History
The CANEGROWERS organisation has a lengthy history of achievement on behalf of Queensland cane farming families.
The organisation was formally constituted in 1925 and restructured in 1926 although the need for a body to exclusively represent the interests of sugarcane growers was recognised at least 15 years earlier.
The passing of the miller plantation system and the opening of new lands by small farmers along Queensland’s coast was an era of struggle and heartbreak as well as achievement. Discontent among small farmers at their treatment by large mill owners prompted talk of forming a growers-only body to protect their interests.
In 1906 the Townsville Chamber of Commerce convened a meeting of farmers, millers and miller planters that resulted in the formation of the now defunct Australian Sugar Producers Association (ASPA). It soon became apparent that the miller-grower membership would prevent ASPA from siding with growers in disputes with mill owners. Consequently, growers began advocating ‘the urgent need for some representative body which would be able to speak with a voice of authority’ on behalf of growers. Groups of growers began forming representative bodies for small farmers.
In 1909, growers from Cairns, Mackay, Bundaberg, Isis, Maryborough and Northern New South Wales met in Bundaberg for the first conference of the Sugar Cane Growers Union of Australia. Although the fledgling organisation did not flourish, the seeds were sown for a strong organisation to represent cane growers exclusively. That dream became a reality on 14 December 1914 in Mackay when the United Cane Growers Association (UCGA) was formed at a meeting convened by the Pioneer River Farmers Association.
The UCGA expanded rapidly throughout the industry. An office was established in Brisbane in 1918 and the first General Secretary appointed.
In September that year 1918 the UCGA appointed the Producer’s Review (forerunner to Australian Canegrower) as its official journal. Annual Conferences were held from 1916 to 1927 when the organisation was disbanded following establishment in 1926 under Queensland Government legislation of a new growers’ organisation - now known as CANEGROWERS.
The Government moved to establish CANEGROWERS and other similar bodies because of the poor state of Queensland agriculture after World War I. Although there was great potential for rural expansion, poor organisation of production and marketing was restricting progress. The Government concluded that unified organisation and representation of primary producers was essential to establish prosperous rural industries.
In March 1922, Premier EG Theodore announced a scheme for the complete re-organisation of agriculture to kick-start rural expansion as the engine of State economic and population growth.
A provisional Council of Agriculture was constituted, comprising representatives of government and the dairying, cane growing, fruit growing, wheat and general agricultural industries. In 1925, Local Producers Associations were organised on a commodity basis for the various industries. The Queensland Cane Growers Council (QCGC), District Executives and Mill Suppliers’ Committees were constituted for the sugar industry.
The original legislation was superceded in 1926 by the Primary Producers Organisation and Marketing Act which established the CANEGROWERS Council, District Executives and Mill Suppliers Committees in a form which would last for nearly 75 years. The Act also formed marketing boards for other rural industries.
The first meeting of the Queensland Cane Growers Council was held in The Boys’ School, Mackay, on 21 January 1926, presided over by President of the Council of Agriculture, Hon. W.Forgan Smith. First Annual Conference of the Queensland Cane Growers Association was held in Mackay in March 1927 chaired by George Johnson who served as QCGC Chairman from 1926 to 1946.
Chronology
1788 First Fleet brings sugarcane to Australia.
1821 Unsuccessful attempts begin to grow sugarcane commercially at Port Macquarie, NSW.
1828 Cane plants grown in Brisbane Botanical Gardens,
1842 First sugar refinery built in Sydney to refine imported sugar.
1862 Capt. Louis Hope and John Buhot establish sugarcane plantation at Ormiston near Brisbane and makes first granulated sugar from cane.
1864 Hope operates Australia’s first commercial sugar mill. The following year he introduces island labourers (Kanakas) to his Ormiston Plantation.
1870 Colonial Sugar Refining Company (now CSR Ltd) introduces system of large central sugar mills, supplied with cane by independent farmers, in northern New South Wales.
