Leaders from across the Australian sugar industry have met this week to develop a working industry vision for the future.

The forum involved representatives from CANEGROWERS, Australian Sugar Milling Council, Australian Cane Farmers’ Association, and Sugar Research Australia.

The agreed working vision is:

Sugar Plus: a vibrant, transforming industry, sustainably producing sugar and bioproducts at the heart of regional communities.

Through foresight and innovation, the Australian sugar industry has demonstrated its resilience through many challenges and to grasp opportunities.

Building on the vision the aim is to enhance our sugarcane and sugar production efficiencies and supply chain infrastructure to secure a prosperous long-term future, and sustainably meet the needs of our Australian and global customers, and our regional communities.

We must work together, and with government, to stabilise the industry and achieve improved productivity and profitability.

Leaders also recognised there is a longer-term opportunity to position the sugar industry at the centre of the renewable economy through research and policies that can underpin and create commercial opportunities.

Our organisations are now identifying priorities to bring the vision to life, including:

• a unified strategy that recognises the industry’s existing contribution and future potential, and to
• assess the policy and financial barriers to greater investment in bioproducts, to bridge the gap between what is technically possible, and what is commercially viable.

We have committed to meet regularly in 2021 to progress industry priorities, and to maintain regular communication with industry and government stakeholders.