Sustainable start to a new sugar year

Queensland’s cane growers are starting 2018 with their eyes firmly set on meeting increasing market demands for sustainably produced sugar.

“CANEGROWERS members are committed to a sustainable future with 80 growers, managing 16,000 hectares of cane land, gaining accreditation in 2017 under the industry’s Smartcane BMP program,” CANEGROWERS CEO Dan Galligan said. “Another 50 growers plan to undertake accreditation in the first few months of 2018.”

“Accreditation shows the buyers of Australian raw sugar, and our communities, that our product is grown on farms operating at or above best practice standards, benefitting the environment and ensuring productivity and profitability for farmers.

“More than 70% of Queensland’s cane farming land is now part of this program and 248 growers are accredited in the three modules which are most relevant to water quality outcomes for the Great Barrier Reef.

“With the 2017 harvest wrapping up in the second week of January, many more Queensland growers are now spending this traditional quiet, growing time collating the farm records needed to meet the accreditation requirements.”

Queensland’s growers produced close to 31.5 million tonnes of sugarcane in the 2017 season. The average CCS (cane sugar content reading) across the state was a respectable 13.4.

“It was indeed a challenging season particularly for those areas impacted by Cyclone Debbie – Proserpine, Mackay, Bundaberg and Rocky Point,” Mr Galligan said. “I thank the harvesting crews who worked to cut the damaged cane and deal with the flood debris littered through paddocks.

“The loss from Debbie was at least 800,000 tonnes cane and 0.5 units of CCS which means a loss of income of around $50 million to these regions.

“Reasonable weather conditions after the cyclone softened the impact somewhat but this is still a significant hit in one season.”

Looking ahead to the 2018 season, the weather, world sugar market volatility and crop performance will, as always, be the big determinants of success for growers.

“We are closing in on some important market milestones as food manufacturers commit to purchasing sustainably sourced sugar,” Mr Galligan said. “Some of these commitments are as close as 2020 and CANEGROWERS is working to ensure Queensland farmers and their sugar are ready.

“The Smartcane BMP program content is already full aligned with the international sustainability standard, Bonsucro, and we are talking about Smartcane BMP with major world food manufacturers.

“We are the world’s most trade exposed sugar industry with no price supports and 80% of what we produce is sent to export. CANEGROWERS members know their future viability depends on meeting what the market demands and Smartcane BMP is our most effective way to demonstrate sustainability, setting the record straight on how our quality Queensland sugar is grown.”