MEDIA RELEASE


29 June 2011: Sweet reward for good practice: Australian Sugarcane Grower of the Year Award Announced

The judging panel The judges looked at whole farm systems, and local knowledge and input was an important component of the judging process. The judging panel included: • Greg Shannon – BSES Limited senior agronomist • Wayne Berginey – Ravensdown regional sales agronomist • Patrick Russel – Suncorp regional banking and finance specialist • Rob Drewitt - Suncorp regional banking and finance specialist • Matt Kealley – CANEGROWERS Environment Manager

A very surprised and pleased Cairns Region cane grower, Ray Vicarioli, was awarded the overall Australian $10,000 prize sponsored by Suncorp, in the sugarcane industry’s inaugural CANEGROWERS Sugarcane Grower of the Year Awards, announced at the Rural Press Club in Brisbane today.

Ray Vicarioli and wife Rosemary were presented with a $10,000 Suncorp savings account for outstanding selection of best management practices on farm which were geared towards productivity profitability and sustainability. The judging panel said the Vicarioli property demonstrated smart farming in spades, which is about choosing the best options - practices and technology - for a farm whilst keeping a firm eye on profitability.

Ray farms in the foothills of Mount Bartle Frere, where he has learnt to make a sustainable living from the land, while dealing with Mother Nature’s propensity to dish out weather in lavish extremes.

The judges said they were impressed by the unabashed willingness to try new varieties and techniques, which sits at the heart of the philosophy for managing a property which has been in the Vicarioli family since 1976. Over the years, Ray, Rosemary and their son Ryan and daughter Lucy have also embraced Landcare initiatives and have taken an active involvement in riverbank restoration.

The announcement today came just weeks after the Vicarioli’s learnt they were one of 14 cane growers on the south-eastern seaboard to scoop their regional grower of the year award. Each of the 14 winners from Mossman to Grafton were awarded $2000 worth of fertiliser sponsored by Ravendown Fertiliser Australia.

The judging panel said that judging was tough as the entries in every cane growing area were very competitive. They specified that there are hundreds of recommended best practices and just as many technologies on offer – and any farmer would go broke trying to implement them all.

The judges awarded the overall award to the Vicarioli’s for strategically making a selection of the best practices and technologies on offer which were good for the farm, good for the environment and good for their back-pocket.

Employing a minimal tillage and nil-cultivation approach, Mr Vicarioli uses a variety of techniques to maximise productivity and sustainability, while minimising input costs. On the Vicarioli’s 116 hectare property, a range of techniques have been employed to deal with the one raw material for which there is often a drastic oversupply – water. Hilly paddocks have been contoured to reduce gradient and minimise water velocity. Sediment runoff has been limited by the application of silt traps. Sophisticated sub-surface drainage systems have also been constructed to minimise nutrient volatilisation.

Peak group CANEGROWERS says these awards are a much needed good-news story for an industry which has been belted from pillar to post on a number of fronts over the past 12 months.

“Australian farmers are a resilient bunch, and despite the extraordinary wet conditions and low productivity, we have great things going on in our industry which deserve to be recognised,” says CANEGROWERS’ Acting CEO Ron Mullins.

CANEGROWERS says cane growing has really changed over the past 20 years, but by their very nature farmers are the last to promote themselves– so the story of that change really hasn’t gotten out there.

Mullins says the awards have proved helpful in unearthing the work being done by cane growers to boost farm production, whilst looking after the long term sustainability of the land and environs.

“The entries evidence that good farm practice can achieve the twin goals of profitability and sustainability. But one size does not fit all - it needs to be localised and it needs to be strategic.”

Media comment: Ron Mullins | CANEGROWERS Acting CEO | 0417 790 156
More information: Suzi Moore | CANEGROWERS Communications | 0427 641 239 or 07 3864 6444

14 regional winners were awarded $2,000 worth of fertiliser each, sponsored by Ravensdown Fertiliser Australia

• Mossman:               Doug Rasmussen
• Tableland:               Martin Cek
• Cairns Region:        Ray Vicarioli
• Innisfail:                  Jim Guglielmi
• Tully:                       Mario Raccanello
• Ingham:                   Paul Marbelli
• Burdekin:                 Shaun Betteridge
• Proserpine:              Faletti family
• Mackay:                   Lay family
• Bundaberg:              Redtrail Pty Ltd
• Isis:                         John Kingston
• Maryborough:          Ashley Petersen
• Rocky Point:            Tony Huth
• NSW:                      Angus Stainlay

The overall Australian winner was awarded a $10,000 savings account, sponsored by Suncorp

• Cairns Region:        Ray Vicarioli