Australian Canegrower - June 2024

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Editor: Robyn Devine

Design & classifieds: Eleanor Fraser

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

Published monthly by: CANEGROWERS, GPO Box 1032, Brisbane, Queensland 4001 Australia. ABN 94 089 992 969

Telephone: 07 3864 6444

Email: editor@canegrowers.com.au Website: www.canegrowers.com.au

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President

Photo credit: Robyn Devine

Read more on page 4

NEWS BRIEFS

NFF VISIT TO CANE COUNTRY

National Farmers’ Federation (NFF)

President David Jochinke said he was honoured to get the chance to tour around the Burdekin last month looking at the different production systems in each area.

“Cane is an extremely important industry especially in Queensland and it’s great to meet some of the growers on the ground, to hear of the opportunities and see the challenges they face,” Mr Jochinke said.

A grain and livestock farmer from Victoria, Mr Jochinke was in the district for the CANEGROWERS Burdekin AGM, and said given sugarcane was Queensland’s second largest agricultural export, he was keen to get firsthand insights into what makes the industry tick.

“There is a deluge of bad policy ideas being thrown at farmers from decision makers in Canberra. It’s why I launched the unprecedented campaign, Keep Farmers Farming on my first day in the job as NFF President," Mr Jochinke said.

CANEGROWERS Chairman Owen Menkens said it was great to have Mr Jochinke out on farm so he can hear directly from growers

SCRAP

THE TAX

about the work they are doing and their hopes and plans for the future.

“As a founding member of the NFF, CANEGROWERS has very strong ties with the organisation, and we work extremely closely with them on national issues that impact our members and agriculture more widely.”

SRA BOARD VACANCIES

SRA are seeking experienced non-executive directors who bring experience and expertise in the following areas:

‚ Sugarcane processing

‚ National and international R&D, technology, technology transfer, commercialisation and adoption

‚ Administration, prioritisation, oversight and monitoring of R&D, including an understanding of benefits of economic analysis in relation to R&D projects

In addition to the above, the Chair will also be able to meet the following criteria:

‚ Understanding of the agri-buisness sector

‚ Experience chairing a board of a corporation or governance body

‚ Commercial skills and experience in achieving strategic outcomes in an agriculture-based industry

For a detailed position description please contact Glee Mitchell glee.mitchell@ directorsaustralia.com or to submit your expression of interest please visit: directorsaustralia.com/view-vacancies/

CANEGROWERS participated in the NFF's nationwide Scrap the Tax campaign on 8 May, calling on the Federal Government to scrap its proposed biosecurity levy on farmers. This campaign was a partial success with the Greens, together with Senator Jacqui Lambie and Senator David Pocock, publicly stating they would vote down the bill in the Senate.

However, the campaign is not over by any means, and CANEGROWERS will continue working with industry partners at the NFF to encourage the government to introduce a more sustainable model for biosecurity funding.

AND WE'RE OFF!!!

The starter gun has fired on Queensland's 2024 sugarcane crush with harvesters rumbling into action across Bundaberg on 21 May, followed closely by the Tablelands on 24 May.

The season start hasn’t been trouble free, however, with constant rain and little sunshine leaving paddocks waterlogged and growers frustrated as they struggle to complete planting and spraying operations.

Meanwhile, ongoing industrial action at the eight Wilmar mills as well as Tully Sugar could impact start dates in a number of districts.

Australian Workers Union members have been taking strike action over recent weeks as their pay dispute with mill owners escalates.

Growers in the Burdekin, Herbert River, Proserpine, Plane Creek and Tully districts will be hoping the dispute can be resolved before their season is scheduled to begin in June.

Unfortunately, the start of the season has also been marred by a workplace death, with a Bundaberg Sugar employee, aged in his thirties, killed in a farm accident on Tuesday 21 May.

With an estimated 28.4 million tonnes of cane waiting to be cut and crushed over coming months, dry weather and reliable mill performance will be essential to a successful season.

Despite the lack of both in recent time, CANEGROWERS Chair Owen Menkens welcomed the start of the crush, saying he had high hopes for a positive season.

“I know it has been a very wet season in some districts, but hopefully the paddocks dry up quickly so we can get the harvest underway across the entire industry,” Mr Menkens said.

“The harvest season is a positive time for our industry with many parts of the community coming together to complete the crush.

“Growers are a resilient bunch, and overall the districts remain optimistic for a reasonable outcome this season. Let us hope that the weather behaves.”

FREE CROP INSURANCE

FOR CANEGROWERS MEMBERS

CANEGROWERS members have one less thing to worry about this harvest season with the grower-led organisation once again providing free crop insurance for members.

In an effort to help ease operational costs on growers, board members decided to continue providing the free cover on fire, hail, or transport-related damage at an indemnity level of $35 per tonne, with no excess.*

“At a time when growers are being slugged with high input costs on fuel, water, electricity, fertiliser, and everything else really, this is one cost they don’t have to worry about,”

CANEGROWERS Chairman Owen Menkens said.

“ CANEGROWERS Board members are all growers, so we understand the financial stresses and strains facing farmers and we want to be able to help out where we can.”

A resolve to keep costs as low as possible was also behind the Board’s decision to once again restrict the state membership levy increase to the CPI, resulting in a rise of less than one cent per tonne, Mr Menkens said.

“ CANEGROWERS Queensland undertakes a broad range of activities on behalf of members, many of them vital to the success of our industry.

“We’re only able to do this important work because of the support we get from members. But, despite the heavy workload, we still try our best to keep costs to a minimum and provide growers with real value for their levy.”

CANEGROWERS Queensland activities encompass a wide variety of responsibilities including negotiations and advocacy at state, national and international levels to shape policy

decisions and combat unnecessary regulations on growers.

The state office has a strong focus on attracting more people into the industry through workforce campaigns, but also develops targeted educational programs that can inspire the next crop of budding cane farmers. This is backed up by the Next Ratoon mentoring program, which ensure those young growers have the mentors they need to become the leaders of tomorrow.

The organisation manages the industry-led best management practice program, Smartcane BMP, and spearheads positive initiatives around sustainable sugar supply chains, and business management training.

CANEGROWERS is also the driving force behind the industry's Sugar Plus strategy, which seeks to create opportunities for diversification and value-add to help boost growers' bottom lines.

The levy adjustment sets the state levy for the 2024 Season at 21.71 cents per tonne (ex GST) on all cane delivered to the mills by all members, up to a cap of 100,000 tonnes.

MEMBERSHIP IS AN INVESTMENT

‚ ensuring growers get paid through the cane analysis program

‚ providing growers with free legal advice AND free crop insurance*

‚ offering free training programs to help growers profitability

‚ fighting for better outcomes for growers through advocacy and negotiation

‚ representing grower interests on the international stage

‚ driving trade policy and helping open up new and profitable markets for Queensland sugar

‚ running workforce campaigns to attract more workers to the industry

‚ developing education programs to inspire the next crop of cane farmers

‚ supporting the Next Ratoon program, to ensure young growers have the mentors they need

‚ managing Smartcane BMP to make Australia a world leader in sustainably produced sugar

*After 100,000 tonnes a premium will apply to growers. Current CGU policy PDS/Wording and terms and conditions will apply.

‚ looking to the future and championing the industry’s evolution into a biofuel powerhouse

NO CALL CENTRES

JUST REAL PEOPLE READY TO HELP YOU IN YOUR TIME OF NEED

Making sure Queensland's sugarcane growers get the best coverage was topic of the day when the CANEGROWERS Insurance Business Unit met in Brisbane for the Community Brokers Network (CBN) meeting.

CANEGROWERS has a team of qualified insurance professionals ready to work with growers on their insurance needs.

The dedicated brokers, located in the sugarcane growing districts, prefer a personalised approach to insurance cover, delivering services professionally, consistently, and in the manner most convenient for growers, whether that’s via email, on the phone, or over a cuppa in the farm shed.

The CANEGROWERS Insurance team pride themselves on providing cover to protect what is most precious to growers.

The half yearly CBN meeting provides the chance to hear directly from Underwriters, Claims Assessors and Steadfast Compliance, about insurance updates as well as team networking opportunities. The team is committed to ensuring growers can access the best cane-specific cover on the market.

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SWEETEST SCHOOL

CANEGROWERS Burdekin is excited to have launched the Burdekin’s Sweetest School Competition in collaboration with Burdekin Productivity Services (BPS), Sugar Research Australia (SRA), and the Sweet Days Hot Nights Festival.

This competition provides an opportunity for students to learn about the intricacies of sugarcane cultivation, sustainable farming practices, and the importance of the sugarcane industry to the local economy.

Participating schools have been busy preparing their plot, conducting soil samples for testing and now billets are being delivered ready for planting.

Six schools have already planted billets with help from representatives from CANEGROWERS , BPS, SRA and Burdekin Shire Council, who visited the schools to provide information on the sugarcane industry and assist with planting operations.

One lucky school even got a little help from the top, with CANEGROWERS Chairman Owen Menkens dropping in to show the kids how it's done.

Clockwise top to bottom: Brandon State School, Clare State School, Burdekin school, Airville State School

ANALYSING AND AUDITING

CANE AUDITORS KEEP UP-TO-DATE

Participants from ten CANEGROWERS district offices attended the annual cane auditors workshop.

There was a presentation from the National Measurement Institute on pattern approved instruments, the status of Near Infrared (NIR) for payment purposes, and the latest NIR developments from Sugar Research Australia (SRA).

There was also a general discussion with technical experts on the auditors role in maintaining the cane analysis

requirements in the Cane Supply Agreements and Cane Analysis Programs.

CANEGROWERS runs auditors' workshops annually and also provides a backup advisory service to all districts to support these critical services that ensure growers are paid correctly.

BIOSECURITY BATTLE GROUND

BY DAN GALLIGAN, CEO, CANEGROWERS

In what has been a massive slap down, the Australian Senate voted against the Federal Government’s Biosecurity Protection Levy legislation last month.

The decision, which was welcomed by every agricultural industry body in the country, was the result of a massive, unified national Scrap the Tax campaign led by our peak body the National Farmers’ Federation and supported by CANEGROWERS

The Biosecurity Protection Levy was a deeply flawed policy from the outset.

Having decided to raise $50M dollars through an unfair tax on the nation’s farmers, the government then set their bureaucrats about the task of trying to justify the policy.

With the rejection of the legislation, due to the support of Liberal, National, and Greens’ senators, as well as independents Jacqui Lambie and David Pocock, it is clear the justifications were insufficient for either industry or senators.

The campaign by industry organisations like CANEGROWERS has been consistent and specific. We were able to lay out the flaws in the government’s plan and the inconsistencies in the policy.

Specifically, taxing farmers for border-focused biosecurity risks isn’t fair, especially when farmers already invest heavily in biosecurity risks both on farm and through industry organisations like Sugar Research Australia.

Secondly, the government could not even assure the agriculture industry that money raised would be spent on biosecurity.

Finally, why $50M, there was no real explanation, simply that the government has a “black hole” in their budget that they wanted to fill.

Biosecurity is a huge risk to all of us in agriculture in Australia. As a fully internationally trade-exposed industry, we cannot see our biosecurity system in a fragile state. Yet it clearly is.

We have some of the world’s best biosecurity experts, but they are operating in a system under strain.

We have seen this through direct impacts from incursions like fire ants, fall army worm, red witch weed, and Panama disease.

As industry advocates, we have been calling for an increase in funding, a meaningful increase that would substantially step up our capacity to protect the industry.

Further we want to the see the costs placed where the risks are generated, and we want to ensure the money is guaranteed to go to the problem not swallowed up into government coffers.

So, you should be proud of your industry organisations like CANEGROWERS and our national colleagues.

Our advocacy has garnered the support of senators, some of whom are not commonly on the same page as us, but nevertheless they have seen the validity of our arguments.

