30 March 2015

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AUSTRALIAN
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H Growers pack Senate marketing inquiry
Smartcane phone app unveiled
Spotted anything
unusual?
NOTHING WILL PROTECT YOUR CROP
BETTER THAN A GOOD HARD LOOK
Growers have an important role in keeping watch for
exotic pests, diseases and weeds that could devastate
the Australian sugarcane industry.
Early detection and reporting is the key to protecting
farms, industries and the communities that rely on them.
Every moment lost harms our chance of successful
eradication.
If you spot anything unusual in your crop please call the
Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on 1800 084 881. The call is free
(except from mobiles).
Visit phau.com.au/industries/sugarcane for further
information and a list of the top priority cane pests.
INE
T PEST HOTL
EXOTIC PLAN
1
18 0 0 0 8 4 8 8
Look, be alert, call an expert
Improving national biosecurity outcomes through partnerships
CONTENTS
30.03.2015
ACTING CEO'S COMMENT
3
“The recent Senate inquiry hearings into
sugar marketing have highlighted what
is potentially a grab for dominance by
one industry partner over another.”
Ron Mullins
CANEGROWERS Acting CEO
Cover: CANEGROWERS
Senior Manager –
Environment Matt Kealley
shows Mossman grower
Rodney Rasmussen the new
Smartcane phone app. Story
on page 9.
2SSRVLWH$ÀHOG
demonstration of Hans
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model in Bundaberg, circa
1967. More on page 21.
Editor
Neroli Roocke
'HVLJQVXEVFULSWLRQVDGYHUWLVLQJDQGFODVVLÀHGV
Brett McAuliffe
Articles appearing in Australian Canegrower do
not necessarily represent the policies or views of
CANEGROWERS
Published every second Monday by
CANEGROWERS
Level 6, 100 Edward Street, Brisbane,
Queensland Australia
ABN 94 089 992 969
Postal Address: GPO Box 1032, Brisbane,
Queensland 4001 Australia
Telephone: 07 3864 6444; Fax: 07 3864 6429
Email: info@CANEGROWERS.com.au
Website: www.CANEGROWERS.com.au
CANEGROWERS/Members Card Hotline 1800 177 159
AUSTRALIAN CANEGROWER ISSN 157-3039
Volume 37, Number 06
Printed by Screen Offset Printing
202 Robinson Road, Geebung, QLD, 4034
INDUSTRY NEWS
4
Growers united as Senate investigates sugar marketing
8
New ideas and new friends at Next Gen conference
9
Records in your pocket with the new Smartcane app
10 Injuries cost farming millions
WHAT’S NEW
11 Spotlight: Shirtan®- is its future limited?
12 QSL: New season marked by market lows
15 SRA: Autumn planting and canegrub control
ON FARM
16 Herbert dryland rice trial
19 Women in Sugar 2015
21 Lifetime award for innovative machinery maker
MEMBER SERVICES
&ODVVLÀHGV
24 Rainfall report
Subscriptions
Yearly subscriptions for 25 issues (postage included)
Within Australia
Overseas (AUD)
$140 inc GST
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30 March 2015
| Australian Canegrower
1
EDITOR’S DESK
What a busy fortnight it’s been!
In a very public and at times noisy
way, around 500 growers showed
WKDWWKH\DUHÀUPO\EHKLQGWKHLU
LQGXVWU\RUJDQLVDWLRQVDQGÀUPO\
against the plans of three milling
companies to deny them choice
in the future of sugar marketing.
Coverage of the Senate Committee
public hearings begins on page 4.
The Next Gen Step Up! conference
in Palm Cove gave younger farmers,
mill workers and researchers a
chance to network and learn about
the innovation and issues driving
the future of the industry. It also
provided the perfect audience for
the unveiling of the new Smartcane
smartphone app – record keeping in
your pocket! See the details on page 9.
The Women in Sugar Australia
conference brought around a hundred
delegates and some welcome rain to the
Herbert River region. The conference
ÀHOGWULSYLVLWHGDWULDOULFHFURSZKLFK
you can read about on page 16.
