Industry News
How soil research renaissance will have on-farm impacts
Soil science is in the midst of a research renaissance, as scientists and farmers alike dig deeper into the depths of the precious resource. The Soil Cooperative Research Centre has announced $7 million for 12 new projects, which all have potential on-farm applications. The projects range from...
Wilmar feeding extra electricity into grid after Callide explosion
North Queensland's sugar industry has fired up the turbines to bolster Queensland's reduced power supplies in the wake of the Callide Power Station explosion. Wilmar Sugar are no strangers when it comes to generating electricity; the company's mills are self-sufficient and produce about 620,000...
Tully’s Stuart Gilbert crowned Australian Hand Cane Cutting Champion at 2021 Sweet Days, Hot Nights Festival
The 2021 Sweet Days, Hot Nights Festival welcomed more than 6000 visitors, held over three events to celebrate the start of the Burdekin sugar cane crushing season. More than 2000 people attended the first cane fire of the season at the Home Hill Showgrounds on the Thursday night, kicking off the...
Sweet Days, Hot Nights festival kick starts Burdekin’s sugar cane crushing season
The 2021 Sweet Days, Hot Nights Festival kicked off an earnest in the Burdekin, with more than 2,000 people attending the First Fire at the Home Hill Showgrounds on Thursday night. The signature event marked the start of Burdekin Shire's annual sugar cane crushing season, with the first crop of...
Sunny Season Ahead
The NSW Sugar industry will kick off the 2021 crushing season with an outlook that can only be describedas sunny.The three sugar mills across the Northern Rivers; at Condong, Broadwater and Harwood; will fire intoaction from the 8th of June, following an intensive off-season maintenance...
Qld cane crush on track for 30 milllion tonnes
Queensland's cane crop is now tipped to reach almost 30 million tonnes, with the 2021 harvest and crush to start next week. Australian Sugar Milling Council chief executive officer David Pietsch said 29.96mt was expected, exceeding the 29.33mt crush in 2020. Queensland's sugar mills manufactured...
Burdekin trial to compost aquatic weeds and improve soil health
Weeds by definition are undesirable, but Burdekin cane growers are using the unwanted plants to their benefit. Working with the NQ Dry Tropics Waterways, Wetlands and Coasts team, five farmers are turning aquatic weeds sourced from local creeks into compostto improve soil health and crop Soil Land...
Calls to cut red tape around sugarcane industry
Government red tape needs to be slashed to increase Australia's sugar production, with canegrowers and millers alike calling for a reduction of regulations. The Australian Sugar Milling Council and Canegrowers have both taken aim at Queensland government red tape in recent days, with ASMC focusing...
Future Drought Fund investments for Queensland
Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management David Littleproud and QLD Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries and Minister for Rural Communities Mark Furner said the Future Drought Fund programs will support farmers and regions to build resilience to future...
Notice of ACFA’s 2021 AGM
The 2021 ACFA AGM will be held: Wednesday, 16 June 2021 Boardroom, Level 3, 183 North Quay, Brisbane, QLD 4000 Meeting Commencing at 9:00am BUSINESS Consideration of the financial statements;Board remuneration, andReappointment of the Auditor Any other business that may be properly brought before...
Is genetically modified corn the answer to fall armyworm?
It's a tiny caterpillar that's difficult to detect, but for more than a year it's been having a massive impact on crops in Australia, especially corn. Fall armyworm (FAW) has infiltrated six states and territories and is so hard to control farmers are whispering about a method that's been...
North Queensland farmer and soil health advocate remembered as visionary for sustainable farming
The Herbert River farming region is pausing to remember a "trailblazing" farming veteran who died last week in North Queensland, aged 81. The son of Finnish immigrants, Matti Kangas lived on the same farm at Abergowrie, 130 kilometres north-west of Townsville, for 72 years. He dedicated the...
Millers say red tape limiting sugar’s growth
AUSTRALIA's sugar production could be significantly increased to create jobs, generate better economic outcomes, and produce cleaner energy if government red tape was reduced. That's according to the Australian Sugar Milling Council, which has delivered a comprehensive case to the Queensland...
The Sugarcane Industry Sweet for Safety
Pro-Visual Publishing and their partnering industry associations have released the annual AugmentedReality (AR) Educational Safety Guide for sugarcane farmers, a free wall poster designed to displayyear-round to use with your phone, or other smart device, to view augmented content alongside...
Lifelong rum passion pays off
A desire to make a truly 100 per cent Australian owned, Australian made spirit, utilising quality Australian grown ingredients has proven its worth with the products winning major international awards. From being a dream for a 15-year-old Dampier boy, to a realisation 18 years down the track, the...
Water allocation uncertainty swirls around Paradise Dam, sparking mental health fears
Bundaberg irrigators have gone from having one of the most secure water sources in the country to one of the most unreliable, sparking mental health concerns. Cane farmer Judy Plath said growers in the Burnett River Scheme were struggling because of decisions about Paradise Dam and water...
Sugar price spike benefits NSW growers thanks to forward thinking
Global sugar prices as recorded on the Intercontinental Exchange have leapt past US 17 cents a pound, much more than predicted a year ago due to rising demand while drought affected Thai production will effectively give NSW growers a premium above the ICE 11 price. They can now expect up to $38 a...
Can sugarcane create jet fuel?
A groundbreaking study investigating the growth of selected varieties of sugarcane to convert into high-performance jet fuel is underway at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resource Management (CAFNRM). Utilizing advanced...
Australia’s oldest sugar mill gets a spoonful of new
Ahrens achieve ‘sweet’ success for Sunshine Sugar with the completion of a new expansive warehouse, helping them accommodate for the future. Ahrens partnered with Sunshine Sugar, the only 100% Australian grown, made and owned sugar manufacturer, to create an expansive facility that not only ticked...
Transport hub adds to Oreco growth
Oreco Group’s reputation as a developing mega business for the Bundaberg Region has been further enhanced with the pending finalisation of a 6000 square metre transport hub. Located adjacent to the Isis Central Sugar Mill near Childers, Oreco is Australia’s largest producer of a range of...