Season winds down, but early finish comes with a catch

Three of the Burdekin’s four mills – Kalamia, Inkerman and Pioneer – have already crushed out, with the last bins set to be tipped at Invicta on Saturday 24 October.

Proserpine is also on track to finish on Saturday, while Plane Creek, near Sarina, is hoping to wrap up before the end of October.

But while some growers will be finished by the weekend, others still have weeks of harvesting ahead, likely extending into December as the threat of summer rain looms.

Even for those finishing early, there's a sting in the tail. Queensland's latest crop estimate has fallen to around 26.5 million tonnes, down from the 28 million tonnes expected at the beginning of the season.

"Growers are always glad to see the last bin go through the mill," CANEGROWERS Chairman Owen Menkens said.

"They'd just rather there had been more cane to put through it.

"A short season is one thing. A short crop is another."

There is some welcome relief on the price front, however, with sugar prices rising by more than $150 a tonne since August, following a couple of disappointing years.

"That's a real boost, particularly for growers who haven't already locked in their sugar prices," Mr Menkens said.

"It won't make up for the lost tonnage or fully offset high input costs, but it will certainly help soften the blow."

And despite the disappointing crop, finishing early does bring some benefits for growers now putting their harvesters away.

"Finishing early gives growers more time to get next year's crop off to a good start, rather than spending those valuable growing months still harvesting the last one," Mr Menkens said.

"And after some very long seasons in recent years, the chance to enjoy a proper Christmas break with family is something growers won't take for granted."

For others, that finish line remains some way off.

Most of the remaining districts are expected to finish crushing during November, but Innisfail has already lost around 1,200 hours to wet weather this season, and growers there are likely to be cutting well into December.

A late start, early rain and poor milling performance at Rocky Point, south of Brisbane, have also delayed harvesting, leaving local growers facing a December finish in what looks set to be the mill's penultimate crushing season.

It's a familiar concern. The 2024 season saw widespread delays push crushing into January 2025, with more than a million tonnes of cane ultimately left standing in paddocks.

"We've seen what happens when a season drags on too long," Mr Menkens said.

"The closer you get to the wet season, the harder it is to get the crop off. And every delay eats into the time growers have to establish next year's crop.

"Nobody wants to see cane left standing because the weather has closed in."