And as the seasons change, we have
the news that the future of a fungicide
used to control pineapple sett rot
in sugarcane could be in doubt. The
Spotlight column on page 11 goes
through the issue. With planting
comes consideration of canegrubs
and Sugar Research Australia
goes through the
options on page 15.
Regards
Neroli
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AND PHOTOS?
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@canegrowers
or share with us by using #canegrowers
Sugar shipments make history
Two historic shiploads of highpolarity Brand 1 sugar are on their
way from Queensland to Japan.
QSL General Manager Trading and
Risk Dougall Lodge said although QSL
had a 50-year history with Japanese
VXJDUUHÀQHUVDQGKDGH[SRUWHG
over 21 million tonnes of raw sugar
there to date, the Transformer’s cargo
marked an important milestone.
2
Australian Canegrower
“The Japan-Australia Economic
Partnership Agreement, which came
into force on 15 January this year, now
enables us to export Queensland’s
high-qual Brand 1 sugar to our
-DSDQHVHUHÀQLQJFXVWRPHUVµKHVDLG
Mr Lodge said QSL, Australia’s largest
raw sugar exporter, was hopeful that
WKH7UDQV3DFLÀF3DUWQHUVKLS733
trade negotiations currently underway
would result in further reductions
| 30 March 2015
to the existing levy for high-polarity
Australian sugar sold into Japan.
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of the sugar set sail from the Cairns
Bulk Sugar Terminal for one of QSL’s
-DSDQHVHUHÀQLQJFXVWRPHUVZKLOH
MSF Sugar dispatched the second
26,000 tonne load two days later. „
ACTING CEO'S COMMENT
Hearings highlight grower passion
By Ron Mullins
CANEGROWERS Acting CEO
The recent Senate inquiry hearings into
sugar marketing have highlighted what
is potentially a grab for dominance by
one industry partner over another.
The hearings were an enormously
successful platform for growers who
put forward a strong case and were
amply supported by a barrage of
close to 500 growers who came along
to the hearings in a show of strong
support. The mills also presented
before the hearings and, according
to eyewitness reports, could not
effectively counter the Senator’s
questions calling into account their
actions and decision to deny grower
rights and withdraw unilaterally from
current marketing arrangements.
Under the industry’s regulatory
history there was always an arbiter to
ensure that a fair outcome resulted
when the industry partners were
in dispute. This safeguard ceased
along with deregulation, however;
a business as normal approach has
been taken by industry partners since
with the status quo for marketing
and contractual supply arrangements
between miller and grower
generally remaining unchanged.
True partnering and mutually inclusive
decision making for the common good
seems to have been lost gauging by the
submissions by some of the sugar miller
representatives to the Senate inquiry.
The arrogance of commentary such as
‘we know what is good for growers’
or ‘we will ensure growers are paid
economic and environmental
management is not supported in a
proactive manner by government.
fairly’ miss the whole point when it
comes to true partnering. Fortunately
this arrogance by some millers has not
escaped the scrutiny of government
and needs to be addressed.
CANEGROWERS position to
government is simply:
• Growers economic interest in sugar
should be formally recognised;
• Growers have the right to
choose a marketer; and
• Growers choose how to price
their share of the sugar
produced from their cane.
Growers have in recent years found
that their production costs have
increased disproportionately to mill
owners’ costs. The substantial increases
in government regulated electricity
and water costs, in particular, have
been alarming and are set to continue
to rise given government policies.
Annually the sugarcane industry
contributes some $1.5b to $2b
to the Queensland economy, the
majority of which is through export
earnings. The majority of the sugar
communities from Mossman in Far
North Queensland to Beenleigh in
the South East corner of the state
are heavily reliant on the economic
sustainability of the sugar industry.
The potential for growth in the
sugarcane industry is high given the
right price signals and government
support on vegetation management
and infrastructure including water
resource development is forthcoming.
The potential is low if growers’
CANEGROWERS has made contact
with Queensland Premier Annastacia
Palaszczuk and key ministers
inviting them to the April Policy
Council meeting of CANEGROWERS.