The legislation is rejected, but the problem is not solved. It is not about winning a battle, it is about fixing the flaws in our biosecurity system.

This will require a renegotiation with Federal Minister Watt and the agricultural industry.

A return to the drawing board and a focus on developing a solution that works with industry to solve our problems not the governments.

WOMEN POWERING AGRICULTURE

Women from all corners of Queensland, hailing from diverse backgrounds and with various roles within the sugarcane industry, come together each year to ignite the flame of inspiration, empower one another through knowledge sharing, and uplift each other at the highly anticipated annual Women in Sugar Australia (WISA) Conference.

This year's conference was held in the picturesque Herbert River district from 29-30 April. The highly organised Women in Sugar Herbert (WISH) committee warmly welcomed 100 women, and several men, to the Hinchinbrook Shire Hall to celebrate Women Powering Agriculture.

Over the course of the first day a plethora of inspiring and diverse presenters provided industry updates, and shared personal development opportunities that stimulated

enthusiastic discussions during the meal breaks.

WISH President Leah Russo, said in her opening welcome message, that historically women have contributed tirelessly to the sugar industry but often found themselves marginalised, their contributions undervalued and had their voices go unheard.

“We cannot underestimate the pivotal role that women play in our industry,” Ms Russo said.

“Having female presence in our industry is not only imperative from a moral and diversity point; it is also a strategic advantage which unlocks innovation, creativity, and resilience – all of which help drive our industry forward.”

Hinchinbrook Shire Council’s Mayor Ramon Jayo said society is enriched by having women in pivotal management roles and is encouraged by the increase of women being actively engaged within the workforce.

Colleen Way from CD Nursery took the women on an exploration into the world of tissue cultured sugarcane

“It is now being recognised that one big advantage women offer business is that they have a different sense of life and work experiences and thus provide different perspectives,” Mayor Ramon said.

“This leads to different opinions, different purposes and different strategies. Research shows that women excel in a variety of skills that are necessary in the workplace, skills and qualities like task management, communication, patience, and empathy.’

Many of the speakers discussed their experiences of being a woman in business, including CANEGROWERS Chief Financial Officer Jodie Mittelheuser who captivated the audience with her discussion of the ‘Power of I’ in fostering personal development, advocacy and resilience skills.

While Kate Lamason from Little Tuna shared her passion for Australian products and fostering inclusivity and diversity while spearheading Australia’s first canned tuna company since offshore canning.

Day two of the WISA Conference was the field trip where the world of tissue cultured sugarcane was explored along

with ‘Painting in the Paddock’ and candle making.

WISA Conference allows for networking, developing and rekindling friendships, and the opportunity to share experiences and stories. Regardless of whether the participants work on the farms, in the towns or at the mills, their shared passion provides vital corporate and industry knowledge that is powering agriculture.

“As delegates of the WISA conference, each of us bears the responsibility to ensure we work together towards a future where women in sugar are thriving, leading, and contributing to a more equitable and sustainable industry.

Because when women stand together, there is nothing they cannot achieve,” Ms Russo said.

Top: More than 100 participants enjoyed an array of presentations in Ingham at the 2024 Women In Sugar Australia conference

Right: Day two saw the field trip provide opportunities to better understand tissue culture, candle making and even the chance to paint in the paddock

FROM THE CHAIR

BY OWEN MENKENS, Chairman, CANEGROWERS

Community is fundamental to rural life.

Recently, I attended my daughters’ junior netball carnival in the Burdekin.

It was a great weekend, with over 50 teams travelling from Mackay, Charters Towers and Townsville to compete.

However, as the carnival unfolded, it occurred to me what an enormous amount of work goes into organising these events.

In fact, without the hard work of volunteers many of these sporting events would not go ahead at all.

Working together as a community is fundamental to life in rural areas. It improves the quality of life of the whole community.

Of course, people volunteer for various reasons. Sometimes it’s to ensure an event or club survives, but more often than not they do it for the simple pleasure of working towards a common goal with other people.

This is a quality many cane growers share with volunteers. Growers and their families work together, not just for the good of their own businesses or even the industry, but for the communities they live in.

And like the volunteers, they enjoy the shared satisfaction of achieving something for the community.

This spirit of working together to achieve something greater for the community was very much in evidence at the inaugural CANEGROWERS Sugar Cubed conference in Mackay this month.

As you will read on page 16, this event saw growers from across the industry come together to discuss some of the big opportunities ahead for sugarcane.

Top of the agenda was the creation of a sustainable aviation fuel industry in Queensland. Something which could have enormous economic benefits for regional communities.

CANEGROWERS is also part of your regional community, with 85 directors and over one hundred staff across 13 district offices.

But CANEGROWERS isn’t just directors and staff. CANEGROWERS is the thousands of members spread right along the Queensland coast – CANEGROWERS is you.

Over the course of the month, I attended grower meetings in Proserpine, Innisfail, Maryborough, and the Burdekin.

These meetings are a great example of where growers come together, not only to learn what CANEGROWERS is doing, but also to provide feedback and direction to the organisation.

CANEGROWERS is a grassroots organisation, structured from the ground up with growers being the leaders, setting the agenda and direction of the company.

But our organisation can only work if all the members feel they are part of a common purpose or community. Working together is what keeps us strong while also giving us genuine influence in our local community and across the State.

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MAKING FARMING EASIER

CREATING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

BY ROBYN DEVINE

Building a brighter future for Queensland’s sugarcane industry was top of the agenda at the inaugural CANEGROWERS Sugar Cubed Conference, held in Mackay on 8-9 May.

More than 100 growers and industry leaders gathered for the two-day event to hear from a host of expert speakers, many on the cutting-edge of innovations in the sugarcane industry and the Australian bioeconomy.

They included Jet Zero CEO Ed Mason, Qantas Head of Sustainable Aviation Fuel Graeme Potger, KPMG Origins CEO Laszlo Peter, Coca-Cola’s Head of Sugar Procurement Pete Greenwell, and head of Evidn behavioural science Dr John Pickering.

The program covered a vast array of topics, from the development of a sugarcane-based Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) industry in Queensland and how we can create a profitable future for growers, to how we improve market access for our sustainably produced Australian Sugar.

CANEGROWERS Chairman Owen Menkens said the aim of Sugar Cubed was to give growers an annual industry event, where they could come together to learn and speak about the challenges and opportunities that matter to them.

“There are so many vital and evolving aspects of our industry,” Mr Menkens said.

“From technological advancements to variety development, harvesting constraints, milling sector sustainability, opportunities in sugar supply chain traceability, marketing and trade access, the emerging bioeconomy, the list is endless and the opportunity to work together as an industry is now.

Day one featured three field trips, showcasing key industry locations such as farms, mills, refineries, sugar terminals, and even a recycled water treatment plant. On day two, attendees came together for a series of presentations and panel discussions.

One of the impressive presenters was Qantas Head of SAF Graeme Potger and he said global demand for sustainable aviation fuel is growing

“But until now, we’ve never had a major forum where growers could come together to learn about and discuss these issues and explore the opportunities together.”

exponentially, with many countries introducing SAF mandates for airlines.

This creates a huge opportunity for Queensland's sugar industry, but he also acknowledged the important need for the state and federal governments to get serious about creating a SAF industry.

Jet Zero CEO Ed Mason explained how a SAF industry located in Queensland could see the sugarcane industry grow

by 30%. Potentially this could provide growers with access to an expanding industry and a second market for their crop, providing better productivity through the production of ethanol and the opportunity to be a major player in the bioeconomy.

“Sustainability is here to stay,” said Pete Greenwell, Head of Procurement for the world's largest user of sugar, Coca-Cola EuroPacific Partners.

Mr Greenwell acknowledged that if Australian sugarcane growers want to continue selling their sugar to Coca-Cola, they will soon have to be accredited in Smartcane BMP.

Luckily, through the work of the large number of Queensland growers to become Smartcane BMP accredited and also CANEGROWERS ' work with KPMG to develop the Origins blockchain platform, Australia's sugarcane industry is a world leader in the production of sustainable, traceable sugar.

The opportunity to see renewable technologies and agtech in action was an interesting aspect to day one of the conference while day two provided a range of innovative speakers that inspired extensive discussions

The opportunity for growers from the Queensland's 13 sugarcane growing districts to connect with one another was a valuable platform, providing robust and topical discussions. Growers got the chance to check facts, explore potential solutions while gaining a stronger understanding of the future challenges facing the industry.

“The Sugar Cubed Conference has been developed by CANEGROWERS , to address the big issues growers want to discuss and see how we can work collaboratively across the industry to bring about success for everyone,” Mr Menkens said.

REPORT YELLOW CRAZY ANTS

DAY 1 WED 8 MAY

Field Trip 1

Mackay Sugar Terminal and Racecourse Mill

Field Trip 2

Wilmar Plane Creek Mill and Sarina Sugar Shed

Field Trip 3

Recycled water farming practices and MAPS field day

DAY 2 THU 9 MAY

The Journey to a more profitable future panel

‚ Graeme Potger, Qantas

‚ Ed Mason, Jet Zero

‚ Laszlo Peter, KPMG

‚ Pete Greenwell, CCEP

‚ Matt Kealley, CANEGROWERS

Senior Manager Membership

‚ Shannon Guy, QSL

Sugar Plus: Better Business as Usual – Farm productivity, mill harvest and reliability panel

‚ Carl Morton, General Manager Operations, Mackay Sugar

‚ Burn Ashburner, CANEGROWERS

Senior Manager – Industry

ALL HOODS AND LINERS IN STOCK NOW

‚ Barry Salter, Manager of Translation Research, Sugar Research Australia

‚ Phil Deguara, CANEGROWERS

Mackay Director, Chair – Mackay Harvesters Committee

People in a changing community panel

‚ John Pickering, Chief Behavioral Scientist, Evidn

‚ Leah Russo, CANEGROWERS

Herbert River Director and grower

‚ Dylan Wedel, Young Mackay grower, SRA district manager and Next Ratoon mentee

‚ Anthony DeGuarra, Young Mackay grower and Next Ratoon mentee

‚ Judy Thatcher, CANEGROWERS

Mackay Director and grower

QSL GROWER PRICING UPDATE

Market Update

A lack of insightful fundamental news in the early stages of the Centre South (CS) Brazil harvest has led to minimal change in the outlook for raw sugar, with the ICE 11 futures market trading sideways throughout late April and early May, sitting at 19-20 USc/lb on a prompt basis. Speculators continued to favour a net short position (48,000 lots net short as of 7 May), indicating that while some are optimistic of a price rise, many more are still waiting for a more positive outlook before investing in the ICE 11.

After weeks of dry, hot weather, it was unsurprising that the second report for the season from the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry and Bioenergy Association (UNICA) showed strong production figures for the last two weeks of April. Cane harvested totalled 34.6 million tonnes while sugar produced was 1.8 million tonnes for the fortnight, bringing the season-to-date totals to 50.6 million tonnes of cane and 2.6 million tonnes of sugar. However, the key insight for the season has been the 46.96% sugar mix (i.e. the percentage of cane going to sugar production rather than ethanol production), which is 5% higher than the same timeframe in the 2023/24 period.

Grower Pricing Update

Given the rumours of investment in milling infrastructure to increase the sugar mix this season, the market has been on high alert for any supporting evidence and interpreted the UNICA report as bearish news.

Of concern to Brazil is the rapidly increasing vessel lineup at its ports, which as we go to print has 117 ships waiting to load 5.192 million tonnes of nominated sugar. This will be a challenge for a country which has already exported 10.75 million tonnes of sugar in 2024, up 80% yearon-year. Given we are still in the very early stages of the season, there is major risk around Brazil’s ability to maintain the speed of exports and meet global demand, especially as CS Brazil is expected to be relied upon for 80% of all exportable sugar in the world for the next six months.

