in from a low of 3.9509 to a top of 3.7243. A recent further downgrade to Brazil’s -BBB Standard & Poors rating has contributed to the Real’s return to historical lows (near 4 Real/USD).

Going forward this week, we will continue to monitor the political turbulence in Brazil and the currency implications. The Commitment of Traders report and UNICA report will also be key drivers looking ahead.

QSL Forward Fixed Price Contract (A$/mt) 520

Currency The Australian Dollar has traded into rather positive territory over the past two weeks, trading from a fortnight low of 0.7035 to a top of 0.7382. The AUD strength can be attributed to a short bounce in commodities and some earlier US dollar weakness.

500 480 460

The RBA held the cash rate at 2% in their October meeting. With the cash rate as expected, focus turned to the accompanying commentary which was left virtually unchanged.

However, last week Westpac cut investor and home loan rates by 25 basis points. This indicates that we will more than likely see the RBA cut rates at their next meeting on Melbourne Cup day next month.

440 420 400 380

The US Federal Reserve minutes from its September meeting were also released over the past fortnight. The comments mentioned that although the Fed continues to hold off raising rates, it is still willing to risk a rate hike before the year is up. These comments were supported by expectations of some US dollar consolidation this week, as expectations for a rate hike have been readjusted higher.

360 340 320 2015

2016

2017

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

14 Australian Canegrower | 26 October 2015

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

US Quota Pool captures precious value

By Bryce Wenham, QSL Finance Manager, Supplier Relations

In the wake of the recent Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement and the high profile role sugar sales into the United States played in the negotiations, I thought it timely to take a look at how QSL operates its US Quota Pool.

Unlike QSL’s other pools, the US Quota Pool does not require growers to nominate a tonnage into it for pricing each year.

Instead, QSL automatically allocates approximately 5% of each supplier’s estimated tonnage to the US Quota pool each year.

This is because the US Quota Pool is traditionally our best performing pool due to the higher prices available for sales made on the US domestic raw sugar market.

However, access to this superior pricing via US sales is highly restricted under that country’s Tariff Rate Quota system.

The Tariff Rate Quota

The US Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) system is operated by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and effectively sets the volume of raw sugar imports that are permitted into the US on a countryby-country basis.

Each country, including Australia, receives a fixed percentage of the total TRQ volume announced by the USDA each year, with the sugar entering the country within the TRQ subject to either a zero or nominal tariff.

Forty countries currently share the TRQ allocation, with Australia’s annual allocation for 2015 set at 87,402 metric tonnes.

This is set to increase by 65,000mt under the newly-negotiated TPP. Certificates of Quota Eligibility (CQE) for Australia’s allocation of sugar are subsequently issued to the Australian Government, which in turn shares them amongst Australian sugar millers based on their production levels.

Under the Raw Sugar Supply Agreement, Mills supplying QSL can elect to have part of the raw sugar for which they receive CQEs marketed under their Miller Economic Interest arrangements, but are required to assign their CQEs for all remaining volumes to QSL. QSL then uses these CQEs to operate the US Quota Pool.

futures market is used – the ICE 16.

The ICE 16 reflects prices within the US domestic raw sugar market only.

Given all of the various support measures for the US sugar industry, ICE 16 prices are usually much higher than those available on the ICE 11.

However, while the US sugar prices are higher, the benefits of exporting to this market are tempered by a negative Share Pool allocation substantially larger than other QSL Pools.

The key reason for this is that the ICE 16 price is a Free In-Store price, which means it includes all premiums, costs and duties that may be charged by the seller for sugar delivered into the customer’s warehouse.

It’s important to note that while all Australian sugar mills receive a CQE allocation from the Federal Government, not all mills have sugar available to export and may participate in the domestic market only.

In contrast to this, the ICE 11 price is the value of the sugar at the ship’s rail (Free On Board, or FOB).

