SECTION 2
AREA ROUNDUP Th is se c t i o n brou g ht t o y o u i n as soci a t i o n wi t h
Nordzucker acquired a 70 per cent controlling interest in the share capital of Mackay Sugar through an investment of $60 million in equity and the provision of a shareholder loan of up to $60 million to the company. This followed an 18-month long worldwide search by Mackay Sugar to find a partner to invest in the business and improve milling performance. A shareholder meeting to vote on the transaction was held on Monday, July 29, 2019 at which the shareholders of Mackay Sugar overwhelmingly voted to support the deal. July saw falls of rain that ranged from 40 mm to over 200 mm across the district. These falls brought harvesting to a stop for a short time. But this supported maintaining the crop estimate and provided favourable conditions for planting and ratoons.
October–November 2019 The past year has seen the ownership of Mackay Sugar take a new change moving into the future. After a difficult period in recent times, Nordzucker became 70 per cent owners after Mackay Sugar Shareholders and Growers voted to accept the offer. This offer deals with debt and a recapitalization plan to improve the milling performance and lead to improved crop production. This investment will allow the local industry to have the confidence going forward. The full Board of Mackay Sugar is Michael Gerloff Chairman, Sven Buhrmann, Frank Knaelmann, Mark Day, Maurie Maughan, Paul Manning Deputy Chairman, Lee Blackburn and George Williams MSL General Manager is Jannik Robin OLejas from Denmark who has relocated to Mackay. By the end of the year there will be five Nordzucker staff relocated to live permanently in Mackay. The Nordzucker Group, based in Braunschweig, Germany, is one of the leading sugar manufacturers in Europe, with 18
production and refinery facilities producing up to 2.7 million tonnes of refined sugar annually. The Group also processes sugar beet into bioethanol and animal feed. Sustainability along the entire value chain is a top priority for the company. Nordzucker has approximately 3,200 employees producing its products and services to provide a strong foundation for further growth. The last six months didn’t give the crop for this year a very good start with very small amounts of rain. To date CCS has been a little below expectation. It is believed that the disease YCS is affecting the crops. All sectors of the industry are looking for a resolution of the issue. The RSSA with QSL was concluded twelve months early. This allowed growers to choose their marketer for GEI sugar for the 2019 season. The choice was Mackay Sugars marketer QCS or QSL. Growers could supply to which ever marketer they chose. Also, growers could apply a percentage to either marketer. QCS have engaged Arthur Douglas to support growers in supporting their choice. Arthur has several years of experience in Agricultural Banking. QSL have a team of support for their marketing options led by Cathy Kelly
CENTRAL REGION 2018 HARVEST SUMMARY Mill area Tonnes Tonnes per Average hectare CCS Proserpine 1,561,592 73.5 14.95 Mackay Sugar 4,672,633 67.3 13.96 Mills Plane Creek 1,142,588 66.0 14.73 Central Region production: 7,376,810 tonnes
Southern Region O By Michael Hetherington, Southern Director Summer 2018–19 Whilst ISIS Central region recorded the lowest January rainfall since 1958 other places up North were experiencing/suffering record rainfall. Cane crops in the Southern region, when irrigated, were looking very good. An early cut in 2018 and then the December 2018 rainfall gave ratoons a good start. Irrigation kept them rolling – the efficacy of booms and pivots was obvious. Windy conditions were making the ‘old school’ travelling irrigators struggle. The cost of operating irrigators is high but it’s also unavoidable. The corners where the winch didn’t reach were a grim reminder of what life before irrigation was like.
Autumn 2019 Now full steam ahead at the Mackay mills with Nordzucker on board.
22 — AUSTRALIAN SUGARCANE ANNUAL 2019
There were haves and have nots in the Wide Bay farming area. The haves – up to 150 mm