In India, the 2023/24 Season harvest is approaching completion, with only 23 out of 511 sugar mills still operating into May. With 31.6 million tonnes of sugar produced as of 30 April, the National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories has forecast the total output to reach just over 32 million tonnes of sugar, with an additional 2 million tonnes of sugar equivalent diverted to ethanol. The upcoming monsoon season will have a large impact on

The highest grower-managed pricing levels achieved across all growing regions using QSL products to date (all gross price actual/tonne) are:

• 2024 Target Price = $840 / IFC $870 (Jul24)

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

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

• 2027 Target Price = $650

Your Trusted Partner

Current as at 16 May 2024.

By QSL Marketing and Risk Officer Elliott Apel

India’s 2024/25 production, with some longrange forecasts expecting a reduction in land under cane due to low water reservoir levels. Extreme temperatures have recently been recorded in Thailand, causing concern around the impact these conditions may have on next season’s crop. Young sugar cane is likely to be stressed by the heat, with some reports of growers choosing to plough in young cane and replant cassava crops which are less water intensive and have better heat resistant properties.

The Australian Dollar has been rangebound at 64-66 US cents, with both the US Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) and our Reserve Bank observing that inflation is taking longer than expected to return to target levels and delaying interest rate cuts. The FOMC is confident the official cash rate in the US is at terminal levels, but the RBA is holding a neutral stance, reflecting that further rate hikes are still a possibility. The AUD is expected to remain rangebound for the short term with an upside bias toward 68 US cents should rates be raised. While concerns surrounding the conflict in the Middle East have faded, markets still hold a level of caution which is being reflected in reduced risk appetite.

• 20 June 2024: Any 2024 Season Target Price Contract tonnage not priced by this date will automatically have its pricing window extended after this date and roll costs may apply.

• 20 June 2024: Any unpriced tonnage allocated to the July 2024 contract through the Individual Futures Contract and SelfManaged Harvest Contract that is not rolled by this date will be priced by QSL at the next market opportunity.

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THREE INVASIVE ANT PROGRAMS, ONE CORE MESSAGE

REPORT SUSPECT ANTS!

SUPPLIED BY WET TROPICS MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY

Yellow crazy ants? Electric ants? Fire ants?

All three of these invasive ants are found in Queensland and all three threaten agriculture, the environment and our outdoor lifestyle.

Different organisations manage these ants in different areas of Queensland. With three invasive ant eradication programs in Queensland, it is understandable there can be confusion about which ant management programs are surveying or treating near you.

Read on to learn about the differences between these three invasive ants and what they mean for you and your business.

Yellow crazy ants

Yellow crazy ant infestations are found in various locations in Queensland, including in several Brisbane suburbs, Hervey Bay, the Whitsundays, Townsville and Cairns.

In Queensland, yellow crazy ants are managed by local government. The exception is if you live in Cairns

or Mareeba local government areas, where yellow crazy ants are managed by the Wet Tropics Management Authority.

Yellow crazy ants have very long legs and antennae and are roughly 4mm long. They are golden to brown in colour, with a brown abdomen.

These ants move in an erratic, ‘crazy’ manner when disturbed. Yellow crazy ants do not bite or sting but spray formic acid to subdue their prey, or when threatened.

Yellow crazy ants have been found in some cane farms across the Cairns region. The risk of spreading yellow crazy ants is managed through a voluntary agreement on how relevant businesses move machinery from infested sites.

Please report any suspected sightings to the Wet Tropics Management Authority at YCA@wtma.qld.gov.au or call 07 4241 0525

Any sightings outside of the Cairns or Mareeba regions should be reported to your local Council.

Follow the Wet Tropics Management Authority’s Yellow Crazy Ant Eradication Program on Facebook @ycawettropics

Electric ants

In Australia, so far, electric ants have only been found in Far North Queensland.

Electric ants are managed by Biosecurity Queensland’s National Electric Ant Eradication Program.

Electric ants are tiny, about 1 – 1.5mm long, and ginger to brown in colour. They are usually slow-moving and can deliver a painful, venomous sting.

Electric ants are listed as Category 1 restricted matter under the Biosecurity Act 2014. You can’t move carrier materials from an electric ant restricted zone without a permit.

If you see suspected electric ants, you must report them with 24 hours to Biosecurity Queensland on 13 25 23 or online via www.daf.qld.gov.au/ business-priorities/biosecurity/ invasive-plants-animals/ants/ yard-check

Red imported fire ants

Fire ants are currently found in Southeast Queensland, with outbreaks recently occurring in Northern NSW and Oakey, Queensland.

The program is the most successful fire ant eradication program in the world. Australia has already eradicated fire ants on five occasions in Queensland and aims to eradicate them from Australia by 2032.

Fire ants are between 2mm and 6mm in size, and a range of sizes are found within a nest.

They are copper brown in colour with a darker abdomen. Their nests can appear as dome-shaped mounds or be flat and look like a small patch of disturbed soil.

Fire ant nests have no obvious entry or exit holes.

When checking suspicious ant nests, gently poke the nest with a long stick and observe the ants that come out.

Be careful not to get too close, as fire ants are aggressive. They swarm when disturbed and have a painful sting.

Fire ants are a destructive pest that can destroy crops, damage electrical equipment and machinery, and render yards, parks, paddocks and farmland unusable.

Fire ants inflict a painful sting that can cause severe and potentially fatal allergic reactions in humans and animals.

If you see suspected fire ants, you must report them within 24 hours to the National Fire Ant Eradication Program on 13 25 23 or online at ants.daf.qld.gov.au/table-of-contents/ report-fire-ants

YELLOW CRAZY ANTS

‚ About 4mm long

‚ Long legs and antennae

‚ Golden brown with darker abdomen

‚ Fast-moving

REPORT SUSPECT ANTS:

07 4241 0525 or via email

YCA@wtma.qld.gov.au

ELECTRIC ANTS

‚ Tiny, about 1.5mm long

‚ Golden brown

‚ Slow-moving

REPORT SUSPECT ANTS:

13 25 23 or online at www.daf.qld.gov.au/businesspriorities/biosecurity/invasiveplants-animals/ants/yard-check

FIRE ANTS

‚ Vary in size, 2-6mm

‚ Copper brown colour with a darker abdomen

‚ Nest is a mound of soil

REPORT SUSPECT ANTS:

13 25 23 or online at ants.daf.qld.gov.au/table-ofcontents/report-fire-ants/ invasive-plants-animals/ants/ yard-check

Wet Tropics Management Authority – Yellow Crazy Ant Eradication Program

Biosecurity Queensland – National Electric Ant Eradication Program

Biosecurity Queensland – National Fire Ant Eradication Program

DISCOVERY MISSION

BY RENEE CLUFF

A group of South Johnstone Basin sugarcane growers is brimming with new ideas for practice change, after taking part in a study tour to southern Queensland.

Seven growers representing five separate enterprises were invited by University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) Farming Systems Professor Bernard Schroeder to the Toowoomba region, to hear from academics and researchers in the agricultural field, farming equipment suppliers, as well as counterparts in other broadacre and horticultural crop industries.

Professor Schroeder works intensively with the cane growers as part of the Cassowary Coast Reef Smart Farming (CCRSF) project. The water quality program is designed to reduce dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) runoff through farm practice

changes that improve sugarcane productivity and crop nutrient-use efficiency (NUE).

“For us (the growers), it’s about productivity, profitability and how we can advance forward,” said Innisfail cane grower Joseph Marano. “The relationship we have with Bernard Schroeder and the University can make our goals more achievable.”

Professor Schroeder said the study tour was aimed at sparking step change. “We wanted to inspire innovative practice change for improved crop performance,” he explained.

Watching the harvest at Moira Farming

“It was a unique opportunity to take practice change beyond current industry best practice by stimulating thinking ‘outside the box’ and enhancing sustainability.”

The group of growers who attended the tour are based in the wettest region of Australia, tucked between the Great Barrier Reef and Wet Tropics world heritage areas.

Their land encompasses some of the country’s most unique and challenging soils, featuring low cation exchange capacities (CECs), inherent acidity, high leaching potential and in some cases, extremely high phosphorus buffer indexes (PBIs).

“Growers in this area have been at the forefront of Reef water quality initiatives for more than 15 years now,” CCRSF Project Leader Debra Telford said.

“They are progressive, and they continue to seek knowledge and find new ways to fine-tune and improve their farming systems.”

UniSQ Associate Professor Troy Jensen explained that the itinerary aimed at giving the participants a rounded experience, focusing on scientific, engineering and interindustry collaboration. Presentations from a variety of researchers at UniSQ’s Centre for Agricultural

Engineering (CAE) included Farming Systems Innovation, Irrigation and Water Management, Mechatronic Engineering, Energy and Bioresource Recycling, and Robotics, Automation and Machine Learning.

The growers also visited two farming operations, a macadamia and pecan nut processing factory, as well as dealers and manufacturers of agricultural machinery and implements.

At Moira Farming in the Lockyer Valley, Farm Manager Mitch Brimblecombe took the sugarcane growers on a tour of his cotton and carrot fields and explained rotations with other crops including beans and onions.

“I was really interested to see that with their carrot crops, it was all about plants per square metre, which is what we should be about when it comes to yield,” said cane and papaya grower Joe Zappala. “They don’t tolerate gaps. We just accept the gaps in our cane rows and that’s not right.”

Finding solutions to sugarcane row gaps was further discussed by UniSQ’s Centre for Agricultural Engineering team, who’ve been using drone camera mapping technology to investigate the possible causes and solutions, including thresholds for planting gaps.

The same technology is also being used to detect and map weeds in sugarcane, which the growers said could provide a more cost-effective solution than current commercialised automated spot spraying technology. It was confirmed that algorithms are being trialled to differentiate guinea grass from sugarcane. “If you’ve got a guinea grass problem, it’s really time consuming,” explained Joseph Marano. “This is something we could use. We can get the GPS on my sprayer using the drone map to understand where and when to spot spray. I don’t want to still be talking about this in five years’ time, I want to do it now.

We’re all trying to do more with less and something like this is likely to assist growers who are time poor to be more productive.”

Joseph said the year-on-year data could also help detect any possible herbicide resistance and perhaps enable known problem areas to be targeted with pre-emergent chemicals.

Growers also learned about other monitoring and sensing technologies that can be used to detect various crop conditions from leaf disease to harvester losses and cane growth rates according to soil moisture and sunshine.

“If we can measure it, we can manage it,” said cane and papaya farmer Josh Oldano. “If I didn’t witness those presentations, I wouldn’t have known those projects have occurred, let alone that the technology is available.”

Another major highlight was a drive to a dryland farming property at Norwin in the Darling Downs, where cotton and grains producer John ‘Cowboy’ Cameron addressed the group.

“There are a lot of similarities between cotton and sugarcane,” reflected cane grower Alan Aquilina.

“It’s brilliant that we can have a group of growers in a room seeing this research so we can go back and say, ‘Hey listen up, this stuff’s fantastic.’”

Peter Becke, CCRSF Extension Officer

“We are each producing quality crops by world standards, which are then processed by a mill or a gin and sold on a global market. It was interesting to learn how Cowboy prepares his soil and how the cotton industry has overcome some major challenges, particularly with regards to pest pressures.”

Visits to John Deere dealer RDO Equipment, STAG Machinery Group, which sells New Holland and Case IH machinery, and farm equipment manufacturers Gessner further complemented the experience.

Daniel Marano, Josh Oldano and Alan Aquilina

“We got to physically see some of the precision farming technology at the dealerships, and we were able to ask a lot of questions,” said cane grower Adrian Darveniza. “We need the greenon-green technology to detect weeds and the manufacturers are working in conjunction with researchers to come up with solutions.

“Some of the implements we saw were also pretty impressive. It was interesting to see how things are made and talk to the people who actually design the equipment.”