This means that the US Quota Pool Gross Price already includes all premiums except polarisation (determined directly from ICE 16 future market).

Some mills outside of Queensland do not export via the QSL system. In these instances QSL seeks to buy their unused quota and uses this additional volume for our US Quota Pool sales.

Even with the added stevedoring costs associated with exporting Queensland sugar to US customers, the returns are significantly higher than most sales into alternate markets.

QSL makes an initial allocation based on each supplying Miller’s allocation of CQEs from the previous year.

However, QSL continually assesses where the best return can be gained and if a higher value can be obtained by selling the US Quota Pool’s raw sugar to an alternative destination rather than the United States, then those sales will be secured and the associated sugar reallocated to the QSL Harvest Pool.

Once the current year’s CQE allocation is announced, each supplier’s tonnage is adjusted if necessary, with any change added to or subtracted from their allocation to the Harvest Pool.

Why are US sales attractive?

Unlike most other raw sugar sales conducted on the global market, sugar sales into the US are not based on the ICE 11, but an alternative raw sugar

For more information on QSL’s US Quota Pool, please read its Product Description Statement, available at the following link: http://www.qsl.com.au/sites/ default/files/6703.QSL%2001%20US%20 Quota%20Pool%20Draft2.pdf

26 October 2015

| Australian Canegrower 15

ON FARM

Targeting nutrient and herbicide applications in red soil country Farming sugarcane in the lush catchment of the Johnstone River system is not without its challenges. It is one of Queensland’s wettest growing districts and features rich red soil which, when it is wet, becomes very sticky.

Innisfail district grower Joe Zappala is facing up to the challenges of his location with the help of specially designed farm machinery that keeps pace with environmental best practice in applying sub-surface nutrients to his crop while coping with the sticky soil.

“This red soil sticks very well to the coulters and also because it sticks and it’s not very abrasive, it won’t cut the trash,” Joe explains.

“When it doesn’t cut the trash it builds up and binds, it jams!”

But with modification with the tynes and the bigger coulters, developed in conjunction with the equipment’s manufacturer, Joe has been able to get his fertiliser into the soil, under the trash blanket.

The modified fertiliser box and stool splitter is an example of how the Australian Government Reef Programme (formerly known as Reef Rescue) is working with farmers in Queensland’s Wet Tropics to limit the likelihood that

nutrient left on top of the soil will wash away into the Great Barrier Reef lagoon.

As well as environmental benefit, the implement has given Joe some productivity gains too.

“I’ve gone from two row application to three row application and also with this box I can vary the row spacing from five foot (152cm) out to five foot ten (177cm) and I could put it either beside the stool or split the stool,” he says.

He chooses to split his stools as he takes the opportunity to apply a cane grub control agent in the same pass.

Joe Zappala is also playing a role in minimising the impacts of farming on the Great Barrier Reef with his herbicide management too, applying successfully to the Australian Government Reef Programme to co-fund a variable rate spray controller with the aim of cutting down on his herbicide usage.

The system has been installed on spray unit, modified to be a high rise eight years ago, and the direct result is improved accuracy in spray rates and efficiency of application.

It’s a win both for the environment and productivity. That also helps him in his hillier country.

“We had just standard controllers that were not very accurate,” Joe says. “So what we’ve done is mount a wheel sensor on the back of the wheel so you’ve got accuracy with your ground speed. Once you’ve got accuracy with your ground speed you start getting accuracy with your application rates.”

So when the machine accelerates a bit going downhill, the application rate picks up and when it climbs a hill slowly with a full tank, the application rate slows right down. ►

Main image: Joe Zappala's modified stool splitter and fertiliser box at work. Inset: (top) Innisfail Smartcane BMP Facilitator Deb Telford and Joe Zappala (middle) The red soil of Joe's Innisfail district farm and (bottom) his high rise sprayer with variable rate controller to ensure even coverage despite the undulating terrain.