CANEGROWERS takes an apolitical
position when it comes to government
and we endeavour to work with
government at all three levels to
contribute to the business success
and interests of our members.
CANEGROWERS will actively work
with the Queensland Government
in a shared vision for the sugarcane
industry which contributes to the
economic, environmental and social
sustainability of our industry.
2QHRIWKHÀUVWWDVNVIRUWKH/DERU
government’s proposed Queensland
Productivity Commission is to
undertake a public inquiry into
electricity pricing as part of an
investigation into the short and
ORQJWHUPRSWLRQVWRWKHVLJQLÀFDQW
price increases over recent years.
CANEGROWERS will continue its
presentations to government to
ensure that network costs support
the economic use of electricity
to optimise productivity.
By nature I am a positive person
DQG,DPFRQÀGHQWWKDWJRYHUQPHQW
will realise the importance of the
Queensland sugarcane industry to
the many regional communities,
to the state and to the nation
and must ensure that we remain
internationally competitive. „
A group of Tully growers travelled 200km by bus to Townsville to attend the public hearings of the
Senate inquiry into sugar marketing. Read the full report over the page. Pictures by Graham Maifredi.
30 March 2015
| Australian Canegrower
3
INDUSTRY NEWS
Appearing before the Senate Committee hearing in Mackay are ACFA General Manager Stephen Ryan and Chairman
Don Murday with CANEGROWERS Chairman Paul Schembri and CANEGROWERS Mackay CEO Kerry Latter.
Growers united as Senate investigates sugar marketing
It was standing room only when a Senate Committee, charged
with looking at current and future sugar marketing arrangements,
held public hearings in Mackay and Townsville recently.
More than 500 farmers from growing
areas including Plane Creek, Mackay,
Proserpine, Burdekin, Herbert River
and Tully packed the hearing venues
to support their representatives as
they as they presented the industry’s
case for choice and competition in
future sugar marketing arrangements
in contrast to the moves by three
milling companies towards a
monopoly, no-choice situation.
The Rural and Regional Affairs
and Transport Committee heard
presentations, conducted interviews
and asked many questions of
industry organisations including
CANEGROWERS, Queensland Sugar
Limited, Australian Sugar Milling
Council and Australian Cane Farmers
Association as well as individual
milling companies and growers.
Rousing ovations
At the Mackay hearings, CANEGROWERS
Chairman Paul Schembri and ACFA
Chairman Don Murday sat side
E\VLGHDVWKHURRPÀOOHGEHKLQG
them. At two points while they were
questioned by the senators the audience
responded – cheering in support.
7KHÀUVWZDVZKHQ3DXO6FKHPEUL
answered questions regarding
Wilmar’s undertakings to the Foreign
The hearings were at times boisterous
and noisy as growers supported
the strong and united case their
representatives put forward to the
Senators explaining their concerns
around trust, transparency and
FRQÀGHQFHLQWKHPDUNHWLQJ
arrangements that exist within the
sugar industry and those being
proposed by the milling companies.
4
Australian Canegrower
| 30 March 2015
The Senate Committee members with
grower representatives during a tour of
the Mackay Bulk Sugar Terminal.
Investment Review Board prior to its
purchase of Australian sugar mills.
“I do not want to misrepresent
them, but certainly the thrust of
their representations were that they
were content with the marketing
arrangements, they were happy to
operate in the Australian institutional
arrangements, they were happy to be
part of the terminal arrangements and
they had no plans to disrupt those
matters. It is on the public record,” Mr
Schembri said to the Committee.
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growers have to defend our position f
INDUSTRY NEWS
all the time and that these players in the
industry have changed their positions
in recent years, have quoted this, that
and everything else, despite the fact
that there is print on the sticky paper
there, and we suddenly have to justify
our position," he told the hearing.
"We as Australian farmers take integrity
as being pretty important, and when
people have made commitments we like
to follow through on it. We would not
have got to where we are without being
people who are imbued with integrity.”