The partnership between UniSQ and CCRSF will further be strengthened when researchers visit South Johnstone Basin farmers later this year.

“I look forward to the exchange when we go up to your part of the country,” said CAE Director, Prof Bernadette McCabe. “The Cassowary Coast environment is something very unique and special and the farming practices adopted there have to reflect that.

“It’s a sensitive area, where through great practices and advancements sugarcane growers have maintained their sustainability and ongoing future of farming.”

CCRSF is funded by the partnership between the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.

Adrian Darveniza shares a joke with Debra Telford and SRA's Phil Patane

Checking out a cotton bale at Moira Farming

Adam and Joe Zappala inspect equipment alongside Adrian Darveniza

UniSQ's Professor Bernadette McCabe addresses the cane growers

1000 GROWERS OR BUST

SUPPLIED BY SUGAR RESEARCH AUSTRALIA

Sugar Research Australia Weed Scientist Emile Fillols has set a challenging goal for herself  – to convince 1,000 sugarcane growers across the industry to complete a critical weed survey over the next three months.

The online survey will establish for the first time the prevalence and range of major weeds across the sugar industry.

It is at the heart of a project funded by SRA which aims to build a map of weeds, farm by farm, district by district, region by region.

“I am asking sugarcane growers to please do the survey because they are in the best place to know what weeds are present on their farms,” Ms Fillols said.

“They will also be aware of what new weeds have recently established on their farm and to what extent they are gaining a foothold.

“Crop loss due to weed competition and money spent on trying to control weeds is estimated to cost the sugar industry a total of $84 million a year,”

Emilie said.

“That’s a huge sum which could be reduced by understanding the size and scale of specific weed problems and prioritising research investment into their control.”

Ms Fillols said the map would consist of anonymised information which will only be used by SRA for research purposes.

“It is a scientific research study to discover the extent and distribution of weeds in sugarcane in Australia which

Emilie Fillols chats about the online weed mapping survey with Mackay grower, Fred Galea, at the MAPS/SRA Field Day

has never been attempted before,” Ms Fillols said.

“It will not only help to pinpoint the climatic and environmental conditions which encourage different species of weed to thrive and spread.

“It will also point to farming practices which would have favoured some weed species.

“The more information we have about these weeds the better we will be able to target them more effectively.

“Chemical control can be an expensive exercise, especially if the spray application is not successful, because there are no known effective options to deal with some specific weed species."

Increasingly, farmers also face the burden of increasing regulation as agricultural chemicals are heavily scrutinised for their off-target impacts.

“The online weed survey is very important as it will help us focus on the priority weeds by districts, better understand the weed/environment relationships and optimise control strategies.

“I ask growers to please do the survey for the sake of their own farming businesses and the sugar industry as a whole.”

HELP US TO HELP YOU

Complete our weed survey to help SRA prioritise research investment to develop future weed management strategies.

HOW TO COMPLETE THE SRA WEED SURVEY – USE YOUR TABLET, LAPTOP OR COMPUTER

Step 1

It is recommended that this survey be completed on a tablet, laptop or computer.

Step 2

Go to the SRA Weed Survey web page on the SRA website. Here you will find all you need to get started. www.sugarresearch.com.au/research/sra-weed-survey

Step 3:

Watch the short video tutorial. Then click the ‘Start Survey’ link. This will take you to the online SRA Weed Survey for completion.

NEED

HELP WITH THE SURVEY?

There is a ‘How to complete weed survey’ video on the SRA Weed Survey web page on the SRA website. This 3 minute video will provde a step-by-step guide for completing this survey.

PRIVATE & ANONYMOUS

Your details will be private and anonymous for the SRA Weed Survey. This weed distribution survey is to help SRA prioritise problem weeds by district and develop future management strategies. Thank you in advance for your help.

OPTIONAL TO ENTER GIVEAWAY

Separate to the survey, when you complete the survey, there will be a unique link for you to enter the SRA Weed Survey Giveaway if you choose to.

See SRA website for Giveaway T & Cs.

Travearth Drone Services Spearhead Innovation in Farming

ADVERTORIAL

It’s no secret that Travearth Drone Services founder, Travis Van Dooren is passionate about the drone industry. We met up with Travis to tell us more about why drones are revolutionising the agricultural sector, but first, let’s find out a little bit about him and his business.

Travearth Drone Services is a family owned and operated business with headquarters in Townsville operating since 2019. We service throughout Queensland and travel north to Cape, south to Emerald, west as far as Mt Isa and everywhere in between.

Travearth Drone Services is also North Queenslands only official warranty and repair centre for the DJI brand.

‘We understand the importance of keeping your aircraft in the air. That’s why we went through the extensive training process to be a DJI authorised warranty and repair centre’.

We ensure your aircraft receives the time and attention it deserves to get you back in the air as quickly as possible,’ said Mr Van Dooren.

We also offer customised drone sales, warranty repairs, general repairs and maintenance, spare parts as well as comprehensive aftermarket support and training.

‘When we commenced the business, we were primarily service orientated but, I noticed that there was a lack of industry knowledge and support when you buy an Ag drone. Drones are great machines, but like anything, they take time to learn, and part of the learning process is troubleshooting.

If you can access knowledgeable advice when you encounter an issue, the more you are going to use the aircraft, and the more value you extract from it.

That’s why we offer comprehensive aftermarket support to all our clients’ said Mr Van Dooren.

I asked Travis why farmers are adapting to drone technology?

‘I truly believe that drones will be a big part of the future in agriculture.

They are extremely cost-effective, not limited by terrain, it doesn’t matter how steep or waterlogged the ground may be and they can be used on demand and operational 24 hours; day or night.

One of the other unique features are ability to interchange tanks meaning the same machine can be used for spraying and spreading’ said Mr Van Dooren.

It’s an exciting time for the industry as DJI has just released their new flagship aircraft, the DJI AGRAS T50.

While it inherits some great features from the previous model, it also comes with some amazing enhancements including improved radar and obstacle avoidance, larger pump flow and the ability to add two additional spray nozzles.

If you are interested in finding out more about the drone industry or wanting to purchase an aircraft of your own, reach out to the Travearth Team.

COMBATTING WEEDS, PESTS, AND DISEASES IN SUGARCANE IN TODAY’S WORLD

BY KATE REARDON

Weeds, pests, and diseases can significantly impact crop yield potential. Fortunately, the industry has a robust set of diverse control options that, when utilised together can minimise the impact of weeds, pests, and diseases.

District monitoring programs, weed management plans, disease surveys, industry tools, and workshops provide growers with an arsenal of weaponry to mitigate attacks on their bottom line.

Gone are the days when the approach to managing weeds, pests, and diseases was often reactive and relied heavily on chemical interventions. While sometimes effective in the short term, it often led to issues such as resistance, environmental degradation, a reduction in soil health and some instances human health.

The over-reliance on certain herbicides resulted in the emergence of resistant weed species, while indiscriminate pesticide use disrupted beneficial insect populations and ecological balance.

The sugarcane industry has embraced a more integrated and sustainable approach. Modern practices emphasise prevention, monitoring, and the judicious use of chemical controls as part of an integrated pest management (IPM) strategy.

A holistic approach not only addresses immediate threats but also promotes long-term agricultural health and productivity.

District monitoring programs provide growers with timely information on pest and disease pressures, enabling proactive and targeted interventions. By monitoring crop health and pest populations, growers can make informed decisions that optimise control efforts and minimise unnecessary chemical use.

Comprehensive weed management plans now incorporate a variety of tactics, including crop rotation, mechanical control and the strategic use of herbicides. Integrated approaches, like weed management plans, help manage weed populations more effectively, reducing competition for resources and enhancing crop yields.

Disease management has improved with the advent of regular disease surveys and breeding advances in resistant cane varieties. Early detection and rapid response are crucial in preventing disease outbreaks. The application of biological controls

and fungicides as part of an IPM strategy helps manage disease pressures sustainably.

Local Smartcane BMP facilitators encourage growers to ensure they are equipped to protect their crops and their bottom line by providing access to the latest research, training, and resources needed to implement these advanced practices.

While weeds, pests, and diseases continue to pose significant challenges, the Australian sugarcane industry is well prepared to combat them. The collective efforts of the industry, ensure that sugarcane remains a resilient and thriving crop in the face of adversity, by embracing modern, integrated management practices.

CANEGROWERS delivers the Smartcane BMP project (20222026) with funding from the Queensland Government's Reef Water Quality Program and CANEGROWERS

CANEGROWERS REGIONAL ROUND-UP

SUPPLIED BY CANEGROWERS DISTRICT OFFICES

MOSSMAN

April continued the trend of wet weather and saw rainfall at 463.1mm, which was over 100mm more than the normal April average.

There have been more sunny days though and the plant and early ratoon crop is looking exceptional. The lower humidity levels and slightly cooler nights were enough to start the crop flowering during May.

As we get closer to the usual start date, tension in the community and the township grows as things remain unresolved for the future of the industry. Grower representatives continued to focus mainly on trying to secure a home for the growers’ 2024 crop with MSF Mulgrave mill. However, they also continued to work with government, the local Council and Chamber on other avenues and options for growers moving forward. Representatives also continue to engage with the Liquidator regarding how the sale process was progressing. He conveyed that there were some

parties still actively engaged with him.

Grower representatives met with the Local Member for Cook Cynthia Lui MP on 10 May and met and briefed the LNP Candidate for Cook, David Kempton, on the 9 and 16 May.

A deal to transport cane to Mulgrave mill was put on the table for growers to consider on 17 May 2024. There were many questions and varying opinions due to the high transport cost growers were being left to cover. It is unknown at the time of writing if sufficient growers will take up the offer to make it worthwhile for MSF to proceed. If growers do not sign up to supply Mulgrave mill their only option would be to either destroy the crop or find an alternative use/ buyer for it.

Mossman Agricultural Services had their AGM on the 8 May 2024, and provided recognition to growers for the best yield in each of the coastal districts for the 2023 season. We congratulate the winners of all categories.

TABLELAND

Initial estimate (tonnes) – 860,000 Start date – 24 May

The crush has started.

Originally the Tableland Mill was to start on 22 May but due to Sunwater closing the channel for maintenance, the Mill started on 24 May at 8 am. The current estimate for the season 860,000 and to run over 28 weeks.

This season the fleet of trucks has been increased to 17 and another truck will be added later in the season to assist with cane supply.

The southern part of the district is still currently receiving rain while the growers on the northern western area have started to

CAIRNS

irrigate. Hopefully the rain being received in the southern district will not impede the harvest.

The 2024 membership levy, combining the state and local district charges is: 57.98 cents per tonne (inclusive of GST) on all sugar cane supplied to the Tableland mill by all members during the 2024 crushing season. Tableland CANEGROWERS has elected to top up the crop insurance offering to $45 per tonne indemnity level, (an increase from the State offering of $35), nil excess. This top up will be paid for by the Tableland CANEGROWERS on members behalf.

Initial estimate (tonnes) – 928,000 Start date – 11 Jun

Wet weather continues to hamper farming activities across the region with the ground not getting much opportunity to dry out.

The estimates are down on previous years with the lack of sunshine and water logging from that extreme weather received in the vital growing time, affecting productivity. Both the Mulgrave and South Johnstone Cane Supply Contracts are close to finalising with a few matters remaining unresolved.

Several Directors and some of the younger demographic from the Young Grower Group returned from Sugar Cubed very impressed with the event and having thoroughly enjoyed their time in Mackay.

CANEGROWERS Cairns Region recently hosted a Members Breakfast which gave an opportunity to hear from a cross section of presenters while enjoying a hot breakfast cooked by the Gordonvale Men’s Shed.

