100 Years of CANEGROWERS

An organisation born out of necessity

The need for strong grower representation was recognised well before CANEGROWERS formally existed.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, cane growers were rugged individualists, carving farms from dense scrub and planting cane by hand. But independence came at a cost. Growers were often price-takers, squeezed between mill owners on one side and rising costs on the other.

By the early 1900s, dissatisfaction with this imbalance was widespread. Growers began forming local associations, seeking a body that could speak with authority on their behalf.

Fair Returns and Pricing Power

From the earliest days of Queensland’s sugar industry, the price paid for cane has been a matter of survival. Growers quickly learned that without collective representation, they held little leverage in negotiations with mill owners and other powerful interests.

For a century, CANEGROWERS has played a central role in securing fairer pricing arrangements, transparency and accountability – ensuring growers have a voice in decisions that directly affect their livelihoods.

A real voice for growers

For more than a century, Queensland sugarcane growers have not only produced a great crop – they’ve told their own story. From its earliest days, growers recognised that representation isn’t just negotiation; it’s communication – the ability to explain the realities of farming, challenge misinformation and shape public understanding.

That insight gave rise to the official growers’ journal, first The Producers’ Review and later Australian Canegrower. What began as a fiercely advocacy–driven print voice has evolved into a modern platform that continues to inform, connect and represent growers across Queensland.

Crisis, Resilience and Collective Action

Queensland’s sugarcane growers have faced repeated crises – droughts, floods, war, market shocks and structural change. In these moments, individual effort was rarely enough. Survival depended on collective action.

Across a century, CANEGROWERS has played a critical role in coordinating responses, advocating for support and ensuring growers were not left to face adversity alone.

Local Associations to State Network

Queensland’s sugar industry is diverse, with each growing region facing unique conditions and challenges. From the outset, growers recognised the need for strong local representation alongside a unified statewide voice.

CANEGROWERS evolved as a federated organisation – preserving local decision-making while building the scale needed to influence policy and industry direction across Queensland.

Turning Advocacy into Action

For a century, CANEGROWERS has existed to turn representation into results. From early battles over pricing to modern legislative reform, the organisation has consistently focused on outcomes that matter to growers.

In recent decades, that role has become more complex – and more important – as the industry navigated deregulation, consolidation and global competition.