16 Australian Canegrower | 26 October 2015

ON FARM

“The accuracy in application is what I was really looking for,” Joe says. “You want to get even application of herbicides.”

The flow control system and tank are coupled with an Irvin Farm spray rig that has been engineered specifically to meet the highest environmental standards.

The ratoon tracking head travels at ground level and the spray bar is constructed with multiple low-drift nozzles to ensure herbicide only goes where it’s needed.

“What we have is what Irvin calls the octopus legs. We have six nozzles on each spray bar - I use ADI low drift nozzles,” he says. “With the variable rate controller it gives me good rate of application, accuracy, run lower pressures so I get less drift.”

Joe Zappala has another project in the planning stage, for a dual herbicide sprayer. 

Watch our Virtual Bus Tour to the Zappala farm www.youtube.com/ canegrowers

26 October 2015

| Australian Canegrower 17

The weedy vine, pink convolvulus, struggles to grow through a high level of trash blanket in the SRA study.

How deep is your trash? Why should it matter?

By Neroli Roocke The thickness of the trash blanket left on a cane paddock after harvest can have a big influence on the number of weedy vines that make it through to be a problem for the next crop – according to a study being undertaken by Sugar Research Australia.

Industry best practice advises that a trash blanketing suppresses annual weeds, especially grassy ones, meaning less reliance on herbicides. In fact some farms have managed to cut herbicide use in half!

But vines still often make it through the trash blanket and have to become the focus of weed management.

It’s hoped the study could point the way towards further reducing herbicide use by paying attention to the amount of trash left on the ground.

Emilie Fillols and Tim Staier conducted a pot trial at the SRA site in Mackay and presented their findings to this year Australian Society of Sugar Cane Technologists conference.

As well as comparing different depths of mulch they also looked at the impact of an inert mulch material – to gauge whether the process of the mulch breaking down and exuding leachates in the soil also had an effect on the ability of vines to germinate.

18 Australian Canegrower | 26 October 2015

Four vine species (red convolvulus, pink convolvulus, siratro and centro) were planted with three different mulch levels (low, medium and high) of natural and synthetic materials (plastic drinking straws) along with controls with no mulch.

A total of 140 trays were planted, watered regularly and the growth of the vines was checked weekly.

What did they find?

In the trays, a high level of trash (equivalent to 18 t/ha on a cane field) reduced the final number of emerged vine seedlings by 66% on average when compared to a low level of trash (6 t/ha) and bare soil.

A medium level of trash (12 t/ha) reduced seedling emergence by 32% while low level of trash did not reduce vine emergence.

The researchers say a medium trash level, of 10–12 t/ha, is what’s left after harvest of a normal crop yielding 70–90 t/ha with the high trash level being what’s left after harvest of a high yielding crop.

Plastic mulch was up to 48% less efficient than trash in reducing vine emergence. continues page 19...

The weedy vine, centro, growing through a medium level of plastic mulch.

The cane trash weathered and its thickness diminished over time due to natural degradation whereas the artificial plastic mulch preserved the same height.

However, as more emergences occurred through the plastic than the trash, the researchers concluded that the thickness of the mulch was less a barrier than other factors.

The team measured the length of the hypocotyls, the stem of the germinating plant pushing through the trash, and found them to be longer under the cane mulch than the plastic. This suggested that the trash filtered out more sunlight than the plastic.

SRA researcher Emilie Fillols

Emilie Fillols told the ASSCT conference that while the effect of mulch leachates, liquids coming through or from the mulch, on vine emergence couldn’t be confirmed by the pot experiment, it appeared that the physical barrier of the mulch decreasing available sunlight was the predominant parameter that impacted on vine emergence.

Not all vines are the same The study found that mulching affected the tested vine species differently.

The emergence of red convolvulus and centro were reduced more by mulching than the emergence of siratro (61% and 64% emergence compared to 73%).

Emergence of red convolvulus was reduced more by mulching than was emergence of pink convolvulus (61% and 65% emergence respectively).