A big shout out to these chaps who lit the BBQ at 6.30am and served up to 55 or so Members. Mick Quirk and Burn Ashburner from QCGO presented interesting and timely topics, while Robert Mayers from Wet Tropics Management Authority providing a positive update on the Yellow Crazy Ant Eradication Program in the region.

INNISFAIL

The Cassowary Coast Reef Smart Farming (CCRSF) project recently held its showcase event in partnership with Sugar Research Australia (SRA).

Close to 30 growers were in attendance, hearing from a range of SRA researchers on topics including weed and pest control, the northern variety breeding program and an overview of the District Productivity Plan. Latest results and observations from variety demonstrations were also relayed to growers, along with an update on the other activities, impacts and outcomes of the CCRSF program. Organisers were pleased with the positive

Cairns – Babinda and Mulgrave Areas

The 2024 membership levy, combining the state and local district charges is: 54.68 cents per tonne (inclusive of GST) on all sugar cane supplied to Queensland mills by all members during the 2024 crushing season.

loaned virtual reality headsets to help engage the students. Negotiations for the next iteration of the South Johnstone Collective Supply Agreement are progressing well with every confidence that it will be finalised ahead of the 2024 season.

TULLY

feedback they received from growers. CCRSF is funded by the partnership between the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.

Also in May, CANEGROWERS Innisfail was a stallholder at the annual Cassowary Coast Careers Day, which saw more than 500 school students from Tully to Babinda come through the doors. Meaningful discussions were had with students about opportunities in the sugar industry, along with potential educational and training pathways to a career in sugarcane. This was a collaborative effort with CANEGROWERS Tully, which

The 2024 membership levy, combining the state and local district charges is: 53.23 cents per tonne (inclusive of GST) on all sugar cane supplied to South Johnstone Mill by all members during the 2024 crushing season.

Season start date has been reviewed from 27 May to 3 June, with the possibility of another review, weather pending.

There are a few reasons that contributed to the review, the most obvious being the long-term weather pattern that has reduced the estimates for the 2024 crop. Other indicators included in the decision, ensuring that the Mill has the best opportunity to be prepared, harvesting contractors have adequate time to finalise staff and equipment preparation. The new estimate is 2,340,000 tonnes, down from the original estimate of 2,440,000 tonnes. This is a reduction of approximately 4%, which is approximately 7.75% down from the 2023 season. The estimated area for supply to Tully Sugar this year is 29,600 hectares, which

will be an estimated 79 tonne per hectare across the district.

On 16 April a ‘Look up and Live Awareness’ training workshop was provided for the industry by CANEGROWERS , with 70 plus people in attendance. Thank you to Tully Sugar Ltd for providing a venue for the training.

Luigong machinery introduction session was also conducted on 16 April. The session highlighted alternative options for machinery with the commercial and agriculture community at the forefront of information. A presentation consisting of Loaders, Excavators, Skid steer and Cane Harvesting equipment was showcased for two hours. Approximately 30 people were in attendance.

It appears that 2024 has never ending rain. Up to the end of April, Tully has endured 98 days of recorded rain out of 121 days

Initial estimate (tonnes) – 1,700,000 Start date – 11 Jun

for this calendar year, measuring 3,416mm. 2021 had more rain by the end of April compared to 2024, but 2024 had 16 more days with recorded rain than 2021. At the time of this article, 17 May, another 258 mm of rain and an additional 16 days of rain occurred, taking the total rainfall to 3,674mm.

Pre-season meetings were held in the Tully district on 7,8, and 9 May. The focus for the meeting was to update interested growers and the industry about varieties for 2024 in the Tully district, SRA, Tully Cane Productivity Services and Tully Sugar updates.

Approximately 105 CANEGROWERS representatives

HERBERT RIVER

Initial

(tonnes) – 4,250,000

There has still been some rainfall across the district which has kept the paddocks in most areas wet.

Some planting has started to take place in the southern areas.

The Herbert mills needed to revise the planned start date for the 2024 season due to industrial action. Industrial action has forced a push back the planned start of production at our Herbert mills by two days at this stage. The updated start dates are 19 June for Macknade Mill and 20 June for Victoria Mill.

On the last week of April, more than 100 women from across Queensland’s sugarcane industry gathered in Ingham for the twoday Women in Sugar Australia Conference 2024. The annual event provided industry insights and professional development opportunities, while also celebrating the inspiring role of women in the industry. A number

from across Queensland attended the inaugural Sugar Cubed conference in Mackay. Tully was represented by seven attendees who participated in field trips to farms, sugar mills, refineries, terminals, and a sewerage treatment plant. The conference then concluded with a day of discussions from expert panellists.

The 2024 membership levy, combining the state and local district charges is: 42.71 cents per tonne (inclusive of GST) on all sugar cane supplied to Queensland mills by all members during the 2024 crushing season. This fee is inclusive of cane testing/auditing fees.

BURDEKIN

(tonnes) – 8,470,000

The month of May saw the first arrowing of cane in the Burdekin, which is a special sight each year as it signals that everyone is about to get very busy with the harvest.

big vote of thanks goes out to the schools, BPS, SRA, grower mentors and the Burdekin Shire Council for their efforts in getting this exciting initiative into and hopefully out of the ground.

of guest speakers, including QCGO Chief Financial Officer Jodie Mittelheuser, shared their knowledge and experience of working in various fields within the ag sector.

CANEGROWERS Herbert River would like to congratulate and thank the Women in Sugar Herbert Committee for a well-run conference, in particular Sharon Fighera, Leanne Bonassi, Caroline Pace, Leah Russo, Trina Motti, Colleen Way, Zenan Reinaudo, Leona Gangemi and Carola Bradshaw.

The 2024 membership levy for Herbert River CANEGROWERS members includes local district charges of 18.00 cents per tonne (75,000 cap) plus 7.00 cents per tonne for cane analysis / auditing fees and 21.71 cents per tonne for state levies totalling 46.71 cents per tonne (51.38 c/t inclusive of GST) on all sugar cane supplied to Wilmar mills in the Herbert by all members during the 2024 crushing season.

Unfortunately, the growing and harvesting sector are itching to get the harvest underway in June, but are becoming increasingly frustrated with the lack of clarity around the start date due to the industrial dispute between Wilmar and the Unions. During the month of May, the season commencement moved from 4 June to 6 June for Inkerman Mill, 10 June for both Kalamia and Pioneer Mills and 11 June for Invicta Mill because of days lost to strikes. At the time of writing, there was no agreement between the two parties to finalise their EA negotiations. This matter has been ongoing for some time now and we don’t want to see start dates being continually revised, particularly beyond 11 June as we need to start the crushing to get this crop off and further delays could have financial consequences.

May was a busy month for planting and the message from some planting contractors cutting cane for plants was that the crop was a bit light and may not support the 2024 season estimate of 8.47 million tonnes. Time will tell as the experience differs across the whole district with some contactors reporting heavy plant cane being cut for source material. On the subject of planting cane, the Sweetest School Competition kicked off with a full agenda of helping 14 schools plant their initial plots of cane for the competition. A

QCGO CEO Dan Galligan was in town for the CBL AGM that was held on 30 April, where he and David Jochinke, NFF President were the guest speakers, and the event was well received.

Several grower visits were completed by Dan Galligan and Owen Menkens where growers were provided with an update on what CANEGROWERS is doing on behalf of the industry and feedback was also sought on what were the important issues for their own businesses.

Directors attended the Sugar Cubed conference in Mackay, and the future of the sugarcane industry looks 'bright' in terms of new business opportunities to make other products from sugarcane. Turning 'bright' into a commercial reality though will take many years of hard work, risk taking and vast amounts of capital, but you can see the bones are there to build a new direction upon.

The CBL Board invited Wilmar’s new General Manager for Cane Supply and Grower Relations, Ian Davies to our May meeting. Ian brings a very diverse range of agricultural and management experience to the position which should benefit this challenging role.

CBL representatives attended a number of events such as the; BCAS preseason update and AGM, Lower Burdekin Rising Groundwater Strategy Workshop which is progressing this important industry issue,

the opening of Member for Burdekin Dale Lasts new office in Ayr and a meeting with RDMW Water Services North Region about the upcoming deadline of having meters recertified by a licenced meter validator (CMI) by 30 November for those bores outside of the Sunwater and LBW jurisdictions.

The 2024 membership levy, combining the State and local district charges is: 51.29 cents

PROSERPINE

With the crush moving closer, the preliminary estimate remained at 1.7 million tonnes as wet conditions persisted through late April into May.

Although temperatures had started to drop mid-May, there was significant drying still needed before both crop and paddocks would be harvest ready. With further predictions of rain in the coming weeks, the new mill opening date could prove an elusive target, currently being 20 June at the time of writing. Prolonged Industrial Action at Wilmar mills continued to be a challenge and reaching an amicable solution is key to ensuring milling preparations would not be adversely impacted so close to the crush.

On 14 May, members and industry stakeholders came together for a CANEGROWERS Pre-season meeting. This included an update on Mill Preparations and a presentation by QCGO Chairman, Owen Menkens. With speakers presenting on the many issues from the prior 12 months, they also touched on both upcoming industry and mill challenges, as well as opportunities. Members noted that presentations were

per tonne (inclusive of GST) on all sugar cane supplied to Queensland mills by all members during the 2024 crushing season. This fee is inclusive of an adjustment to top up the crop insurance offering to a $45 indemnity limit on tonnages up to the 100,000t cap. Crop insurance premiums on tonnes above 100,000t, are accounted for directly with the member via an adjustment after season end.

informative, and overall, were well received. Sugar Services Proserpine also presented their Productivity Awards to growers that had performed exceptionally in the previous season.

CANEGROWERS congratulates all the well-deserved recipients and wishes the best to all members for their upcoming production performance.

The search continued for a replacement Proserpine external mill auditor with the previous discontinuing their offer, this continued as auditors came together on 16 May for a very informative workshop organised by QCGO.

This member service remains key to ensuring growers get paid their due. Members are encouraged to continue utilising the CANEGROWERS office with any cane payment related enquiries that are not resolved directly with the mill.

With the Show Cane event fast approaching, generous sponsor donations continued to come in with close to $10,000 being raised for the event in the form of prizes and cash contributions. Following the Young Farmers Trophy that was introduced in 2023, a further category was being introduced for

2024. This being the Kids Cane award which would be eligible for any entries by up-and-coming growers below the age of 18. Support to the Young Farmers group and overall future of the industry has become a key focus for CANEGROWERS Proserpine. We encourage growers to follow the CANEGROWERS Facebook page for more information.

The 2024 membership levy, combining the state and local district charges is: 43.68 cents per tonne (inclusive of GST) on all sugar cane supplied to the Proserpine mill by members during the 2024 crushing season. The PDCC levy includes the additional cost of a top up to the crop insurance indemnity on behalf of its members.

MACKAY / PLANE CREEK

The crush is moving into a tumultuous start, with industrial action delaying the start of crushing at Wilmar Plane Creek.

The mill had been due to commence crushing from 11 June, but at the time of writing that had been deferred to 20 June. This is a very late start for the mill, and concerning in that it has had a disrupted end to the maintenance season, following on from poor reliability and December/January finishes across the past three harvests.

A staggered start across the three Mackay Sugar mills will run

from 3 to 13 June, assuming all goes to plan through steam up and with the weather.

Extensive rain across April and well into May will offer some challenges for paddock conditions and, combined with the warmer temps being experienced well above seasonal averages, CCS is lower than desirable. Mackay Area Committee (MAC) has raised a dispute with the miller on starting CCS, and the interpretation of how that should be calculated, which will go to arbitration. A date had not been set at the time of writing, but it is hoped that arbitration will occur prior to start of crush. A successful

special information meeting was held by the committee, attended by CANEGROWERS

Legal Advisor Mr Chris Cooper on 16 May. Discussion was frank and firm, with members gaining a clear understanding of the action reasoning, history, and process. MAC members covered off on other matters including 2023 season statistics, load restraint, bio-commodities and sustainability.