1885 Many small sugar mills close due to depressed state of sugar industry.
1888 First cooperative central mill opens in Queensland; first mechanical cane harvester patented in Brisbane.
1890 World’s first mechanical cane harvester built in Bundaberg.
1895 700 tonnes of Australian raw sugar exported to Canada.
1901 Protective import duties placed on sugar; Federal Government bans arrivals of Kanakas after 1904 and requires deportation by end of 1906, ending 40 years of indentured labour in the cane fields.
1906 Federal legislation exempts some islanders from deportation; Australian Sugar Producers Association formed in Townsville.
1914 United Cane Growers Association formed in Mackay.
1915 Queensland Government passes Sugar Acquisition Act and Regulation of Sugar Cane Prices Act; first sugar agreement negotiated between Commonwealth and Queensland Governments; embargo placed on sugar imports.
1923 Federal Government gives control of Queensland sugar industry to the State Government; the Sugar Board established under Sugar Acquisition Act; first small exports of raw sugar to UK and New Zealand.
1924 First large shipments of raw sugar from Australia - 74 000 tons.
1925 Queensland legislation establishes basis for CANEGROWERS organisation.
1926 New Act establishes farmer bodies on a commodity basis, a format which lasts for 75 years.
1929 Mill Peak scheme introduced.
1937 First International Sugar Agreement (ISA) negotiated but does not begin due to World War II.
1951 Commonwealth Sugar Agreement signed with UK.
1953 First post-war ISA negotiated, with quotas for exporters.
1954 Bulk handling of raw sugar introduced; first exports to Japan.
1960 Mt Bauple Mill closes.
1961 First sugar exported to USA
1962 Australia exports 1 Mt for the first time; first exports to Korea
1963 Queensland Government committee recommends industry expansion.
1967 First sugar exported to Singapore
1968 Australia exports 2 Mt of sugar.
1969 ISA begins operation for 5-year term.
1972 First long-term contract negotiated; first exports to China and Russia.
1974 Commonwealth Sugar Agreement and US Sugar Act terminated; record high world free market price of US 66 c/lb.
1975 Gin Gin Mill closes.
1978 New ISA begins operation; Industries Assistance Commission inquiry into sugar industry.
1982 Ceremony at Mackay marks 25 years of bulk handling.
1983 Second IAC enquiry into sugar industry.
1984 ISA expires.
1985 Record low world price of US 2.5 c/lb.
1986 Queensland, New South Wales and Federal Governments agree on 3-year sugar industry assistance/restructure package; Qunaba Mill closes.
1987 Goondi Mill closes, Mackay Sugar Co-operative formed; NSW Sugar Milling Cooperative formed to buy CSR’s three NSW mills.
1988 North Eton Mill closes.
1989 Commonwealth Government Sugar Agreement lapses 1 July 1989; embargo on sugar imports lifted and tariff put in place; Senate Standing Committee enquires into tariff levels on future imports; Harwood refinery built.
1990 Cattle Creek Mill closes; grower numbers fall to lowest level since pioneering days; Queensland State Sugar Industry Working Party makes recommendations; Sugar Research and Development Corporation formed to coordinate research.
1991 Glanville refinery closes; import tariff reduced from $115 to $76 per tonne; Industry Commission inquiry into Queensland’s production, institutional and regulatory arrangements; Queensland Sugar Corporation replaces the Sugar Board and Central Sugar Cane Prices Board; Sugar Acquisition Act and Regulation of Sugarcane Prices Act repealed; canegrowers adopted as common name for growers’ organisation; first Australian Sugar Convention; Tate & Lyle acquires Bundaberg Sugar; AWU and Queensland cane sector negotiate Australia’s first collective enterprise bargaining arrangements for an entire industry.
1992 Hambledon Mill closes; Mackay Sugar announces new refinery; Industry Commission final report released; Sugar Industry Taskforce established.
