From disaster response to long-term strength
The history of Queensland’s sugar industry is marked by cycles of hardship and recovery. Severe droughts, destructive floods and global conflicts have repeatedly tested growers and their communities, often with little warning and lasting consequences.
In these moments, CANEGROWERS became more than a representative body. It coordinated responses across districts, advocated for disaster relief and worked with governments to secure practical assistance that reflected conditions on the ground.
In more recent decades, growers have faced a new mix of challenges – global price volatility, climate extremes, biosecurity threats, rapid regulatory change and supply-chain disruption. Once again, collective action proved essential.
Through each crisis, CANEGROWERS helped ensure growers’ voices were heard, responses were coordinated and long-term impacts were considered. These experiences reinforced a central lesson of the Centenary story – resilience is rarely accidental; it is built through organisation and unity.