Two Haulout Driver training courses were run across the end of April into May, delivering 19 new drivers to the industry and funded through the Queensland Government Skilling Queenslanders for Work (SQW) Program. It has been beneficial to have the involvement of the CQ Queensland Agriculture Workforce Network Officer Peter Albertson once again. Mr Albertson’s position is hosted by CANEGROWERS Mackay. This year, Mr Albertson obtained SQW funding to duplicate the Mackay-designed Haulout Driver Training for CANEGROWERS

Tully, successfully recruited a suitably qualified trainer to represent the Register Training Organisation, and contracted a local professional videographer,

Jac Kotze of Flow Motion, to capture quality drone and ground level video and stills for use in training in future years.

Any growers requiring assistance with any issues are encouraged to call 4944 2600 to get the ball rolling on a solution. Keep an eye on our Facebook page, The Billet and weekly District Manager Updates for emerging training and industry opportunities.

Mackay Sugar Area

The 2024 membership levy, combining the state and local district charges is: 46.71 cents per tonne (51.38 c/t inclusive of GST) on all sugar cane supplied to Queensland mills by all members during the 2024 crushing season. This fee is inclusive of cane testing / auditing fees.

Plane Creek Area

The 2024 membership levy, combining the state and local district charges is: 52.91 cents per tonne (58.20 c/t inclusive of GST) on all sugar cane supplied to Queensland mills by all members during the 2024 crushing season. This fee is inclusive of cane testing / auditing fees.

BUNDABERG

The crop has filled out well and is beginning to ripen with the weather drying off over the last few weeks.

Start of the pre-season crush was set for 21 May for Bundaberg Sugar and the start of the core season is set for 10 June.

In consultation with Bundaberg Sugar Ltd we have set the starting base CCS at 13.0 and will regularly review it once the season is underway. The 2024 Season estimate is 1.22 million tonnes.

We have a full contingent of auditors and full audit coverage at Millaquin again this year, if you have any queries during the upcoming season, please contact the office and they will lodge an enquiry with the auditor on your behalf.

Some growers have been contacted by the Reef Regulation Auditors for an audit of their compliance activities. If any growers have received a request, please call the office and talk to Matt Leighton. Matt or Tanya are available to assist before and during the audit review.

Bundaberg Regional Council is due to hand down their budget soon and representatives from Bundaberg CANEGROWERS , Bundaberg Regional Irrigators Group, Bundaberg Ag-Food and Fibre Alliance, CANEGROWERS Isis and Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers met with the Bundaberg Mayor and Councillors on 22 May to ensure the recent land valuation increases are not used as a cash cow to fund the forecast $17m deficit.

Membership fees have been set for the 2024 Season. In establishing these fees the directors have taken into account the level of services available and the need to set a reasonable fee. It was resolved that a CPI increase of 3.4% would be applied to 2023 fees and the level of crop insurance indemnity would remain at $55/t after taking high sugar prices into consideration.

The 2024 season fees (excl GST) are as follows:

• Administration: 60.96 cents/t

• Crop Insurance: 1.84 cents/t

• Cane Analysis: 4.50 cents/t

• State Levy: 21.71 cents/t

The season estimate has continued to increase with a revised figure of 1,370,000 tonnes calculated by Isis Mill.

The traditional Isis area represents approximately 834,000 tonnes. Isis Mill is

working towards a start date of 10 June and finish date of late November.

We have had a very busy month on the advocacy front meeting with local member Tom Smith, Minister Glenn Butcher and Assistant Minister Shane King about our state government

election strategy. Our discussions focused on the main issues affecting our members including:

• Paradise Dam: build timeline and funding commitments

• SunWater Electricity Cost Pass Through: extension of trial

• Electricity affordability: large customer classification

• Farm theft:dramatic increase

• Mining: proposed farming over resource-based activities in our region

We have placed a strong emphasis on land valuations and the issue of equity and fairness in rating. We did this by raising the topic with our local member Tom Smith, the Local Government Minister Meaghan Scanlon at community cabinet in Bundaberg and directly at a meeting with the newly sworn in Bundaberg Regional Council. We will continue with this persistent approach until we have assurances our members will be treated fairly when rate notices are issued.

MARYBOROUGH

Some decent weather over the last few weeks is giving us a good chance of starting on time for the 2024 Season.

Isis Mill is working on 10 June for start date and our preseason meeting will now be conducted on Monday 3 June at 2pm and held at CANEGROWERS Hall, Bazaar Street Maryborough.

Guests from CANEGROWERS and Isis Mill will be attending and there will be the usual BBQ after the meeting.

We had a reasonable number of growers jump on the SRA Bus tour around Childers and

Our meeting with Bundaberg Regional Council was positive with Council committing to reconnect with the agricultural sector in a more transparent, open and honest fashion and we look forward to forging a new working relationship with them.

Just over 10 of our members have received requests from DESI to conduct farm reef compliance audits. We are working closely with Isis Productivity to assist members through this process.

We have also recently attended a dinner meeting with the SRA Board, the inaugural Sugar Cubed conference in Mackay, an update on the Mt Rawden hydro electric project, the annual Cane Analysis Auditors Workshop and the Isis Productivity Roving Field Day.

The 2024 membership levy, combining the state and local district charges is: 47.71 cents per tonne (exclusive of GST) on all sugar cane supplied to the Isis Central Sugar Mill by all members during the 2024 crushing season.

ROCKY POINT

Rocky Point continues to receive intermittent, unwanted wet weather, which we are hoping will fine up in time for the start of the season.

The lower country is suffering as a result of this wet weather and estimates coming in are much lower than expected as a result.

Bundaberg on 21 May hosted by SRA. Feedback on the one eyed sett program demonstration was very positive with this option assisting greatly for planting options in the future. Reminder that Spring plant ordering is due by 1 June and this reminder may already be a few days late!

The 2024 membership levy, combining the state and local district charges is: 33.71 cents per tonne excluding GST (37.08 c/t inclusive of GST) on all sugar cane supplied to Isis Central Sugar Mill by all members during the 2024 crushing season. This fee does not include the MCPS productivity levy of 17.00 cents per tonne (exclusive of GST).

The Rocky Point Mill have indicated a start date of 21 July. With the cooler weather, fire Suppression Taskforce and Gold Coast City Council to try to fill in all the treatment gaps around the district (road edges and non-cane farming land).

The 2024 membership levy, combining the state and local district charges is: 82.89 cents per tonne (inclusive of GST) on all sugar cane supplied to the Rocky Point mill by all members during the 2024 crushing season.

SHAPING THE FUTURE

Membership Engagement & Innovation

BY MATT KEALLEY

CANEGROWERS has had a very busy few months engaging with growers through member meetings, young grower trips, cross-industry field trips, and the launch of the inaugural Sugar Cubed conference in Mackay.

Sugar Cubed conference

CANEGROWERS delivered its inaugural Sugar Cubed conference on 9 and 10 May 2024. Over 100 people attended the two-day event which brought together growers and industry leaders curious to hear about opportunities for the sugarcane industry and participate in shaping its future.

Day one included group tours to local mills, ethanol and sugar refineries, Mackay Harbour's bulk sugar terminal, QUT's pilot plant, the Sarina Sugar Shed, on-farm visits, and was followed by a welcome dinner event where delegates had the chance to meet and talk.

Day two was built around the Sugar Plus roadmap, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and the opportunities open to the industry where growing markets, diversification and sustainability shape the future.

The conference focused on better business as usual and how people in a changing community see their future in sugarcane and regional Queensland.

With the world moving into a low emissions future driven by sustainability, it was important to hear from Australian airlines and businesses that were focused on SAF.

The Sugar Cubed conference included keynote presentations from Graeme Potger, Head of Sustainable Aviation Fuels at Qantas, and Jet Zero Australia’s CEO Ed Mason. They they outline how the SAF industry in Queensland could see our industry grow. Qantas has a 10% target for their jet fuel to come from SAF by 2030 and 60% by 2050. Jet Zero Australia’s flagship project, called Project Ulysses, will develop a $600 million SAF and Renewable Diesel project in Townsville.

Laszlo Peter from KPMG and Pete Greenwell from Coca-Cola EuroPacific Partners (CCEP) were part of the panel discussions with CANEGROWERS Matt Kealley

Qantas and Jet Zero see sugarcane as part of this future which offer growers access to an expanding industry, a second market for their sugarcane and the opportunity to be a major player in the bioeconomy.

Pete Greenwell Head of Procurement for Coca-Cola EuroPacific Partners (CCEP) reiterated how sustainability is here to stay. As Coca-Cola is the world’s largest buyer of sugar, he outlined CCEP’s procurement needs, sustainability drivers and net zero carbon emission targets in their Australian and global bottlers as directed by their US parent company The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC).

CANEGROWERS has been working with CCEP since 2014 on sustainable sourcing, which has resulted in TCCC recognising Smartcane BMP as a Leader Standard in line with their Principles for Sustainable Agriculture.

Laszlo Peter presented the ESG and GHG reduction needs coming out of Europe and how that is influencing procurement for sugar and other sectors such as banking and finance. KPMG outlined traceability and the work CANEGROWERS has done with KPMG Origins to develop a blockchain traceability platform which positions the Australian sugarcane industry as a world leader in the production of sustainable, traceable sugar.

The afternoon session focused on people in a changing community. A panel session included mentees from CANEGROWERS Next Ratoon program and several of our women grower elected representatives who outlined their strong connection to family, the land and their community. John Pickering from Evidn gave a heartfelt keynote on how he has seen change in the sugarcane industry and how the work he continues to do with growers and CANEGROWERS has influenced the community and puts growers in a positive light.

Next Ratoon mentoring program

Our seven young growers who are in the CANEGROWERS Next Ratoon mentoring program are halfway through their mentoring journey. It was great to see several of our mentees at the recent Sugar Cubed conference and participating in panel sessions about the future of the industry and how they want to contribute to their community.

Grower meetings and field trips support grower networks and new thinking CANEGROWERS regularly facilitates grower meetings and engagement across the industry.

In March 2024 young sugarcane growers from the Herbert River growing district visited CANEGROWERS in Brisbane, SRA in Woodford and the Rocky Point districts as part of a young grower professional development trip. In April, growers from Rocky Point visited the NSW sugarcane growing region on the two-day tour that was organised by

CANEGROWERS Rocky Point and supported by SRA and Sunshine Sugar.

A couple of highlights in May included a member’s breakfast in the Cairns Region which attracted growers from across the district to discuss the upcoming season and hear about Smartcane BMP, sustainability, harvesting reliability and load restraint. CANEGROWERS Proserpine held a well-attended pre-season meeting that also heard from CANEGROWERS Chair Owen Menkens on industry issues and work CANEGROWERS is doing to support growers.

In Mackay, a special Mackay Area Committee meeting was held to hear matters concerning the upcoming season and the disputed interpretation with the miller on the starting CCS for the CANEGROWERS Mackay Cane Supply Agreement. Chris Cooper, CANEGROWERS specialist legal advisor outlined the arbitration process to the fifty plus growers who attended the meeting.

Meeting members face-to-face fosters stronger relationships, encourages open communication and allows for a better understanding of growers' interests and needs. These meetings and initiatives were very well supported and demonstrates how CANEGROWERS help to support a sense of community, provide information to growers while looking toward the future for the Australian sugarcane industry.

SUGARCANE SPECIFIC REGULATIONS THANKS TO CANEGROWERS

Industry & Farm Inputs

BY BURN ASHBURNER

Over the years CANEGROWERS has been behind ensuring that growers have sensible regulations which allow business to run smoothly and keep them and the public safer. With the crush starting it is time to reflect on two of these.