What it means for growers Mulching does limit vine emergence in sugarcane crops. The deeper the mulch, the more effective it is although some species of weedy vines are more able to push through than others.

Mulch alone does not effectively control vine growth so other control methods are needed to prevent the vines growing to maturity, seeding and increasing the weed seed bank further The weedy vine, siratro, grows through a low level of trash blanket.

Pre-emergent options may still be recommended to control vines in cases of thin mulch cover but as a thicker mulch delays vine emergence, late postemergent options are more adequate to control the vines in these situations. ď Ž 26 October 2015

| Australian Canegrower 19

Crowdfunding – an option for projects in agriculture

By Neroli Roocke Got a great idea but no money for it?

Crowdfunding could be the solution.

You could think of it as offering people around the world a chance to put their money where their opinions, beliefs, dreams and aspirations are.

Crowdfunding is the online promotion of a project, idea or invention with the aim of attracting small amounts of capital from a large number of people over a short time period.

The Sugar Museum at Mourilyan has just launched a crowdfunding campaign (details of it are on page 2) to raise money to upgrade its exhibits.

The aim is to use technology to make the history of the sugarcane industry an interactive experience for visitors.

There are a number of websites which host the appeals and act as the interface between the projects and the donors – Kickstarter, Pozible, OzCrowd and Indiegogo are among the most popular.

Often an incentive is offered to entice donors.

These could be a sample of a new product for once enough money is raised to put it into production or a copy of a CD or DVD an artist is seeking to make. Sometimes though, the pitch aims to attract pledges from people wanting to help social welfare or environmental projects.

It has been used by farmers seeking to change their farming practices or expand their operations appealing to consumer concerns over animal welfare.

Environmental projects on farms have been funded and crowdfunding could help achieve aims such as reducing the likelihood of sediment or nutrients from farms reaching the Great Barrier Reef.

The Pozible website has a Landcare & Environment Collection which is dedicated to this.

Crowdfunding can also build tangible links between the city and country.

Through July and August AgForce used the website OzCrowd to raise $9,590 for a billboard campaign in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast to boost the understanding of rural issues.

The money came from 47 backers, some of whom donated up to $400, who responded to a media and social media campaign using the slogan Friends of Ag. In the United States, a site called Barnraiser is dedicated to agriculture with its name reflecting the tradition of a community coming together to help an individual farmer with construction. Its mission is to put a billion dollars into the hands of food innovators.

So how is it being used in agriculture?

Its website says crowdfunding is rapidly changing the way innovation, personal aspirations, new products, and social change are being driven.

You could look at it as a chance for city people with funds to put their money where their ideas and beliefs are.

“No group is more deserving than those on the front lines of the food movement, leading us toward health

20 Australian Canegrower | 26 October 2015

and sustainability,” it says. “Barnraiser is a place to meet and back the thousands of food and farming innovators and put better food on our collective table.”

So crowdfunding is something to put into the mix when considering raising funds for an on farm project. The key is to offer a project that will appeal to people for one reason or another and to offer a little reward, or thank you gift.

In the meantime, checkout the Sugar Museum’s campaign on the Indiegogo site and put a little bit of money where your industry’s history is! 

Taking a look at Jamie Oliver’s sugar documentary Supplied by the Australian Sugar Industry Alliance Nutrition Team Jamie Oliver’s Sugar Rush documentary, recently shown on Australian television, highlights the impact that obesity and diabetes are having on the lives of many in the United Kingdom and the urgent need to tackle these diseases.

These issues are as equally relevant to the Australian population. However the documentary may have left you with the impression that the consumption of sugar is the principal cause of the increasing prevalence of these conditions. This is simply not true.

The reality is that in Australia, like in the UK, people now consume less sugar per person than they did several decades ago.

For example, since the late 1970s, sugar consumption in Australia has declined substantially1 and we now consume 39.5 cups less sugar per person per year than we were in 1970.

