The NR Times Rural News
November 9, 2023
36 RURAL NEWS
Another Tough Season Ends with High Hopes for the Next The sugarcane crushing season has come to end with the Broadwater mill crushing the last of the 2023 crop. The last bin was tipped at 3.45pm on Friday 3rd November, which took the annual crop for the Richmond River to 307,546 tonnes. The Harwood sugar mill was the first to finish the year after crushing 404,799 tonnes of cane by 2.30am on Monday 23rd of October. At Condong the mill finished crushing for the season on Thursday 2nd November at 10:21am, having crushed a total of 398,760 tonnes. The 2023 season has been another year of mixed emotions as the region continues to work through crop recovery and decreased sugar supply. Whilst a lengthy dry period made for ideal harvesting conditions and encouraged higher than average CCS (sugar
content) across all areas, it also created drier than ideal conditions for early planting. The dry did delay planting of new crops for some growers keen to boost their production area and take advantage of the record high prices on offer. The rain that came in late October and early November, however, has provided a promising injection of moisture for both the ratoon crops and new plantings. Sunshine Sugar CEO Mr Chris Connors said, “The positive outlook for sugar prices is playing a key role in sustaining the NSW sugar industry as it continues to rebuild from the flood events of 2022.” “Whilst the 2023 season was a short one, we were prepared for it and had put measures in place to safeguard and support our growers and our business. We did this by supplementing our
raw sugar stocks with supply from Queensland to maintain production in our refinery, which in turn has enabled us to maintain sales to our domestic customers.” Looking ahead, more crops are coming online as growers replant, and in some cases, expand their cropping area. As such, the three local sugar mills expect to see a much longer season next year as these new crops come online. The NSW sugar indsutry has a track record spanning more than 150 years. The resilience demonstrated by local sugarcane growers and the industry as a whole continues to resonate across the Northern Rivers as increased production and higher prices see the industry go from strength to strength and demonstrate its ongoing capacity to generate jobs and income into the future.
Marquis Macadamias’ Historic Entry into India Celebrated at Australian Macadamia Festival in Mumbai Marquis Macadamias, a prominent name in the global macadamia industry, announces a historic achievement with its first shipment of macadamias to India under the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA). The inaugural shipment arrived in India just in time for the Australian Macadamia Festival, held from September 30 to October 14 in Mumbai, where Marquis Macadamias played a pivotal role as a key supplier. “We were delighted to be a supplier of the Australian Macadamia Festival”, stated Claudia Lordao, Marketing Manager at Marquis Macadamias. “We firmly believe this marks the beginning of an exciting journey in India.” The Australian Macadamia Festival, organised by the Australian Macadamia Society, was a two-week culinary celebration that showcased the rich history, culture, and flavours of Australian macadamias to the Indian audience. The event featured collaborations with skilled chefs from popular local restaurants,
engaging Indian media, chefs, food bloggers, social media influencers and trade partners. The immersive experience aimed to position Australian macadamias as a beloved and highly sought-after nut in the Indian market. Funding for the Festival was provided under the Queensland Government’s Food and Fibre to Market: Industry Partnerships program, highlighting the importance of government support in promoting international trade. “Our first shipment of macadamia products is now gracing the shelves of select Indian stores. Witnessing the genuine interest and appreciation for our macadamias was truly special. Marquis is confident that our small,
nutrient-packed nuts will soon find a permanent place in the hearts and pantries of Indian consumers.” “This milestone event marks a significant step in the Australian macadamia industry’s expansion into the Indian market and Marquis Macadamias looks forward to building a strong presence and establishing itself as a leading supplier of premium Australian macadamias in India”, conludes Mrs Lordao. The Marquis Group is 100% grower-owned, processing over 34,000 tonnes per annum through Marquis Macadamias Australia and Marquis Macadamias Africa. Both regions are significantly ramping up capacity over the coming years.
NFF calls on crossbenchers to vote against Basin Plan rewrite As legislation to rewrite the Murray Darling Basin Plan is debated in the House of Representatives this week, farmers are calling on members of the crossbench to reject the Bill. NFF Water Committee Chair Malcolm Holm said Parliament had a chance to force the Government back to the table to restore consensus. “The bill is poorly
constructed and raises more concerns than it solves. It tears up the plan agreed by environmental experts and communities. “It terminates bipartisan support for the Plan. It’s lost the support of the states, and it’s lost the support of community and farming groups who have always backed the Plan in good faith.” The NFF said the Government needed
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to do its homework on options to improve river health before asking Parliament to sign a blank cheque on buybacks. “We all want healthy rivers. But there are smart, cost effective interventions the Government can make to get the outcomes we all want. “Things like carp eradication, fish breeding programs, bank restoration and better wetland management could be done without shutting down a single farm. “Options to directly invest in outcomes, as well as water efficiency measures, are sitting on the Minister’s desk. If we’re going to fundamentally rewrite the plan these complementary measures should be counted if it’s a genuine attempt to meet strategic environmental outcomes. “The Government has decided that listening to local knowledge
holders and bringing communities along is too burdensome. Instead they’re trying to bulldoze through with a plan to remove socioeconomic protections from the Plan, so they can pursue unlimited and unnecessary buybacks. “We know from Victorian Government modelling that this will cost up to 1,500 jobs and shave $855 million off farm output. That’s devastating for these small communities, and it’s a price every Australian will
ultimately pay at the supermarket checkout. “To ask Parliament to sign a blank cheque for the Minister to shut down farms, squeeze supply and push up food prices, when there’s been no regulatory impact assessment, no consultation with communities, and no assessment of the alternatives is just so irresponsible. “What this bill does is make our supply chains more vulnerable. Supermarket shelves were empty during
COVID. Right now we’re facing the prospect of milk shortages. Once you take farms offline there’s no bringing them back, that’s the permanent impacts of buybacks. “We’ve not even seen details on how communities would be supported through this painful exercise – just vague platitudes. “No politician should want to be remembered for supporting this Bill,” Mr Holm concluded.