The National Class 1 Agricultural Vehicle and Combination Mass and Dimension Exemption Notice gives growers access to roads for oversize over mass heavy agricultural vehicles. The Notice includes some sugarcane specific exemptions, for example a rear overhang for a cane harvester of 7.8m instead of the standard 5.5m and mass on a cane bin tri-axle group mass limit of 28 tonnes.

Through CANEGROWERS advocacy there are specific zones which effectively cater to the sugarcane industry. For example, Zone 3 Coastal (north of Rockhampton) allows access for 4.0m width agricultural vehicles on critical roads (Bruce highway) and 5.0m on major and minor roads instead of the 3.5m prior to this with the old FORM 14.

It is important for growers to remember that they need to comply with the conditions in the National Notice and if they are outside the Notice dimensions and/or mass that they apply for a permit.

With the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) taking over the compliance role it is expected that compliance activity will be increased. So, make sure you are legal. There has been a focus on load restraint regulation in the last few Australian Canegrower magazines. It is important to remember the basic load restraint legal obligations for heavy vehicles. In simple terms don’t overload and spill cane.

‚ A Load must not be placed on a heavy vehicle in a way that makes it unstable or unsafe

‚ A Load must be secured so it is unlikely to fall or be dislodged from a vehicle

‚ An appropriate method must be used to restrain the load

The other very sugarcane specific issue which CANEGROWERS has advocated for over the years is the ability for growers to burn standing cane and tops and

trash under the Notification for Burning of Sugar Cane published in Queensland Government Gazette No 29 on 31 May 2019. Search Cane Burning Notification at www.qfes.qld.gov.au for the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Information sheet.

If you are not able to meet the conditions of the Notice, then you need to apply for a permit from your local fire warden.

It is recommended that if in doubt about complying with the Notice or to be certain that the cane is burnt legally then a permit should be obtained from the local fire warden and the conditions of this permit followed.

These are important sugarcane specific regulations that would not be possible without a strong CANEGROWERS organisation at a state level over many years. We will continue to advocate for improvements to balance the needs of growers with the safety of all.

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT’S DUE

Sustainability & Environment

BY MICK QUIRK

The Carbon Credit and Reef Credit schemes aim to benefit the environment through rewarding those who make management changes consistent with an approved protocol.

Key points:

‚ Demand for carbon credits is driven by companies required by law to reduce or offset their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

‚ Demand for reef credits is driven primarily by government Reef funds.

‚ There is little worthwhile scope for cane growers to generate carbon credits.

‚ There is some scope for growers to generate reef credits, but each case will vary.

‚ There can be serious unintended consequences of these schemes, and we are concerned that reef credits will incentivise reduced cane supply.

‚ Concerns build about a proposed method for reef credits using constructed wetlands.

What are environmental credits?

These are a market-based or legal instrument for the ownership of a defined amount of environmental benefit. A carbon credit is one metric ton of carbon dioxide equivalent (C02e) that can be held, sold, or retired to meet a carbon reduction target. A reef credit is one kg/ha per year of Dissolved Inorganic Nitogen (DIN) that can be held, sold or retired to meet a voluntary target for load reduction within a reef catchment.

True markets develop through the supply of goods or services that have private benefits. For environmental credits, governments have to create demand by either funding their purchase (as for reef credits) or by legislation (as for carbon credits). Current protocols for generating carbon credits are either irrelevant for cropping enterprises or are difficult to meet (such as long-term increases in soil carbon).

The Reef Credit scheme was developed to help reduce losses of DIN or sediment into waterways, and one of the protocols for generating credits requires growers to reduce the average rate of nitrogen use on their sugarcane area to below the cap set by Reef regulations.

Unfortunately, this protocol appears to have been based on a belief that the SIX EASY STEPS program was generating recommendations for nitrogen application that were excessive. This likely generated ill-informed expectations about growers being incentivised by reef credits to reduce nitrogen rates up to 30% below industry’s evidence-based best practice.

In reality, there is no evidence for such wholesale reductions. Opportunities for targeted and modest refinement of N rates are presented in SIX EASY STEPS ‘Toolbox’, to help growers assess the relevance of these. Growers may be able to take advantage of reef credits but ensure you do the sums.

Such credit schemes can have unintended consequences. For example, reef credits may incentivise growers to reduce production and thereby risk the viability of their mill.

There is also a proposed method for generating reef credits from constructing wetlands to filter runoff. A reasonable concept but there has been little consultation with community and growers about how these structures affect the local hydrology or the flood risk to nearby landholders. Also, there seems no assurance that these wetlands will be well managed into the future, rather than abandoned once payments cease or if the project fails. More effort to earn the confidence of the community is necessary.

Finally, the integrity and credibility of a scheme is essential for successful outcomes. This is illustrated by revelations about the gross over-estimation of carbon projects based on “human-induced native forest regeneration”. A failure of common sense and due diligence that may affect confidence in other aspects of the carbon scheme.

We need to ensure that reef credit schemes are credible and don’t compromise the viability of mills.

TRAMWAY EASEMENTS CANEGROWERS

Legal Advisor

BY CHRIS COOPER

Thousands of kilometres of cane tramways exist throughout Queensland. In most cases, these tramways are the subject of a formalised easement agreement between the mill owner and the landholder.

What is an easement?

An easement is a legal right to use a portion of land usually owned by someone else. The sugar industry also has special laws that apply only to the industry and allows for access rights or easements for tramline purposes for hauling sugar cane and permits to pass for cane delivery purposes.

Easements are usually registered on the title of the land affected and also on the title of the land benefited. Registration of the easement on the title ensures that it remains in place even if ownership of the relevant land changes.

Benefits of Tramway Easements

‚ The mill and the grower are aware of their respective rights, duties and obligations by looking at the easement agreement.

‚ The easement provides some certainty for the mill and grower.

‚ Issues of who is liable for accidents, damages or injuries can be more clearly determined.

‚ The standard form easement contains terms and conditions that are helpful to growers which may not apply if no easement exists.

‚ When easements are granted, compensation may be payable to the landholder. For example, the standard conditions provide for:

‚ the mill to provide reasonable access points over the tramway.

‚ the mill to provide reasonable drainage arrangements.

‚ the mill to be responsible for maintenance of the tramway and removal of ballast.

‚ the mill to indemnify the grower from legal action.

‚ the mill to provide insurance cover.

‚ the mill to keep the tramway clear of noxious weeds and undergrowth.

‚ Tramway easements allow for the efficient and effective transportation of cane across the mill area.

Obligations of Tramway Easements

‚ The easement will allow the millowner and its appointed agents and contractors the right to use the easement area for cane tramway purposes.

‚ The landholder will not be allowed to unreasonably interfere with the tramway rights of the millowner.

‚ The easement area will be regarded as a shared workplace for Work Health and Safety purposes. Everyone involved in work on that easement area, including mill staff, harvesting contractors and the grower landholder will all have responsibilities relating to the safe work activities in the easement area.

Liability for Accidents

‚ Accidents on mill easements are not uncommon. Everyone involved in activities on a mill easement are exposed to potential liability. The following points are relevant:

‚ The particular facts and circumstances will be relevant including who did what, when, how and why.

‚ Review of the terms and conditions of the easement. In most easements there are clauses that deal with responsibility and liability or accident loss and damage occurring on an easement. In some easements, landholders are specifically released from any liability and may be indemnified or protected by the mill from any liability.

‚ Subject to the terms and conditions of the easement everyone involved in easement activity will owe a duty of care to each other.

‚ Always maintain a comprehensive farm property liability insurance policy. Under some easements the millowner must also maintain appropriate insurance that covers the landholder’s exposure to liability.

Any grower wishing to discuss aspects of this article or any other legal matter should contact your local CANEGROWERS office or call CANEGROWERS Legal Adviser, Chris Cooper, for free initial legal advice.

This article contains general advice only. The particular facts and circumstances of each case always need to be taken into account. The comments in this article are general in nature.

For further free advice and information about this topic or other legal matters, members should contact their local CANEGROWERS office or please contact CANEGROWERS

Legal Adviser, Chris Cooper on Free Call 1800 177 159

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MOSSMAN TULLY

3 tonne fertiliser stool splitter stainless steel box 1.5—1.8 metre spacing $25,000 (+GST). Ph: 0429 912 135

2006 CASE IH JX109OU in good condition. Always serviced – 6,800 hrs $24,200 (inc. GST) Ph: 0427 665 759 Tully area.

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

Howard CH 2000 rotary hoe 4.2m wide, hyd 5 tyne ripper hillers new blades. $45,000 plus GST. Ph: 0429 912 135.

2016 John Deere R4023 self propelled sprayer 1,500 hrs, 2200L tank, 85 foot boom, GPS ready. $235,000 plus GST. Ph: 0429 912 135

Hooded 4-row sprayer $5,000; Confidor 2-row applicator $1,500; S Tyne multi-weeder $1,000. All prices ONO. Ph: 0407 597 179

MF102 cane harvester, good condition, $5,000. Ph: 0428 644 135

Great Plains 6m 3PL planter, currently set up for zonal planting however have all units for solid planting, $20,000 + GST. Ph: Peter 0427 976 416

10 Blade Faggy chopper box for 3510/3520. $6,000 + GST. Ph: 0437 434 280

Heavy duty Tatu offset disc 25 plate $50,000. Ph: 0439 965 921

Power Harrow / Airator for soil – fits on a rotary hoe $900. 2 old fertiliser box implements – each $300. 186 Ross Road Deeral. Ph: 0412 968 434.

Harvester for sale. Babinda area. 2010 JD 3520 track harvester, 10,000 frame hrs. 1,200 hrs since engine rebuild. 10 blade Twyford choppers. Base cutter box, turn table and chopper box, 300 hrs use. D5 tracks. Ready to go. $180,000 & GST. Ph: 0439 676 186

Valley centre pivot 8 span all running gear tires & rims $1,000 gearboxes $750.00, electrical motors & gear boxes$1,000 each ONO. 6 Irvin spray legs $80.00 each, 2x Torsion axles v-shape 2,200kg each $500 ONO. Ph: John 0418 198 177

* As a FREE service to CANEGROWERS members, Australian Canegrower will print suitable classified advertisements UP TO 5 LINES FREE, FOR ONE ISSUE ONLY. A charge of $5. 50 will apply for each extra line or part thereof. A charge will apply for advertising of non-cane growing activities. Advertisements must relate exclusively to cane farming activities, such as farm machinery, etc. Advertisements from non-members are charged at $11 per line incl GST. Only prepaid ads will be accepted.

Celli rotary hoe 120 inch good condition.