Mr Murday drew a loud reaction from
watching farmers as he said, “If we go
back to 2010 when we had that wet year
and we had the huge marketing loss—a
$105 million marketing loss—all the
milling companies, including Wilmar,
were very happy to pass back that
marketing loss to the growers. There is
clear recognition of grower economic
interest by Wilmar. What has changed
since then? That is what we are asking.”
In Townsville the hearing room
needed to be expanded by moving
a partition to hold the number
of people who’d turned up.
Before the Senate Committee,
CANEGROWERS Head Economist
Warren Males summed up
the growers position.
“All that I ask and, I expect, all that the
growers here today and in Mackay
yesterday and in Murwillumbah
on Tuesday are sekeing is quite
simply – a fair go!” Mr Males said.
“Growers are not seeking anything
radical. They simply want to be
able to choose who markets
their share of the sugar.”
As the hearing drew to a close, the
Senators recognised that there
was complete unity amongst the
grower delegates giving evidence
from all mill areas drawing an
ovation from the big crowd.
When he returned to Canberra,
Queensland Senator Barry O’Sullivan
remarked in a speech to the Senate
that Committee members noted that
they had never seen crowds the size
of those that attended the public
hearings in Mackay and Townsville.
Paul Schembri said that the Australian
Sugar Milling Council presentation in
Mackay and the Wilmar presentation
in Townsville did nothing to convince
growers of their respective positions.
“Both said there was no need for
regulation, there was no need for
legislative intervention on this issue
and obviously there was a very
cold reaction from farmers at both
meetings to that position,” he said.
“In moments during this debate, some
of the mills have attempted to claim
that they have very strong support
for their proposal but clearly seeing
that audience of growers, the f
“In Mackay there were in excess of
200 small family-owned farmers
attending and in Townsville the
number swelled to some reported
250,” Senator O’Sullivan said. “These
farmers were very, very engaged in the
process and provided me as a member
attendee at the Committee a further
opportunity to speak with them.”
Millers on notice
The mills, according to eyewitness
reports, were dwarfed by the sheer
passion and logic of the growers’
arguments and were without an
effective counter to the Senator’s
questions calling into account their
actions and decision to deny grower
rights and withdraw unilaterally from
current marketing arrangements.
Wilmar was given a very clear message
to re-think its strategy and actions
in relation to sugar marketing.
The space booked for the Senate
Committee hearing in Townsville
KDGWREHH[SDQGHGWRÀWLQWKH
crowd of growers who attended.
Answering the Committee’s questions at the table
in the front are L-R Greg Rossato, Paul Sgarbossa,
Arthur Woods, Roger Piva and Phil Marano
30 March 2015
| Australian Canegrower
5
INDUSTRY NEWS
growers are strongly aligned with the
CANEGROWERS and ACFA position.”
Paul Schembri said he was buoyed
and slightly overcome by the
tangible support from growers.
The Senate Committee is due to make its
recommendations on or around 25 April.
Warren Males, CANEGROWERS Head
Economist, sums up the grower submission at
the hearing in Townsville.
“We think that nothing short of
government intervention will be
required,” Mr Schembri said.
“We are hoping there will be a
unanimous recommendation that the
Commonwealth Government ought
to intervene by way of legislation or a
code of conduct to ensure that growers
and millers have equal negotiation
strength and that growers are given
a choice in terms of marketing.”
Parallel to the work of the Senate
Committee is a Sugar Marketing Code
of Conduct Taskforce, established
Key grower
submission points
Warren Males, CANEGROWERS
Head Economist, summed up the
joint CANEGROWERS and ACFA
submission before the Senate Inquiry.
Growers are not seeking anything
radical. They simply want to be able
to choose who markets their share
of the sugar, the sugar that directly
determines the value of cane.
This can be done through the
implementation of a mandatory code:
First, by recognising that they have a
ERQDÀGH´HFRQRPLFLQWHUHVWµLQWKH
sugar produced from their cane.
Second, by formally recognising and
including grower economic interest (GEI)
sugar and mill economic interest (MEI)
sugar in each cane supply agreement.
