Wilmar have announced that the 2021 season is well underway across all four of their milling regions with growers feeling optimistic about buoyant cane prices.
Wilmar Sugar, Australia’s largest raw sugar manufacturer, operates a total of eight mills throughout the Burdekin, Sarina, Proserpine and Herbert regions.
Canegrowers chairman Paul Schembri said the growing season had been variable so far, but things were looking positive.
“It’s been the most variable growing season I’ve witnessed with huge rain in the north, and drought conditions in the south, but the good news is that sugar prices are hitting $500 per tonne and we are feeling energised about our industry.”
While this is no industry record, canegrowers have welcomed the recent price rise with a renewed sense of optimism. The increase comes as world sugar prices begin to climb due to global supply issues.
This years total crop estimate for the Wilmar group is 15.29 million tonnes, slightly up on last years total throughput of 14.93 million tonnes.
The factories have currently processed about ten per cent of the total estimated crop, with the only draw backs so far being attributed to wet weather.
The Burdekin Mills were the first to kick off the season on June 8, followed closely by Plane Creek on June 15, and the Herbert on June 18, with Proserpine bringing up the tail on July 1.
The Burdekin Mills have so far processed 1.16 million tonnes of sugar cane with yield, weekly throughput and Commercial Cane Sugar all sitting above budget.
Plane Creek Mill at Sarina performed well in the first few weeks of crushing, processing 9.3 per cent of the regions total estimated crop. CCS levels are showing an encouraging upward trend.
Wet weather slowed things down for a short period of time at the Herbert mills, although things are back on track with the mills having processed 5.3 pc of the regions total estimated crop so far. CCS levels are also looking encouraging.
Proserpine finally got under way following some minor start up issues, with harvester drivers now making good tracks, receiving little impact from weather. They have processed 0.1pc of the regions total estimated crop, with CCS levels remaining comparable to the first week of the previous season.
CocoNutZ , a patented agricultural bio-manufacturing platform which seeks to diversify FNQ agriculture through producing a range of condiments using local sugar cane, has received a significant shot in the arm thanks to a Federal Government grant.
The Morrison Government is providing Mossman-based manufacturer CocoNutZ Australia with a grant of $1 million to increase its competitiveness and productivity while also helping support local jobs.
The grant is being delivered under round two of the Morrison Government’s Manufacturing Modernisation Fund which is providing grants totalling $55 million to 86 projects around Australia.
In November last year, Newsport quoted a Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority report stating that a $250,000 grant had been awarded to CocoNutZ Australia, who would commence their demonstration facility on the Mossman Mill site this year.
“The technology allows for production of Kecap Manis, a sweet soy sauce commonly used in Asian dishes, in Queensland at a lower cost than current market participants, while paying farmers more than a standard mill quality sugar cane.
“The CocoNutZ food facility, to be established alongside the Mossman Sugar Mill, will have the ability to process up to 20,000 tonnes of cane in the first year,” the report said.
Federal Leichhardt MP Warren Entsch congratulated CocoNutZ Australia and said the grant would help the business create greater efficiencies by transforming and upgrading their manufacturing operations.
“This grant will help CocoNutZ Australia to modernise its business and create new opportunities, including local job opportunities.
“It reflects well upon the quality of businesses in Far North Queensland as well as providing an example of what others can also achieve,” said Entsch.
CocoNutZ will replace coconut sugar in the manufacturing of Kecap Manis with its own bio-transformed sugar cane juice through its patented process, which aims to turn sugar cane juice into a natural coconut like sugar product. Demand for Kecap Manis, based on coconut sugar, is growing annually.
The project has created 12 new jobs including plant operators, laboratory analysists and microbiologists, and another six during construction and support a further three indirect jobs during its first phase of operations. During subsequent phases more jobs are likely to be created.
The community of Mossman has grown around the Mossman Mill over the last 120 years. It employs 90 people during the cane season, and 60 in the off-season, along with being the main customer for many supporting businesses in the area.
The CocoNutZ platform has been identified as a key diversifying strategy for the mill and the CocoNutZ food facility will be the first tenant of the planned Daintree Bio Precinct, an advanced manufacturing hub that will be co-located on the Mossman Sugar mill site.