1993 Sugar Industry Taskforce reports; joint Commonwealth/State Sugar Industry Package includes deferral of further tariff cuts until at least 1977, a $40m government infrastructure commitment, retention of acquisition and assignments, and phased reduction of pooling premium; raw sugar production exceeds 4 Mt for first time; Tate & Lyle’s bid for Tully and South Johnstone Mills rejected; Trade Practices Commission blocks amalgamation of refining activities of CSR Ltd and Mackay Refined Sugars; Sugar Industry Act revised; availability of additional cane assignment exceeds demand for the first time.
1994 Queensland becomes world’s No 1 raw sugar exporter; $117m Sugar Industry Infrastructure Package begins; first change in cane price formula in 40 years; BSES plants world’s first genetically engineered sugarcane; Mackay refinery commences; CSR announces plan for mill in Ord River area; record prices for cane land in Burdekin Irrigation Area with 100th farm sold at auction; record No 1 Pool price of $392.42 per tonne 94 nt.
1995 ASMC and canegrowers develop Vision 2000 to guide industry development; review begins of Sugar Industry Act and import tariff in the context of National Competition Policy; world’s largest shipment of raw sugar (61 300 t) shipped from Townsville to Dubai; canegrowers commissions independent environmental audit of Queensland industry; Cooperative Research Centre into Sustainable Sugar Production commences; sugar surpasses beef production as Queensland’s largest rural industry; sugar revenue exceeds $2 billion for first time.
1996 Shipments through bulk terminals exceed 100 million tonnes; highest grower numbers since 1980s; all cane in Australia insured under canegrowers Crop Fire Insurance Scheme for first time; Sugar Industry Review Working Party recommends removal of tariff from 1 July 1997.
1997 Sugar tariff ends; record Queensland cane production for 6th consecutive year and record sugar production of 5.4 Mt; over 60% of Queensland crop harvested green; Sugar Industry Review Working Party makes recommendations.
1998 CANEGROWERS holds first Sugar Environment Forum in Mackay; Code of Practice for Sustainable Cane Growing adopted; CSR and Mackay Refined Sugars establish joint refining venture; negotiations begin for transfer of ownership of bulk terminals to industry; sugarcane smut discovered in Ord, Tableland Mill begins crushing; Sugar Terminals Ltd established (begins full commercial operations August 2000).
1999 World prices collapse and growers seek Exceptional Circumstances funding. New Sugar Industry Act (effective 1 Jan.2000) revises framework for management of Queensland industry including individual and collective agreements, Cane Production Area and Cane Production Boards but compulsory acquisition and Single Desk arrangements unchanged. Primary Producers’ Organisation and Marketing Act 1927 replaced by Primary Industry Bodies Reform Act resulting in CANEGROWERS losing its compulsory levy capacity.
2000 Commonwealth Sugar Assistance Package provides short-term assistance for cane growers (eventually $60m paid in income support, interest subsidies on planting and general interest subsidy); Queensland Cane Growers Organisation Ltd formed and 96% of growers sign up; Australia initiates Global Alliance for Sugar Trade Reform and Liberalisation; orange rust forces industry to begin replacing its main cane variety; BSES celebrates its centenary; closure of Moreton Mill.
2001 Federal Government extends income support; title to bulk sugar terminals transferred to the industry; growers move towards full voluntary membership; revival in ethanol interest.
2002 Federal Government commissions an independent assessment of the sugar industry (the Hildebrand enquiry); CANEGROWERS and ASMC make joint proposal; the Federal and Queensland Governments, under a Memorandum of Understanding, agree to fund $150m Sugar Industry Reform Program over four years while industry undertakes reform.
2003 CRC for Sugar Innovation through Biotechnology established; continuing dry weather and low prices force growers to seek further emergency financial assistance; State Government commissions CIE to undertake impact assessment analysis of legislative change; CANEGROWERS commissions separate report by Boston Consulting Group; growers hold public rallies.
2004 Joint CANEGROWERS/ASMC submission on structural adjustment presented to Federal Government; the two peak bodies also commit to a Heads of Agreement with the Queensland Government and a Statement of Intent to the Federal Government; Prime Minister announces revised $444.4 million Sugar Industry Reform Program.
2005 Closure of Fairymead Mill.