$6,000 + GST ONO. Front bucket for 580E backhoe $800 + GST ONO. Ph: 0407 675 361

Plant cutter $200; cane stripper $500; binder billet planter

$18,000; 2 x Newton 4T Tipper bins

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6 Cyl. Perkins Turbo-Charged motor, mounted on trailer to Kelly & Lewis water pump

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

Kubota Zero Turn ZG 222 with Catcher 48" cut. Fiat 980 2WD-3,500hrs, Fiat 1000 2WD –5,000hrs, John Deere 4040 2WD – 3,600hrs, Chamberlain JD 4080 2 WD – 5,000hrs, Case 2590 2WD – 5,700hrs, 6 tonne tipper bin, Silvan Euro Spand CX2 spreader, portable bulk bin, Bunning Lowlander Mk 40-60 Ag spreader (near new), complete tracks to suit cane harvester, and Fuel trailer tank. Mulgrave area. Ph: 0407 160 673

1980 Ford 7710, 4WD, 4 cyl, canopy, 5,323 hrs, $21,000. 1960 Inter tractor 574, 2WD, 4 cyl, canopy, $9,500. 1960 Inter tractor 574, 2WD, 4 cyl, canopy, 4891 hrs, $7,950. 1975 Cat D3 dozer, angle tilt blade, 4 cyl, hyd tow hitch, root rake blade, 4,836 hrs, $51,900. 2010 Kubota ME9000, 4WD, cab with trimble with GFX-750 GPS, 5,031 hrs, total for both $47,900. 2018 Kubota, 4WD, M7040, 4 cyl, canopy, 482 hrs, $46,900. Ph: Mark 0427 017 717

One tonne bag lifter $2,200 GST incl. Ph: 0448 345 139

1968 International Farmall 756, 2WD, Tricycle, 6 cyl, 5,560 hrs, $5,950. 1993 140″ Howard Rotary Hoe, crumble roller, serial 060301095, $24,500. 2006 Case iH 7700 full track harvester, Iveco 10.3L 6 cyl motor, 2912 hrs, $156,000. 1976 rear feed whole stick planter, s/s fertiliser boxes & chutes, 2x200L spray tanks with 4 sprays, hydraulic ram trailer hitch, $4,250. 1990 8-ton bulk fertiliser bin, 3 easy chute doors, 4 stands for storage, $5,150. Ph: Romy 0467 198 700

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

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

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

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

Service unit/fuel tanker, flat 115-90 4wd tactor set up with hitch & brakes. 4500L diesel fuel tank. 2000L aluminium water tank, many more extas. Phone for more details. Ph: Craig 0436 332 044

Bonel whole stick harvester / Double fan cane stripper / Four trailers. Ph: 07 4056 1742

2 x 480/70R34 tractor tyres. 5 years old. 95% rubber. 1 tyre needs minor repair. $1,000 (inc GST) for both tyres. Ph: 0408 728 072 (Tully).

Hydraulic spraying machine – High rise diesel motor, 1600L stainless steel tank $25,000 + GST. Ph: Tim 0428 183 307

Toft 6000 harvester $20k Liquaforce 5 row applicator $25k stainless steel 25,000L tanker on tandem axle trailer $15k 10 tonne side tipper $12k kubota 8580 $22k grubbers ploughs plus more call Rodney. Ph: 0429 984 920

Hodge Bulk bag lifter – $700 (plus GST). Ph: 0439 965 921

Olympic 20.8.42 65% $500+ GST; front end loader with 4 in 1 bucket, blasted and 2pac painted, resembling required $4500+GST Ph: 0437 434 280

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

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

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

HERBERT RIVER–BURDEKIN

Hi-rise spray tractor MF35x. Unfinished project comes with 1,200L S/S tank, boom and droppers are made but not fitted 5 rows or 7 over the top. Has power steering not fitted and a new ROPS, canopy and seat. Lots of other extras included. $18,000 plus GST ONO. Heavy duty frame with Coulters off the old Aqua-Ammonia applicators. Could easily turn into ripper coulter implement. $500 plus GST. Ph: Jason 0417 622 129 caruzin@bigpond.com

Herbert River 4 tonne Newton tipper hooked to 4280 Chamberlain tractor. Will separate if required. Ideal for billet planting. Ph: 0416 174 014

Mulcher Nobili BNE 210V.G.C $5,000.00 Ph: 0432 221 496

2017 Isuzu dmax dual cab with alloy tray, 67,400 kms, new tires, RWC, one owner in VGC. $43,000 ONO. Ph: 0438 821 683

Case Magnum 315 2012 dual tyres front and rear with weight pack, Trimble GPS, UHF and quick hitch 210,000 plus. Howard rotary hoe CH 2000 4.7 meters with crumble roller 40,000 plus. Ph: Gavin 0408 782 419

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

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

MACKAY–PROSERPINE

6 rear wheel weights for New Holland TM155. Ph: Keith on 0448 057 574 or Brock Shailer on 0439 113 511

2 Tractor Tyres 18-4-38, 75% rubber – $600 each. 1 plant cane or return grubber 14 tine 1200. A Hodge plant cutter & two fan blower – $1,000. 1 Yedder 6 wheel on 3-point linkage frame for plant cane. $1,800. Ph: 0448 605 722

185 altas copco compressor on towable trailer, just had new turbo fitted and cup link between motor and compressor, cost $6,000 to repair. Ready to go – $8,500. Good unit for blowing down harvesters or sandblasting. Sandblasting unit also available and hoses –$2,500. Ph: 0488 605 722

2x new Trelleborg TM800 high speed 480/65R24 tyres, 1,000L home-made trailable steel fuel tank, 1,000L steel fuel tank Ph: 0458 121 546

Hodge side dresser fertiliser box – with 4 front fertilizer coulters, 2 centre rippers with crumble rollers and centre drawbar at rear. Also can be used as a soil buster. Dimensions 1.7m to 2.05m. G.C. In the Mackay area. $9,000 + GST. Ph: 0408 874 974 or 0418 874 974.

John Deere 6520se fwd 5,100 hrs, new ac power quad. Tyres 70%. Presents as a very clean and tidy tractor price. $60,000 incl GST neg. VGC. Ph: 0438 424 538

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

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

45x 5" aluminum flood irrigation pipes on pipe trailer $2,200 incl. Ph: 0417 158 656

M1 15 New Holland tractor. 6,500hrs. Auto steer control valve fitted. Wanting $35,000 ONO. Ph: 0419 771 504

125mm Southern Cross hard hose irrigator in good condition. 350m hose. $30,000 incl GST. Ph: 0428 768 533

Rainfall Report

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

Bonel cane billet planter with 2 water tanks $6,600; 2x2T planter bins $500; Fiorini S/550 multifunctional hay rake $8,000. All GST incl. Ph: Lionel 0408 755 453. Proserpine.

Brought to you by

GPS autosteer kits and base station can be fitted to any tractor, FJ Dynamics brand, $14,000 excl GST. Ph: 0401 847 162

Underground pipes 34 lengths, 150 ml X 6m, Class 9, never used, 25 years old. $35 each Ph: 0418 159 998

T7040 New Holland 8,200 hrs and 16 tonne Aus quip elevator air/ hyd controls. Farm sold. Ph: Cameron 0427 378 526

1973 Ford 5 thousand 2-wheel drive Y series tractor for sale, 75 horsepower, with power steering, new ROPS, new seat, one set of remotes, 8430 tyres – 90% rubber on front and 80% on back and 3-point linkage. Always sheded, kept neat and tidy, always serviced and oil dropped every 100 hrs. Ph: 0459 596 782 for price.

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

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

Krone 1500 Vario pack baler $16,500. Krone mower 2.8m easy cut flail $36,000 as new. Ph: 0447 461 132

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

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

7T Tractor 200 auto command, super steer, GPS ready, 5,549 hrs, great condition, farm work only. $110,000. Ph: 0427 503 738

Rover 52 inch mower, zero turn, Kawasaki motor, 19 horsepower. $4,000. Ph: 0427 503 738

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

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

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

Southern Cross LAH 7 stage turbine pump. Ph: 0407 595 218

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

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

2 fan stripper $500. Moller single chain planter $4,000. Roberts 6T goose neck trailer $5,000. Grubber & box $300. Hodge upright planter $3,000. Ph: 0408 776 336 OR 4959 1765 after 7pm.

BUNDABERG–ROCKY POINT

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

Massey Ferguson anniversary 105 harvester $7,700 (incl. GST); trash incorporator $7,700 (incl. GST); Bonel 3-row cutaway $6,600 (incl GST); 3-point linkage offset 16 plate $2,300 (incl GST). Ph: 0419 577 110

Quinco side dresser fert. box, Bonel side dresser fert. box, Croplands boom sprayer, Bonel plant cutter, Don stick planter, 3 row folding cultivator frame, 3 row plant cutaway, 5 row plant marker 1.8 ctrs. Ph: 0473 989 961

New Holland T6070 Tractor, $185,000 neg Challenge FEL, quad remotes, excellent condition, 450 hrs. Ph: Justin 0415 626 715

Brand new Howard AH4000/255 2.5m heavy duty rotary hoe w/wheels $44k inc GST. Rocky Point. Ph: Greg 0421 277 126

7 tonne single axle Hi lift tipper bin $12,000 each plus GST. Ph: 0413 584 728

Plant cane cultivator 2 x 1.6m row w/ 3 weeder rakes and tines $2,200 incl GST, Land plane w/ 4m. hyd. tilt blade $4,400 incl GST, 2x1.6m. row cultivator w/ 10x 30ml. tines $2,200 incl GST. 4 wheel trash rake $ 1650 incl. GST Ph: 0408 761 463

WANTED TO BUY

1 x secondhand slasher must be in good condition, 7 or 8 ft width. Ph: Joe 0488 010 030

7 tyne Hodge ripper with 1 inch tynes and bolt on points. Ph: 0400 743 314

Shredder topper suit John Deere or CASE or TOFT loader. Any condition. Ph: 0413 584 728

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

USED/NEW MACHINERY FOR SALE

SECONDHAND 8970

JOHN DEERE TRACTOR

NEW CYCLONE SLASHER/MULCHER All machines located in Ingham.

DIESEL FITTER POSITION AVAILABLE

PARTS MANAGER POSITION AVAILABLE Contact us via phone or email for further information.

SNG Machinery Sales

90 Origlasso St, Ingham 07 4776 6003 (Parts) 07 4776 1066 (Sales) admin@sngmachinerysales.com www.sngromano.net.au

7485 MF Tractor Tier 3 with Dyna VT transmission and hi lift double 6T side tipper. Ph: 0413 698 922 or 0427 561 072. Located Bundaberg.

Rotary hoe 90 degree blades to suit Maschio G Series rotary hoe. Brand new. These normally sell at $20 each new but are for sale at $6 each. There are currently 72 left hand and 72 right hand blades available. Ph: 0402 993 500

102 Massey Ferguson cane harvester $1,500. C670 Chamberlain 4 ton HPM tipper bin $5,000. Ford 5000 Tractor $6,000. Hodge fert. bin $1,000 Ph: 0403 064 708

Austoft/Case wheel harvester 1995 to 2006 model. Any area. Ph: 0417 193 385

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

Ferguson TE 20 with V8 Ford flattop engine, ½ tracks to suit Ferguson tractor, TE 20 Ferguson with reduction gearbox, Chrighton whole stick harvester with or without tractor Ph: 0427 565 511. Mulgrave area.

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

1996 to 2004 Toft/Case 7000, wheeled cane harvester. Ph: 0420 600 943.

Austoft/Case wheel harvester 1995 to 2006 model – any area. Ph: 0417 193 385

4.5" Layflat hose in good condition. 200-250m. Ph: 0419 952 119

New Holland 8970 tractor suitable for wrecking. Contact 0419 710 280 or tctownley@bigpond.com

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

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

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

11-12ft roller – Herbert River area. Ph: 4776 1386

Crumble roller to suit Howard HR40 90" rotary hoe or two 50cm steel depth wheels. Ph: Alan 0467 786 464

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

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

PROPERTY – FOR SALE

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

288 acres 35 minutes south of Maryborough 200 acres under cane. Permanent creek with underground mains 4 bedroom timber home 12x9m shed with 3 phase power. Ph: 0407 398 852

2 Tableland farms 59.145ha and 23.395ha

9 (203.65 acres) on 4 titles Walkamin area. 304 megs Tinaroo irrigation water, 65ha CPA, 10ha avocado and mangos, 2 houses, sheds, machinery, center pivot and hard hose irrigator. Soil and climate suitable for vast array of other crops. Ph: 0439 951 110

PROPERTY WANTED

Farm to lease Calen area. Ph: 0408 190 493

Want to buy farm in Victoria Plains, Eton, Pleystowe area. Ph: 049 00 29 387.

Wanting to buy/lease cane farm. Close to Racecourse mill, Tekowai, Alexandra areas. Ph: 0438 545 251

Wanting to buy/lease cane farm in the Septimus area. Ph: 0417 607 722

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

WE’RE ON THE GROUND