Recent research into sugarcane harvesting has demonstrated that there is significant potential for the industry to ensure more sugar makes its way from the paddock and into the supply chain.
Through a range of research projects in recent years, it has been demonstrated that adjusting the way the industry operates its harvesters can put more valuable sugar into the supply chain – and not leave it in the paddock.
However, changing these practices costs money. Practice change involves a negotiation between the harvesting contractor and the farmer to make sure both sides of the equation are receiving a benefit.
SRA Agricultural Machinery Specialist, Phil Patane, explained that recovering more sugar from the paddock involves decisions such as practice change or making modifications to harvesters.
“Most of these changes involve a cost for the harvesting contractor, who need to look at their return on their investment for their business,” Mr Patane explained. “Changing practices can improve yield, but the grower and the contractor need to work out the sweet spot so that both can benefit.”
Now, that process will be made much easier through a new tool that is currently being developed by SRA and the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (Queensland) (DAF).
This tool is part of an investment partnership between DAF and SRA and it is using data collected through years of trials across the sugar industry and is being supported by in-depth economic data being collected and analysed by agricultural economists at DAF.
Once available, it will provide an online platform that helps growers and contractors look at the potential gains and cost implications of changing harvesting practice, including the impact on harvesting costs.
“If the project helps achieve increase adoption of improved harvesting practices by 40% during the life of the project, this would add 480,000 tonnes to the crop annually, worth at least $34.4m to the industry at current sugar prices,” Mr Patane said.
DAF agricultural economist Brendon Nothard said that the project will continue to provide a framework recognising that practice change presents different risks and rewards for different sectors in the value chain.
“The team will be testing the platform this season and are aiming for a more widespread rollout beginning in 2022 through to 2023.”
For more information a fact sheet has been developed on the project.
SRA acknowledges the funding contribution from the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries towards this research activity.
Today (Thursday July 1) marks ‘day one’ of an exciting era of sugarcane research, development and adoption (RD&A) investment for the Australian sugarcane industry, with Sugar Research Australia (SRA) officially commencing a new five-year Strategic Plan.
SRA CEO Roslyn Baker said that the Strategic Plan 2021-2026 had been developed with extensive consultation and feedback over the last 18 months and had culminated in a new plan built on five specific pillars of value.
These pillars are: strong foundations, a high-performing research portfolio, translation expertise, world-class sugarcane varieties, and commercial benefits and rewards.
“By focusing on these five strategic pillars, we have created a new direction for SRA that puts the company in the best possible position to deliver on our new vision,” she said.
SRA’s new vision is to be: A trusted partner, shaping the future prosperity of the Australian sugarcane industry and regional communities through innovation and ingenuity.
“This plan represents the biggest transformation of SRA since the company began operation in 2013,” Ms Baker said.
“Our plan is a growth strategy for research and development for the sugar industry. We are focused on delivering immediate value by providing valuable industry services, while also ensuring long-term sustainability and outcomes through re-invigorating the research investment portfolio and focusing on potential commercial opportunities.”
SRA’s new strategy will:
Support a portfolio approach to investment in RD&A to ensure a balance of investments that address both the current-day productivity and sustainability constraints for the industry, while anticipating the future opportunities and challenges ahead.
Leverage SRA’s internal research capability and regional footprint to increase the awareness and use of research knowledge to improve regional productivity and sustainability, facilitate regional collaboration and partnerships, and boost co-investment opportunities.
Continue to evolve and modernise our world-class sugarcane variety development program to meet the current and future needs of the industry.
Strategically invest in innovative crop protection that uses new science and technology so that the Australian sugarcane industry can lead the world, and exceed community expectations, in protecting our precious natural environment.
Ms Baker said she was grateful for the industry support and guidance for the development of the plan, as well as strong support from the SRA staff and Board.
“We have reshaped SRA to deliver the best bang for the buck when it comes to the investment that our government and industry stakeholders make in SRA,” she said. “We have also aligned our new plan strongly with the innovation agendas being targeted by the Australian and Queensland Governments.
“We look forward to talking with all of SRA’s partners and investors in coming weeks and months about our new strategic direction and how we can all work together to achieve the best possible outcomes for the industry.”
Australia’s sugar, pineapple, mango, and coconut oil industries are facing a major threat from a destructive pest beetle sitting on the nation’s doorstep.
The coconut rhinoceros beetle has bulldozed its way across the Pacific in just a few years and is now in Papua New Guinea, University of Queensland researcher Dr Kayvan Etebari warned.
“If it gets into Australia, coconut oil palms and many other palms found in the forest and in home gardens will be at risk,” Dr Etebari said.
“If it gets into Australia, coconut oil palms and many other palms found in the forest and in home gardens will be at risk,” Dr Etebari said.
Dr Etebari said the fall armyworm came down the island chain from PNG.
“Last week it got into Tasmania,” he said.
The coconut rhinoceros beetle, a native of South-East Asia, has been in Samoa, Fiji, and Tonga for a century, but was successfully controlled by a virus for the past 50 years.
However, that biological control is now failing.
Stone’s throw away
Central Queensland horticulturalist Neil Fisher has been watching with growing concern the beetle’s rapid march from the South Pacific across to Guam and Hawaii to Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Solomon Islands.
“The move through Papua New Guinea has been quite swift and we’ve seen large-scale coconut plantations and oil palm plantations being destroyed,” he said.
“Our border security is the Torres Strait and it’s only a matter of kilometres, just a stone’s throw from Papua New Guinea into north Queensland.”
