A century of cane and community
As the year winds down and the post-Christmas lull sets in, I hope you had a good break and a chance to switch off.
Crush finish fuels quiet confidence
As this edition of the paper hits the press, the 2025 harvest is just about done. While a few districts are still cutting, all should finish within the week.
Sugar price slump will pressure regional economies
As the sugarcane crush winds down across Queensland, the industry is facing a challenging period driven by a steep fall in global sugar prices.
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Next election vital for our regions
The 2024 Queensland State Election is now less than a year away and already we’re seeing some soft campaigning by the major parties. We can expect these campaigns to ramp up markedly over the coming months as the pollies vie to secure your vote. However, it’s not just the political parties who will have plenty to…
Free trade should include a fair go for farmers
As I write this column, Australia’s trade minister is preparing to meet with his European counterpart to discuss, and possibly even agree, a free trade agreement with the EU. Unfortunately, I don’t have a crystal ball, so I can’t foresee the outcome of those discussions. However, if the whispers filtering out from…
Working together we can achieve much
Disunity is death - it’s a phrase you often hear bandied about, especially in politics. And it’s true, of course, in all aspects of life. Since humans first started battling each other with clubs and stones, the importance of presenting a unified front has been clear. Whether it’s warfare, politics, disaster…
Time for sugar marketers to step up
Earlier this month, a ship loaded with Queensland sugar sailed up the River Thames to the Tate & Lyle Sugars refinery in London. It was the first tariff-free shipment of Australian sugar exported to the United Kingdom in half a century, making it a pretty big deal. As a result, plenty of newspaper column inches,…
Advocating for regional Australians
As I write this week’s column, I am on a flight to Canberra, where I’ll travel to Parliament House with CANEGROWERS CEO Dan Galligan for a series of high-level meetings with ministers and senior advisors from the departments of Trade, Agriculture, and Environment. At these meetings we will advocate on behalf of…