Third, by assigning growers the right
to choose how GEI sugar is sold.
Finally, by making an arbitration system
available to resolve any disputes in the
negotiation of a Cane Supply Agreement.
This outcome can be implemented
either by changes to Queensland’s
Sugar Industry Act or by the introduction
6
Australian Canegrower
also by the Federal Government. It
will consider the need for a code of
conduct within the sugar industry and
if such a code should be mandatory.
Submissions have been called and
details are over the page. „
Wilmar gives notice
to Herbert River
A full transcript of the Senate
Committee hearings in Mackay and
Townsville can be found at: www.aph.
gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Hansard
Sugarcane growers in the Herbert
River region have been the latest
JURXSWRUHFHLYHDQRIÀFLDOOHWWHU
from the owner of the Victoria and
Macknade mills, Wilmar Sugar,
giving notice of the termination
of their Cane Supply Agreement
effective from the end of 2016.
of a mandatory code under the
relevant provisions of the Australian
Competition and Consumer Act.
Similar letters have already been
delivered to growers supplying its
Plane Creek and Burdekin mills.
7KHVLQJOHPRVWLPSRUWDQWÀQGLQJ
this inquiry can make, as the 1912
Royal Commission did, is that there
is a commercial imbalance, a failure
in the market for sugarcane. And,
ZLWKLWÀQGWKDWWKHUHLVDERQDÀGH
reason for government action.
Steve Guazzo, Wilmar grower and
chairman of CANEGROWERS Herbert
River, said while the action was well
within the legal rights of Wilmar Sugar,
it was also another demonstration of
the arrogance of this monopoly miller.
7KHUROHRIJRYHUQPHQWLGHQWLÀHG
by the Royal Commission has not
changed. It is to establish a regulatory
structure that prevents the misuse of
market power, addresses market failure
and ensures cane growers are not
disadvantaged by the mill they supply.
The industry is working closely with
the Australian Government to level
the international market for sugar
and with some success. We are simply
asking the government to do the
same; restore balance in the domestic
market for sugarcane. To give growers
a fair go and allow them to choose
how the sugar in which they have
an economic interest is marketed.
This is not a call for the re-establishment
of the heavy hand of a single desk
but a call for a light form of regulation
that takes account of the competition
policy issues that our industry faces. „
| 30 March 2015
"This latest move shows once again
that Wilmar Sugar is hell-bent on
destabilising the growing sector of
Queensland’s sugar industry, regardless
of the cost to growers,” Mr Guazzo
said. “This is just another step towards
achieving its own goals to establish
its own marketing structure, and
this is despite the groundswell of
support from industry against it.
“This latest tactic will only make growers
all the more determined to stick to
their urgent and widespread call for
recognition of the growing sector’s
economic interest in their produce, and
the right to marketing choice,” he said.
“We wait eagerly for the outcome of a
Senate Inquiry into the future of sugar
marketing arrangements, and the
results of a Federal Government special
taskforce investigation into the potential
for a marketing Code of Conduct
to address competition concerns in
the Australian sugar industry.” „
INDUSTRY NEWS
Call for Submissions:
Sugar Marketing
Code of Conduct
Individuals and organisations can now make a
submission to the Sugar Marketing Code of Conduct
Taskforce established by the Abbott Government.
The taskforce will consider the need for a code of conduct
within the sugar industry and if such a code should be
mandatory.
Submissions should include any information or
recommendations relating to a possible Sugar Marketing
Code of Conduct, particularly with reference to:
• The concept that growers’ have an “economic
interest” in the sugar they supply to the mill;
• The growers’ ability to choose a marketing entity for
their “economic interest”;
• Transparency of sugar marketing activities;
• The mill supply contract negotiation process;
• Protecting growers from discrimination by millers;
• Arbitration where agreement cannot be reached as
part of a contract negotiation process;
• The encourage of investment in high-quality mills,
milling procedures and marketing arrangements;
‡ 7KHIDFLOLWDWLRQRIÀQDQFLDOUHWXUQVIRUJURZHUV
• State and Commonwealth Acts relating to the sugar
industry and competition; and
• Codes of conduct in other industries.
