Frightened

Wet Tropic Times | 25 Growers acknowledged at Innisfail and Babinda Cane Productivity awards for 2020 season.

Innisfail and Babinda Cane Productivity Services Board members with the cake.

MARIA GIRGENTI

THE efforts of the Innisfail Babinda region’s outstanding canegrowers were recently recognised at the Innisfail Babinda Cane Productivity Services’ (IBCPS) Annual Productivity Awards function held at Warrina Lakes, Innisfail. “With over 200 growers, their families, and industry representatives attending the combined productivity awards, the evening was a great success,” commented IBCPS Manager, Bianca Spannagle.

Special guests on the night included the Member for Hill Shane Knuth.

Across the IBCPS Mill area from Fishery Falls to Feluga, there are now 12 mill productivity zones. Zone Award winners were conferred based on amount of tonnes sugar produced per hectare in the 2020 season.

Zone winners were as follows: Zone 1: Nielsen LJ and CH; Zone 2: Sacchetti AG and SJ; Zone 3: Gatti S and F; Zone 4: McAvoy MJ and PE; Zone 5: Tirra Pty Ltd; Zone 6: Angelini P, Mrs E and Ms R; Zone 7: Calleja J and L; Zone 8: Berryman DR, ML, WJ and MS; Zone 9: Crystalbrook Station; Zone 10: Pappalardo J; Zone 11: D’Urso Farming and Zone 12: MSF Sugar.

The overall highest CCS Award, sponsored by Bendigo Community Bank Babinda, went to MSF Sugar farms, Silkwood, with a relative Commercial Cane Sugar (CCS) of 15.11.

The highest tonnes cane per hectare award winner was Berryman DR, ML, WJ, and MS cutting 111.64 TCH.

The Berryman family started farming in 1952 on virgin land cleared by William’s grandfather, Eric, and his father, Don, with William a third-generation farmer. Don moved from rural New South Wales and wanted to continue farming, so he started his own farm, and William joined in his early 20s and, together, they expanded the operation. William felt he had won a Zone Award this year due to “hard work and a little bit of luck with the weather.”

The Charlie Zappala Outstanding Grower Award and Grand Champion for the 2020 season was awarded to Berryman DMW and M for producing the highest percentage yield (TSH) above the district average (140%). The runner up was Angelini P, Mrs E and Mrs R, with 136% above the district average.

The Angelini family started farming in 1966 on 100 acres of virgin scrub, clearing the land, and planting five acres of seed cane to propagate in 1967. Peter stated that he has a genuine love and interest in his work, does it with pride, and, from an early age, had good teaching by his ancestors.

“They showed me how to respect and treat soil with loving care to produce a crop.”

“The success of the evening was due to the generous sponsorship, and most importantly our growers’ support,” advised Bianca Spannagle.

The Board and staff of IBCPS especially wished to thank all the local suppliers and sponsors, in particular Miriwinni Lime, QSL, Bendigo Community Bank Babinda, SRA, Incitec Pivot, Honeycombes Innisfail, LiquaForce, New Holland, NQAS Innisfail, CASE, QUBE, and MSF Sugar.

IBCPS Chairman, Steven Bonso, with Zone 3 (Babinda Central) winners, Frank and Steve Gatti. Steven Bonso with Zone 7 (South Johnstone) winners Jim and Lorrain Calleja.