High-tech drones are being used to survey maize crops in the State’s north for the new invasive pest, fall armyworm, to improve monitoring and provide an early warning detection tool for growers.
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) has joined with the Ord River District Co-operative (ORDCO) to survey six maize crops in the Ord River Irrigation Area during the growing season between May and September.
Fall armyworm was first detected in Kununurra in March 2020 and has since become established in Broome, Carnarvon and Gingin.
The voracious pest can cause significant production losses to grass crops, such as maize, sweet corn and sorghum and is known to feed on more than 350 plant species, including other grain, fodder, fruit and vegetable crops.
The first of four drone flights has been completed, while a second will occur mid-June backed up by pre and post-flight ground monitoring to verify the results.
DPIRD senior research scientist Helen Spafford is leading the project and said the images and data from the drones would provide scientists and growers with a better understanding of how fall armyworm behaved in northern conditions.
“The program is surveying six paddocks in the stage one and two and Packsaddle areas to assess the pest’s spread over time,” Dr Spafford said.
“The first flight in late May found that the drones and the software could pick up the characteristic feeding damage of young fall armyworm in young maize crops, which suggests that we can find these infestations early across large areas.
“We are interested in the data captured by the drones and whether it reveals any patterns in the relationship between fall armyworm colonisation and plant health in the field, which could aid management and control measures.
“The project is also using the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index, or NDVI, data collected from satellites to assess plant health in each paddock.”
The drones, which are flown 15 metres above the crop, capture high resolution images that are then run through processing algorithms to identify insect damage to leaves.
Dr Spafford said the drones could be useful to identify fall armyworm infestations early in the crop to aid control responses.
“The technology may be very useful to identify fall armyworm hot spots so growers and agronomists can make informed decisions about control measures before numbers build up and spread,” she said.
“This project provides a unique opportunity to prove up the use of drone technology to monitor invasive species, which could also be used for other pests, weeds and diseases.”
ORDCO senior agronomist Penny Goldsmith said the co-operative was pleased to be involved with the drone monitoring project, which she said could pave the way to improved crop protection and productivity.
“Drones could prove to be a useful addition to our control armoury to refine management strategies and protect crops more effectively, reduce control costs and adapt farming systems to optimise yields and profitability,” she said.
Treatments are available to control fall armyworm but they have limited effectiveness on some stages of larvae and high potential for resistance.
For more information about fall armyworm identification, management and surveillance visit the DPIRD website or view the department’s latest PestFax newsletter or the Grains Research and Development Corporation’s Fall armyworm portal.
Producers, agronomists and homeowners are reminded to report suspected armyworm damage to DPIRD’s Pest and Disease Information Service on 9368 3080, email padis@dpird.wa.gov.au or use the MyPestGuide Reporter app.
Mark Borellini, Breanna Pirlo, Chad Watson, and Steve Mackenzie, officially opening Proserpine Mills new store on June 17.
Wilmar Sugar has announced the opening of a new store building at its Proserpine Mill in the wake of the fire that tore through the old store and offices in 2020.
Officially opening for business earlier in June, construction of the two storey prefab building wrapped up in May, with Wilmar Sugar employees eagerly moving into their brand new offices last week.
The $2.8 million store building was constructed in a new location on site at the Proserpine Mill, and Wilmar Sugar general manager of purchasing, procurement and supply, Rohan Whitmee said the new location would improve vehicle access and traffic management.
Featuring a number of design improvements on its predecessor, Mr Whitmee said the new purpose-built facility would also house the site’s first aid room, a training room, and some extra offices and amenities.
Vesuvian contractor Jeff Arnold, and Wilmar reliability engineer, Laurie Johnson, outside Proserpine Mills new store building.
After working out of temporary store facilities for more than a year, Mr Whitmee said the store team were pleased to return to a permanent home.
“The site was without a permanent store for the best part of two maintenance seasons and one whole crushing season,” he said.
“Despite the many challenges that were presented, everyone on site worked well together to ensure there was no significant impact on operations.
“Its a credit to the whole Proserpine team.”
Proserpine Mill employee Breanna Pirlo busy at work in the newly opened store.
Wilmar held a site barbeque on June 17 to officially open the building, and welcome employees into the new facilities.
Proserpine Mill commenced its 2021 crushing season on June 29.
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.”