This downward trend in sugar consumption is consistent with the recent findings from the Australian Health Survey (2011-12)2,3 .

Based on this information Australians are consuming on average around 26 teaspoons of total sugars per day, from all foods containing both naturally occurring sugars in foods like fruit and milk as well as added sugars.

This is a lot less than the 40 teaspoons supposedly being consumed per day in the UK. The decline in sugar

consumption is in contrast to the increasing prevalence of overweight/ obesity and diabetes over the same period.

So what is causing the problem? Singling out sugar may seem a simple, quick fix solution but risks ignoring many other factors that can contribute to lifestyle diseases.

Evidence shows a range of diet and lifestyle factors including excess energy (kilojoule) intake, unbalanced dietary patterns and sedentary behaviour contribute to the risk of these lifestyle diseases 4.

When it comes to dental cavaties, sugar alone is not the sole cause5. The frequency of consumption of sugars and other fermentable carbohydrates like refined starch is more important than the quantity consumed.

Many factors in addition to sugars affect the process, including the form of food or fluid, the duration of exposure, presence of fluoride in the water supply and oral hygiene6.

ASA recommends continuing to support and communicate healthy lifestyle guidelines that are developed for, and relevant to Australians.

The recently revised Australian Dietary Guidelines provides the best advice: to achieve and maintain a healthy weight, be physically active and choose amounts of nutritious food and drinks to meet your energy needs 4. In relation to sugar intake, the guidelines recommend we limit intake of foods and drinks containing added sugars like confectionary, soft drinks and biscuits 4.

The ASA fully supports the communication of credible science based nutrition messages and guidelines to all Australians. If you are concerned about your health and eating habits please see an Accredited Practicing Dietitian (APD). For further information please contact the Dietitians Association of Australia http://daa.asn.au/for-thepublic/find-an-apd/ .

Singling out sugar may seem a simple quick fix to a very complex problem which can only be answered by a comprehensive approach to the many factors associated with lifestyle diseases.

For more information please email Louise Macan: lmacan@sugaralliance.com.au. 

References 1.

McNeill, TJ & Shrapnel, WS 2015. ‘Apparent consumption of refined sugar in Australia (1938–2011)’. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition advanced online publication, pp. 1-5. doi:10.1038/ejcn.2015.105

2.

Australian Bureau of Statistics 1995, National Nutrition Survey: Selected Highlights Australia 1995, cat. No. 4802.0, ABS, Canberra.

3.

Australian Bureau of Statistics 2014, Australian Health Survey: Nutrition First Results – Foods and Nutrients, 2011-2012, viewed 1 July 2015, http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/4364.0.55.0072011-12?OpenDocument

4.

NHMRC (2013) Eat for Health. Australian Dietary Guidelines. Providing the scientific evidence for healthier Australian diets

5.

Anderson et al (2009) Sucrose and dental caries: a review of the evidence. Obesity reviews, 10, suppl1, 41-54

6.

Fitch C, Keim KS. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: use of nutritive and non-nutritive sweeteners. J Acad. Nutr Diet.

May 2012;112(5): 739-758

26 October 2015

| Australian Canegrower 21

CLASSIFIEDS

*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.

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 30 October 2015.

Beaulieu R.U.M. 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

• Are you looking for work?

We can help!

Hop onto the CANEGROWERS Employment page to list a vacancy or check out the work that's available. www.canegrowers.com.au/Industry_ Centre?Careers CANEGROWERS has a web page to help you find harvesting work and workers.

BRowse the listings or put up one of your own.

JOHNNY FARMING COMPANY 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

Good Luck!

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

JOHNNY FARMING COMPANY

Australian Distributor Belshina Tyres & Chinese Imports

Specialising in Used Cane Harvesting Equipment Sales

NEW AUSTRALIAN MADE AX7500 CANE HARVESTER COMING TO MACKAY See working in Mackay early November at Munbura.

