CANEGROWERS Media Release

18 April 2011

Food grade lands must not become sacrificial lamb for tree production

CANEGROWERS says it will work with government to ensure quality land for food production is not lost at the expense of trees which can grow in lower quality soils, as the government finalises its strategic cropping policy.

“The government must work harder to ensure that tree plantations which are springing up everywhere and sterilising good quality agricultural land, must be stopped. There are plenty of other areas they can go with lower quality soils,” said Steve Greenwood CEO of peak group CANEGROWERS today.

He says that at first glance, the criteria in the recently released strategic cropping land draft were generally ok, although CANEGROWERS has some concerns around the fact that steeper areas of valuable cane land may be excluded from being classed as strategic cropping land. He suggests some local variation may need to be considered because of this.

“Food production needs good quality land – and trees not so – we need to work together to ensure both important industries can work side by side. There can be no winner in lining up food production as the sacrificial lamb, let’s face it the demand for food is only on the increase world-wide – we need to look at this cooperatively and strategically,” says Greenwood.

CANEGROWERS will work with the Queensland Farmers’ Federation to put pressure on the State Government to quickly progress from its first milestone of releasing its strategic cropping land criteria, to getting on with the job of developing a pragmatic policy to protect the State’s best agricultural land.


Media comment:     Steve Greenwood | CANEGROWERS CEO | 0488 721 156
                                     Alf Cristaudo | CANEGROWERS Chairman | 0418 181 204

More information:   Suzi Moore | CANEGROWERS Communications | 0427 641 239 or 07 3864 6444