Built for tough seasons

For more than a century, this industry has weathered price crashes, policy shake ups, market shocks and natural disasters. From the early fight for fairer returns that led to the formation of CANEGROWERS in 1926, through to record low prices and crisis rallies in the 1980s, growers have faced adversity head-on and kept producing.

Today’s challenges are no different - just wearing a new coat.

In Far North Queensland, growers are bracing for potentially extreme weather as the wet season unfolds. At the same time, global sugar prices remain under pressure and the cost of doing business keeps climbing. Fuel, fertiliser, labour and compliance costs continue to rise, squeezing margins and testing confidence across the sector.

There’s no sugar-coating it - these are serious pressures.

But resilience is not a buzzword in this industry. It’s a skill honed over generations.

Cane growers have always adapted. They’ve adopted new farming systems, invested in better machinery, diversified income streams and lifted productivity, often while dealing with circumstances well beyond their control. The result is an industry that continues to deliver, even when conditions are at their toughest.

Just as importantly, today’s growers are producing cane more sustainably than ever before. Environmental stewardship and profitability are not competing goals; they are two sides of the same coin when it comes to securing the long-term future of our regions.

CANEGROWERS was built for moments like this. Our job is to stand shoulder to shoulder with growers, advocate for fair outcomes, and make sure decision makers understand the real world impacts of policy, pricing and regulation.

A hundred years of history shows that when growers are under pressure, they don’t fold - they adapt, they innovate, and they push on.

That resilience remains the backbone of this industry. And it’s why, even in challenging times, the future of sugarcane growing in Queensland remains strong.