Built by Aussie’s for Aussie conditions. Cummins Power.

Enquire now for the demo dates and viewing times at 48 Central Park Drive Paget Mackay.

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

The 2015 sugarcane harvest is underway • Are you looking for a worker?

Graham Twyford Machinery Sales Pty Ltd

Johnny Farming Company

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

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

22 Australian Canegrower | 26 October 2015

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, Sun strand 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. 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.

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

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

The 2015 sugarcane harvest is underway • Are you looking for a job?

• Are you looking for a worker?

We can help! Hop onto the CANEGROWERS Employment page to list a vacancy or check out the work that's available. http://www.canegrowers.com.au/page/Industry_Centre/Careers/ CANEGROWERS has a web page to help you find harvesting work and workers. Browse the listings or put up one of you own.

ELEVATOR FLIGHTS

Good Luck!

BASECUTTER DISCS 610mm & 585mm 5 blade and 6 blade versions

WANT MORE NEWS, VIEWS AND PHOTOS? Find CANEGROWERS on Facebook!

WANT MORE NEWS, EVENTS AND PHOTOS?

www.facebook.com/CANEGROWERSAustralia

HILLING SWEEPS

Find CANEGROWERS on Twitter! @canegrowers

VIDA PLATE STRIPS

or share with us by using #canegrowers

VIDA PLATE LINER

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

Rainfall Report Recorded rainfall (mm) Location

7 days to 9am 12.10.15

Average rainfall (mm)

Year to date

19.10.15

Jan–Oct

Mossman

0

0

1009

Mareeba AP

2

0.4

581

1897 751

Cairns

27

14

1425

1729

Mt Sophia

44

51

3063

2894

Babinda

0

0

1422

3753

Innisfail

102

24

2143

3135

Tully

110

36

2415

3647

Cardwell

58

2

1133

1807

Lucinda

24

10

779

1831

Ingham

21

6

857

1717

Abergowrie

43

0.8

1013

1561

Townsville

1

0

249

933

Ayr DPI

0

0

350

780

Proserpine

10

10

638

1136

Mirani

5

19

656

1252

Mackay

8

11

687

1293

Sarina (Plane Ck)

1

19

826

1423

Bundaberg

6

0

610

795

Childers South

5

16

677

687

Maryborough

3

0.8

788

940

Tewantin

2

14

1223

1350

Eumundi

14

30

1484

1383

Nambour

16

15

1560

1376

Woongoolba

16

24

1172

1088

Murwillumbah

5

8

1366

1284

Ballina

4

4

1557

1510

Woodburn

0

6

898

1161

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.

26 October 2015

| Australian Canegrower 23

CLASSIFIEDS

Mossman –Tully

2011 NEW HOLLAND 7040 tractor, 4WD, connected to 14 tonne Carta tipper. VGC. Ph: (07) 4777 4217 10 tonne sidetip track infielder. CAT3306 engine. A/C. 10 roller track frames. VGC. POA. 4777 4793 AH. Case 770 Offset 56 Disc, hydraulic fold for Transport. Good condition $25,000.

PH 0417 765 044 John Deere 8970, 400 HP with Linkage, 20.8 x 42 tyres. Good condition. Ph 0417 765 044

0418159998 Hodge series 2000 double disc opener billet planter front with 400mm wide chute divided into 2 sections for even billet distribution. Fertiliser box mount, depth wheel kit, sprays and plastic feed chute included. VGC. $7000 inc GST. Ph: 0429 876 441 MASSEY 305 HARVESTER, Partially burntout. parts including elevator & topper in good condition.

BUCKET (NEW) suit 20T Excavator: 1050mm GP bucket. $2,100+GST. Ph: 0419700761.

TRAILER - Tipper Tri-Axle Supa Dog, bisalloy, spring suspension, air operated dolly lock, 2-way tail gate, retractable mesh tarp. $16,000+gst. Ph: 0419700761.