The coconut rhinoceros beetle was stopped in its tracks by a virus introduced 50 years ago, and it stayed put — until now.(Supplied: Forest and Kim Starr)
Councillor Fisher, who is also the deputy mayor of the Rockhampton Regional Council, said it was a concern shared with council colleagues in Cairns.
“There are miles of coconut-lined beaches to the north of Cairns and to lose those would see erosion coming back. You could lose two or three kilometres of actual shoreline,” Cr Fisher said.
The beetle causes damage by boring into the plant’s stem and feeding on the sap, damaging the developing leaves.
The plant will then be defoliated and will die during a heavy infestation.
The beetle lays eggs in decaying matter and then moves on.
“We knew it was a risk, but it wasn’t until it got into large horticulture and agriculture areas in Hawaii that suddenly the red flags went up,” Cr Fisher said.
He said Hawaii had similar horticulture and plant culture to Australia.
On top of the obvious economic threat to the country’s $2 billion sugar industry and $53 million pineapple industry, Cr Fisher said the beetle could pose a threat to other plants.
“If it’s in pineapples, what about bromeliads? It’s an up-and-coming collector choice for gardeners. And if it can get into sugar cane, what is the risk to other canes and bamboos?” he said.
Cr Fisher said it was important to work with universities to find a new biological control to keep the insect at bay.
COVID-19 similarities
Dr Etebari and his team at UQ are studying why the virus is no longer controlling the beetle and their findings would be critical to managing the pest if it got a foothold in Australia.
“The question is how do we stop it? And what’s gone wrong with the control that’s been effective for the past five decades?” Dr Etebari said.
The researchers discovered that there have been several new waves of beetle invasions, not one as previously thought, as well as different types of beetles.
They also found there were variations to the beetle virus which was originally sourced from Malaysia.
“It’s similar to how other scientists spot different strains of COVID-19. We are detecting variations in the beetle virus in the Pacific,” Dr Etebari said.
“In our case the problem is more complicated because there are different types of beetles and different strains of the beetle virus.”
Their next step was finding out how the virus variations behaved in the different beetles and how that could be used to control them.
Dr Etebari said it was important for Australia to help its Pacific neighbours to tackle the pest, not just for economic reasons, but also humanitarian.
“It’s a serious threat to livelihoods across the Pacific islands as the coconut tree provides essential resources like food, copra, building material, and the coastal protection for more than five million vulnerable people,” he said.
A Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment spokesperson said it was working with biosecurity counterparts in PNG and Solomon Islands to track and monitor the spread of the new beetle strain.
The department was also actively monitoring the spread of the beetle strains through PNG, particularly in the Western Province and PNG Treaty Village areas bordering Australia’s northern Torres Strait Islands.
The spokesperson said the department was also supporting regional initiatives that were dealing with the coconut rhinoceros beetle.
Joint media release with: The Hon. Scott Morrison MP, Prime Minister
15 June 2021
A new free trade agreement with the UK will deliver more Australian jobs and business opportunities for exporters, bringing both countries closer together in a changing strategic environment.
Prime Ministers Scott Morrison and Boris Johnson have agreed on the broad outlines of an Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
The FTA is the right deal for Australia and the United Kingdom, with greater access to a range of high-quality products made in both countries as well as greater access for businesses and workers, all of which will drive economic growth and job creation in both countries.
Australian producers and farmers will receive a significant boost by getting greater access to the UK market.
Australian consumers will benefit from cheaper products, with all tariffs eliminated within five years, and tariffs on cars, whisky, and the UK’s other main exports eliminated immediately.
The UK will liberalise Australian imports with 99 per cent of Australian goods, including Australian wine and short and medium grain milled rice, entering the UK duty free when the agreement enters into force.
Beef tariffs will be eliminated after ten years. During the transition period, Australia will have immediate access to a duty-free quota of 35,000 tonnes, rising in equal instalments to 110,000 tonnes in year 10.
In the subsequent five years a safeguard will apply on beef imports exceeding a further volume threshold rising in equal instalments to 170,000 tonnes, levying a tariff safeguard duty of 20 per cent for the rest of the calendar year.
Sheep meat tariffs will be eliminated after ten years. During the transition period, Australia will have immediate access to a duty-free quota of 25,000 tonnes, rising in equal instalments to 75,000 tonnes in year 10. In the subsequent five years a safeguard will apply on sheep meat imports exceeding a further volume threshold rising in equal instalments to 125,000 tonnes, levying a tariff safeguard duty of 20 per cent for the rest of the calendar year.
Sugar tariffs will be eliminated over eight years. During the transition period, Australia will have immediate access to a duty-free quota of 80,000 tonnes, rising by 20,000 tonnes each year.
Dairy tariffs will be eliminated over five years. During the transition period, Australia will have immediate access to a duty-free quota for cheese of 24,000 tonnes, rising in equal instalments to 48,000 tonnes in year five. Australia will also have immediate access to a duty-free quota for non-cheese dairy of 20,000 tonnes.
Working Holiday Visa makers in the UK will get expanded rights and will now be able to stay for three years with an increased cut off age of 35.
Professionals will benefit from provisions to support mutual recognition of qualifications and greater certainty for skilled professionals entering the UK labour market.
This ambitious bilateral free trade agreement will help pave the way for the UK’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
The two countries will now finalise the text, and carry out the domestic processes required to enable signature and the subsequent entry into force of the FTA.
