Industry News
Labor, LNP and Australian Party promise cheaper water for Queensland farmers ahead of election
Bipartisan support has been given for cheaper water prices as the Queensland state election race enters the home stretch. Labor joined the party to announce a 15 per cent reduction in water charges for farmers accessing the state-owned irrigation schemes, and half-price water specifically for...
Sugar industry scholarships
A scholarship that gives university students the chance to complete work placements at several Australian sugar mills has given Kristen Nel a stepping stone into a career with the nation's largest sugar miller. Ms Nel commenced work as the process improvement engineer at Wilmar's Invicta Mill in...
Fall armyworm update
Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) has been detected in several new locations in southern and southwestern Queensland over the past week, at the Lockyer Valley, St George and Chinchilla. This follows the recent detection of fall armyworm in northern New South Wales at Moree and Boggabilla...
Election puts grower interests in safe hands
CANEGROWERS says growers have a strong voice in an important role following the election of Babinda sugarcane grower and CANEGROWERS Cairns Region Chairman Stephen Calcagno to the Board of Sugar Terminals Limited (STL). Mr Calcagno has been confirmed as the replacement for retiring director and...
Power price positive step but big issues remain
Sugarcane farmers’ group CANEGROWERS has welcomed as a win a new option to help Queensland irrigators manage high electricity costs but says more work is needed to fix all the issues in the power pricing system. “The confirmation from the Queensland Competition Authority that a new control load...
New T34 electricity tariff cuts irrigation costs
Farmers say a newly announced electricity tariff will help irrigators better manage high energy costs, but says more work is needed to fix all the issues in the power pricing system. The Queensland Competition Authority confirmed this week that the new control load tariff T34 would be available as...
Sugarcane to hydrogen investigated
Final-year chemical engineering students at The University of Queensland are investigating how sugarcane can be used as a clean energy source to create hydrogen. Professor Damien Batstone said bagasse and other agricultural residues were an abundant resource that could generate “green” or...
Queensland farmers to be paid “reef credits” to reduce coral-killing pollutants
A new market mechanism designed to reduce the impacts of pollution on the Great Barrier Reef has been kick-started with banking giant HSBC and the Queensland government announced as the first buyers of so-called “‘reef credits”. These new “‘reef credits’ are the creation of environmental traders...
Bundaberg Sugar announces closure of 135-year-old Bingera sugar mill following low cane supply
The Bingera sugar mill near Bundaberg will not crush again as the mill operator Bundaberg Sugar Limited (BSL) says it will close the site this year. Chief executive Guy Basile said BSL was streamlining its operation to just its Millaquin mill in Bundaberg. "One thing has become clear; the...
QSL 2020 AGM
Queensland Sugar Limited held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Brisbane this morning, with those in attendance joined by participants dialling in via video conference for the first time. QSL Chairman Guy Cowan said the inaugural hybrid AGM format was reflective of the changed world ushered...
Retirement prompts role changes
Queensland Sugar Limited’s Chief Operating Officer, Robert Hines, will retire from the business as of Friday 30 October 2020. QSL Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Greg Beashel said Mr Hines had been with QSL for nearly eight years, including four years as Chief Financial Officer, and...
Canegrowers demand action ahead of state election
Vision and zeal in government policy is required for Queensland's billion dollar sugar industry to reach its full potential. The industry's peak lobby group Canegrowers is calling on the next state government to deliver reforms that will allow the industry to prosper. Canegrowers chair Paul...
Reef regulations ‘blunt force’ say dissenting LNP senators
The Palaszczuk government's 2019 regulations claimed to protect the Great Barrier Reef from farming activities have been condemned as a destructive, 'blunt force' policy approach. In handing down their minority dissenting report today (Friday), the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs Committee's LNP...
Fall armyworm makes it to NSW
Destructive agricultural pest fall armyworm is continuing its march south and has been detected for the first time in northern NSW. A single fall armyworm moth was trapped near a sorghum crop between Moree and Boggabilla during routine surveillance by NSW Department of Primary Industries and Local...
QSL: 2020 Annual General Meeting
Queensland Sugar Limited will hold its 2020 Annual General Meeting (AGM) at 10am on Friday 23 October 2020 at the Christie Conference Centre, 320 Adelaide Street, Brisbane. QSL Chairman Guy Cowan and QSL Managing Director and CEO Greg Beashel will both address the meeting. Due to social...
Research targets bigger profits for canegrowers
Sugarcane growers in the Bundaberg region could soon be increasing their productivity and profitability thanks to researchers from the University of Southern Queensland. After a bittersweet start to the year – with farmers batting drought and heavy rain – irrigation experts are teaming up with...
Plant Biosecurity Research Initiative Podcast: Fall Armyworm
The first series of PBRI Podcasts is on fall armyworm. It explores the experiences and observations of experts from around the globe and here in Australia as we prepare to take on this invasive pest. Throughout the series, host Chris Brown delves into the biology and behaviour of fall armyworm and...
Election plan to unleash sugarcane industry’s potential
CANEGROWERS has outlined an eight-point plan to the parties contesting the Queensland Election saying it will secure a sustainable, profitable and productive future for sugarcane growers, regional communities and the state economy. “We’re working harder and smarter and the next Queensland...
On-farm Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate Scheme
On 2 October 2020, the Australian Government announced an additional $50 million of funding for the expansion of the On-farm Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate Scheme in 2020-21.The roll-out of the expanded Scheme is currently being negotiated with all states and territories, including...
Burdekin voters concerned about irrigation water pricing
Irrigation water pricing is shaping up to a big issue on voting day for farmers in the marginal electorate of Burdekin. The Australian Sugar Milling Council commissioned a poll of 537 voters in the electorate, conducted late last week, which found three-quarters of voters agree the state...