Submissions should be made to:
The Taskforce Chair,
George Christensen via email:
George.Christensen.MP@aph.gov.au
Submissions close 5pm April 17.
For further information, phone (07) 4944 0662.
is always better.
Far North
Queensland
Anthony Brick
0408 706 064
North
Queensland
Jamie Woods
0427 764 779
Central
Queensland
Stacey Watson
0437 490 445
Southern
Queensland
Bruce Waltisbuhl
0400 995 824
Your Regional Manager lives and works in your area and can:
Visit you and your employees at your workplace
Help and support with your super obligations including QuickSuper
our clearing house solution, and
Provide you with important super updates.
Proudly supporting sugarcane industries
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The industry super fund for
rural and regional Australia
Issued by Austsafe Pty Ltd ABN 96 010 528 597 AFSL 314183 RSE License L0002035 the Trustee of AustSafe Super ABN 92 398 191 503 RSE Registration R1005509 SFN 147 555 940 SPIN ASF0001AU
30 March 2015
| Australian Canegrower
7
INDUSTRY NEWS
New ideas and new friends
The Case IH Step Up! conference
this month drew 160 industry
delegates to Palm Cove for two days
of presentations and discussions
on the future of cane farming.
Smartcane BMP followed with the
key point being that industry needs
to prove its sustainability and ensure
market access while maintaining
SURGXFWLYLW\DQGSURÀWDELOLW\
Gerard Puglisi, the Next Generation
RIÀFHUIRUWKH$XVWUDOLDQVXJDULQGXVWU\
VDLGLWZDVHVSHFLDOO\WHUULÀFWRVHHWKH
networking taking place among the
120 young farmers, mill employees and
researchers at the event and he believes
everyone left with feeling inspired.
Smartcane BMP had signed up to
sponsor the event and it provided
the perfect venue to unveil the new
record keeping app (see adjacent
story). CANEGROWERS provided inkind sponsorship and CANEGROWERS
Mackay was also a sponsor.
Gerard has spent three years
travelling 13,000 km to visit young
farmers and Next Gen groups in all
sugar growing areas. He hopes the
enthusiasm generated at the event
leads to new groups being set up in
the Burdekin and Ingham areas.
The trade show was kept busy with
delegates during every break and at
the Smartcane BMP stand Matt Kealley
and Malcolm Petrie helped growers
download and start up the app – eyes
lighting up as they watched their
farms automatically load from data
already within the Smartcane system.
The app is in pre-release mode, so
growers who downloaded it at the
conference will be able to suggest
improvements for future versions.
The conference kicked off with a
presentation from Robert Quirk, Tweed
valley cane farmer, on his work towards
land based carbon storage and carbon
emission reduction. A discussion of the
international Bonsucro accreditation
program and the Australian-developed
Key sponsor Case IH drew delegates
and curious tourists alike to its tractor
Gerard Puglisi welcomes delagates to
the Next Gen Step Up! conference.
display on the golf course outside
the venue while Dr Andrew Ward, of
Sugar Research Australia’s Professional
Extension and Communication
Unit, outlined changes and new
appointments to the organisation’s
grower engagement work and
Greg Beashel of QSL explained the
many elements that make up sugar
SULFLQJ)DUPÀQDQFHDQGVXFFHVVLRQ
planning was another session which
provoked discussion and questions.
(DFKDIWHUQRRQZDVDÀHOGWULS*URXSV
visited the Cairns Bulk Sugar Terminal,
some nitrogen fertiliser trials being
undertaken by Derek Sparkes of DAF
(to be featured in a future edition
of Australian Canegrower) and the
Puglisi’s Sweet Farm Tour business
on their cane and cocoa farm.
