Membership Activities
Focused on members
During 2024–25, CANEGROWERS placed strong emphasis on membership engagement and innovation, ensuring that growers remained connected, supported, and informed during a period of both industry challenge and opportunity.
This work focused on strengthening ties with members across all districts, creating development pathways for the next generation, enhancing member benefits, and positioning the sugarcane industry as an innovative and sustainable sector in Queensland agriculture.
CANEGROWERS delivered an extensive program of grower meetings across Queensland. District annual general meetings and pre-season gatherings were held in Tablelands, Cairns, Innisfail, Herbert River, Burdekin, Proserpine, Mackay, Bundaberg, Isis, Maryborough, and Rocky Point, with strong attendance from growers and families.
These meetings provided vital opportunities to share updates on advocacy, trade and market access, member services, and industry performance. They also created space for growers to raise local concerns, share ideas, and connect directly with CANEGROWERS leadership including the Chair, CEO, and senior staff.
Guest speakers at these meetings often highlighted issues beyond farming, including mental health, with dedicated sessions on men’s wellbeing in Cairns drawing strong engagement from members.
Participation in wider industry forums also ensured that members’ perspectives shaped the future direction of agriculture in Queensland. CANEGROWERS contributed to events such as the Queensland Farmers' Federation (QFF) AgTech and Innovation Breakfast and Queensland Fruit and Vegetable Growers (QFVG) Social Licence Panel at the 2025 Rotary FNQ Field Days in Mareeba.
The Next Ratoon mentoring program returned for its second year in 2025, following the highly successful establishment of the program in 2024. Next Ratoon connects young growers from across Queensland with experienced mentors drawn from agribusiness, research, and education.
Seven young growers graduated from the 2024 program, representing six cane growing regions.
The 2025 Next Ratoon mentoring program commenced in February 2025 with six mentees who either run their own business or are part of a family business.
The mentees developed personal and professional skills in leadership, negotiation, and decision-making through a structured six-month program.
The Next Ratoon would not work without the mentors, and CANEGROWERS is very appreciative of their commitment to the program. The mentors came from within the sugarcane industry and across agribusiness with a diverse range of skills, knowledge, and experience.
Feedback for the 2024 and 2025 programs has been overwhelmingly positive. Many graduates have gone on to take up leadership opportunities within their districts or on boards, underlining the program’s value as a pipeline for industry leadership.
Young growers remained a strong focus of CANEGROWERS engagement efforts. Professional development trips were held in Cairns, Herbert River, and Rocky Point, giving participants hands-on exposure to new farming technologies, sustainability practices, and innovative approaches to cane farming
These trips also provided invaluable networking opportunities, encouraging collaboration and knowledge- sharing across districts.
CANEGROWERS worked with the Women in Sugar Herbert River (WISH) network, with a delegation of 15 representatives from Herbert River, Burdekin, and Innisfail travelling to Brisbane and Rocky Point.
The tour included briefings with CANEGROWERS leadership on advocacy, Smartcane BMP, and sustainability, site visits showcasing on-farm innovation and diversification. This initiative highlighted the growing role of women as leaders and advocates within the cane industry.
The Sugar Cubed conference has quickly become a flagship event for CANEGROWERS. The inaugural conference in Mackay in May 2024 attracted over 100 growers and industry leaders and featured site visits, keynote speakers, and panel sessions on productivity, mill performance, sustainable aviation fuel, traceability, and the bioeconomy.
Building on this success, the Sugar Cubed 2025 Conference, held in April at the Royal International Convention Centre in Brisbane, brought together more than 150 growers, researchers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders under the theme “Growth for Generations.”
Across two days, the program showcased innovation, sustainability, and collaboration through field trips to cutting-edge research facilities and farms, keynote addresses, as well as panel discussions on global markets, biofuels, cogeneration, intergenerational wealth, and the future of farming.
Delegates explored opportunities in ag-tech, diversification, and industry resilience, and sponsorship support from industry partners demonstrated the value that external stakeholders place on these forward-looking initiatives.
CANEGROWERS webinars delivered practical, targeted learning opportunities for members. Topics included load restraint and transport safety (delivered in partnership with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator) and follow-up sessions with Business Essentials that included pricing and industry succession planning.
These webinars provided accessible training for growers, contractors, and millers, ensuring they are equipped with up-to-date knowledge and resources to run safe, compliant, and profitable businesses.
Members continued to access a broad suite of benefits, including crop insurance, superannuation education through Australian Retirement Trust, fuel and vehicle discounts via QFF partnerships, health cover options through Queensland Country Health Fund, and input deals through suppliers such as BOC.
The 2025 member survey provided valuable insights, with a strong sample size of members participating. While satisfaction with CANEGROWERS services was strong, only 44% of respondents expressed confidence in the industry’s future, highlighting concerns around mill performance, rising input costs, and workforce challenges.
Encouragingly, three-quarters of respondents supported greater collaboration across the industry and nearly half identified investment in technology as the key to revitalising the sector. These insights will guide future engagement and innovation priorities.
Innovation remained central to CANEGROWERS agenda. A key highlight was work with Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, SRA, and start-up Avalo AI to explore the use of artificial intelligence in sugarcane breeding, an exciting initiative that could accelerate the development of
new varieties.
Sustainability partnerships also deepened, with CANEGROWERS supporting Smartcane BMP accreditation and participating in ProTerra, Bonsucro, and VIVE frameworks to align Queensland sugar with global market requirements.
CANEGROWERS worked with American Sugar Refining Inc (ASR) to support ProTerra Social Verification Audits in Mackay and the Burdekin between September and October 2024. In May 2025, CANEGROWERS met with Bonsucro to discuss the Bonsucro production standard, sustainability, and ESG needs in the Australian industry.
These initiatives strengthen the industry’s ability to demonstrate environmental stewardship, responsible labour practices, and traceability to international buyers, securing access to premium markets.
CANEGROWERS hosted 20 students from the University of Texas in Brisbane and provided an overview of the industry, farming and business practices, Smartcane BMP, and sustainability.
The students were keen to learn about the Queensland sugarcane industry, which followed on from their visit to the Burdekin.