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. 2 x 23-1-30 Good walls 5-10% rubber. $110 each. Ph: 0428 880 771

Mackay – Proserpine

Bundaberg - Rocky Point

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: 0407714172 Raflo stool splitter with 1 ton fertiliser box. Can be adjusted to suit 1.8m centres.

Ph: 4950 3854 after 6.30pm Maclean 5 roller half tracks, new stone guards, VGC $6500 plus GST Ph 0418159998 Case harvester back tyres and rims, 80% tread, $2000 each plus GST Ph

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 990 David Brown with front end loader; International 856 with front end loader; Fiat 100-90 4WD; Isuzu Ute 4X4. All good condition. Phone 0419 577 110.

Case 970 tractor low hours, rear transmission over hauled , VGC $12000 plus Gst Ph 0431 290 004 or 0755 466 867 Gessner fertilizer box 2 Ton capacity galv bin.Set for 2 mtrs by 3 rows.2 by 400 ltr tanks for confidor and easy n. Hyd hypro pump and flow meters.$10000 inc GST. Ph 0457930627

3mt BMS LaserGrader laser bucket phone 0407 960 575 or email rigato.tully@ bigpond.com for pictures.

1996 Austoft 7700 Track Harvester. Ideal machine for billet planting. $60,000 inc GST. Ph: 0419 779 549 2 row HBM billet planter. 96 toft with rubber rollers and tipper trailers. For further info phone 4066 9218 or 0427 669 218.

Herbert River – Burdekin

24 Australian Canegrower | 26 October 2015

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

1 X YEOMAN centre buster. Ph: (07) 4959 1451 Wanted, 8 blade chopper drums to suit JD3520. Ph:0409348128 Second Hand Loader, backhoe or excavator. PH 0417 765 044 Wanted - door to fit ford 8401/7700 or 7710 ph 0407 769 703 Wanted to buy - 6 or 8 tonne cane trailer. Ph. 49540237 Wanted-Trailco/Monsoon poly reel 125/140 mm x 300-450 mtrs machine any area Ph.0435 111 968 Airway Aerator for sugarcane. Ph: 0428 591 048

Work Wanted Looking for work. Tractor work, farm work around the Mackay area. Call Steve 0428662235 Wanted- cane to harvest in the Sarina/ Plane Creek mill area, for the 2016 season and beyond. Ph 49431206

Property HERBERT RIVER: Cane farm 60.73ha with machinery and 4 bedroom dwelling at 194 Lannercost Ext Rd, Ingham Ph. 40454321 100ha Mackay canefarm for sale,15x9 shed 318ml kinchant dam water,includes all machinery and irrigation equiptment.

Ph 0419541372 WANTED TO LEASE. Cane farm; SarinaMackay area. Ph: 0419 771 504 INGHAM: Cane Farm for sale. Hawkins Creek. Total area 48.3ha. CPA 46.6ha.

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

CANEGROWERS NETWORK MACKAY DISTRICT

IN KEEPING WITH

Registrations from 8.30am

Venue: St Pauls Church Hall Macalister Street, Mackay Contact: MARICE PERNA P: 0428 316 924 E: mariceperna@gmail.com

Driven by growers.

Used by growers.

Owned by growers In recent years how we farm has been dictated by others. As Australian farmers, we would much rather have a system which works for us. A system which is about improving our bottom line and one we can use to market our sugar to the world.

The Australian sugarcane industry has worked together and built just such a system. Smartcane BMP. Smartcane BMP will help Australia maintain its competitive edge in the increasingly competitive world market. Being able to show we are productive and sustainable producers of quality sugar is becoming increasingly important to our customers, and the Smartcane BMP system is the way we are going to show just that.

Become part of the movement:

Sign up to Smartcane BMP Contact your local Smartcane BMP

facilitator. Get recognised for what you are already doing. www.smartcane.com.au