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Scholar, Joe Muscat, who provided
the audience with food for
thought from his investigations
into the future opportunities for
ÀEUHFURSVRQFDQHIDUPV
Gerard Puglisi says Next Gen
plans to hold another Step
Up! conference in 2017. „
8
Australian Canegrower
| 30 March 2015
INDUSTRY NEWS
Records in your pocket with the new Smartcane app
A new app to allow growers to collect
and upload farm records using just a
phone has been unveiled at the Next
Gen Step Up! conference at Palm Cove.
The app links directly to the Smartcane
BMP platform and automatically updates
the growers’ records within the system.
Matt Kealley, CANEGROWERS Senior
Manager – Environment, and Malcolm
Petrie, the Smartcane Project Manager,
unveiled the app to the 160 conference
delegates with a live demonstration
on a big screen of how it works.
“The Smartcane App can capture
your chemical application records,
fertiliser records and other activities
and practices you do on farm – it will
save you time,” Matt Kealley said.
intuitive menus, growers can add blocks,
add records about the treatments used
on those blocks and the records are then
available with the touch of a button. The
records are also automatically updated
to the relevant Smartcane BMP account.
$IWHUJHWWLQJWKHDXGLHQFHWRÀVK
out their phones, Matt pointed
out that the devices are the future
of all of communications, and
information and data capture.
“It has a camera, a touch screen, GPS
functionality and allows you to get
advice and seek information at anytime
from anywhere in the world using the
internet and a phone network,” he said.
´7KHÀUVWDSSVDSSHDUHGRQWKHPDUNHW
only seven years ago but in 2013,
102 billion of them were downloaded
and 91% of those were free!”
The Smartcane App is free to registered
Smartcane BMP growers. Through
The Smartcane BMP app can be
downloaded now from Google Play
for Android and the iTunes App
store for Apple by searching for
‘smartcane records’. It is free.
To use the app, growers need to
be registered for Smartcane BMP
which can be done quickly at www.
smartcane.com.au or contacting
a Smartcane BMP facilitator. „
Matt said mobile technology
had advanced quickly to
become a valuable tool.
´7KHÀUVWPRELOHSKRQHFDOOZDVPDGH
in 1973 using a Motorola– it was
23cm long, 13cm thick, 4.5cm wide
and weighed 1.1kg. No wonder it was
affectionately known as the brick!
“Move ahead 40 years and we have
mobile devices in our pockets that don’t
just make phone calls, they are portable
computers with more computing power
than Apollo 11 had going to the moon.”
Matt Kealley (centre) shows the Smartcane app to Aaron Linton, Brad Gordon,
Jarrod Rossato, Luke Horniblow and Mitch Zunker at the Next Gen conference.
Rural
Premium Farming With Lifestyle Options
OH HJÄ]LMYLLOVSK[P[SLZ
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• (I\UKHUJLVM^H[LY^P[O43VMHSSVJH[PVU
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raywhite.com Property ID 1277994
Ray White Hervey Bay
30 March 2015
HWWYV_
| Australian Canegrower
/,9
•
•
9
INDUSTRY NEWS
Injuries cost farming millions
An analysis of injuries in the farm
sector shows an incredible 193,632
working weeks were lost across
the cotton, grain, mixed farming,
sugar, marine and aquaculture
industries over a four year period.
$FURVVDOORIDJULFXOWXUHDQGÀVKHULHV
injury claims and associated costs were
worth more than $300 million over the
same period. In the sugar industry the
cost was calculated to be $3,195,000.
“Being able to go to work and come
home to family and friends in a safe
and injury free capacity is an ideal that
everyone supports,” Mr Lower said.
“This research pinpoints the major risks
in each of the sectors, which will help
businesses in preparing their own WHS
action plans and more generally ensure
that pro-active strategies are put in place
to manage and control those risks. This
will lead to a genuinely safer workplace.” „
The research was commissioned by the
Primary Industries Health and Safety
Partnership (PIHSP) and conducted
by Tony Lower at the Australian
Centre for Agricultural Health and
Safety. Data was drawn from coronial
information, workers compensation
data and self-reported near-miss
incidents from 2008-09 to 2011-12.
´7KHDQDO\VLVVKRZVWKHÀYHOHDGLQJW\SHV
of injuries consistently accounted for
around 75% of all claims. This illustrates
the importance of developing and
targeting cost-effective approaches
WRDVVLVWIDUPHUVDQGÀVKHUVLQ
addressing these core issues.”
As always, quad bikes and vehicles
featured consistently as a danger
across land-based industries.
• Cotton - $5,005,000
• Grains - $7,357,000
• Grain-sheep and grainbeef - $39,476,000
• Marine - $5,923,000
• Sugar - $3,195,000
The key risks of death and
injury in each sector:
• Cotton – motor vehicles
(including utes, cars, quads,
trucks), electricity.
• Grain – motor vehicles (including
utes, cars, quads, trucks), grain
augers/PTOs, electricity.
• Marine – drowning, diving.
• Sugar – tractors (rollover/
run-over/ collision), motor
vehicles (including utes,
quads, haul out trucks).
In the sugar industry 1,506 weeks of
productive time were calculated to
have been lost. That relates to 89 weeks
lost per 1,000 employees which rates
as the best performance of all the
industries considered in the report.
“It’s important to remember that workers
FRPSHQVDWLRQGDWDVLJQLÀFDQWO\XQGHU
estimates the burden of injuries – in fact
probably only 50-60% of the true cost –
due to people who don’t report incidents
or make a claim. On top of that, it doesn’t
capture any injuries to non-workers like
children or visitors to a farm or boat.
• Aquaculture - $14,065,000
• Aquaculture – drowning,
diving, electricity (pumps/
aerators), quads.
“On average, there were almost 50,000
weeks of work lost each year across
the included industries. This means
about 930 people were off work due
to injury every week,” Mr Lower said.
´:KLOHWKHUHKDYHEHHQVLJQLÀFDQW
improvements in workplace health and
safety (WHS) in primary production
over the past 20 years, there is still a lot
of work to be done,” Mr Lower said.
Costs associated with injury
claims, 2008-09 to 2011-12:
Report author Tony Lower of the
Australian Centre for Agricultural
Health and Safety.
<RXFDQÀQGWKHIXOOUHSRUW
here: https://rirdc.infoservices.
com.au/items/14-127
Cumulative incidence of weeks lost for all claims by
industry sector for the period 2008–09 to 2011–12
Industry class
Total All Claims
(Weeks Lost)
Incidence of
Weeks Lost / 1,000
employees
Cotton
2,077
387
Grain growing
3,696
135
Grain-sheep & Grain-beef
21,211
445
Sugar
1,506
89
All Agriculture
182,559
310
Aquaculture
7,338
348
Marine
3,735
826
Source: ABS & Safe Work Australia 2014[5]
10 Australian Canegrower | 30 March 2015
INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT
Shirtan ® - is its future limited?
By Matt Kealley, Senior Manager – Environment,
CANEGROWERS
The Australian cane industry uses only one fungicide product that
contains mercury. This is a liquid fungicide product that contains
120 g/L mercury present as methoxy ethyl mercuric chloride. The
trade name is Shirtan® and its future availability may be limited.
In October 2013, the Australian
Government signed the Minimata
Convention on mercury. The treaty’s
objective is to protect human
health and the environment from
emissions and releases of mercury
and mercury compounds. The treaty
listed a range of mercury added
products which included mercuryadded pesticides. Shirtan® is one
RIWKHP8QGHUWKHUDWLÀFDWLRQ
of the treaty, these products are
due to be phase-out by 2020.
This creates a dilemma for
the cane industry.
Shirtan® is registered for the control
of pineapple sett rot of sugarcane,
also known as pineapple disease and
is particularly effective in controlling
the disease. The disease is caused by
the fungus Ceratocyctis paradoxa and
is favoured by planting damaged setts
in cold, dry or wet soil conditions.
Symptoms are a reddening and
blackening of internal sett tissue.
As growers know, planting and crop
establishment is the most expensive
operation on a sugarcane farm and
failure of establishment can severely
DIIHFWWKHLUÀQDQFHV7RPD[LPLVH\LHOG
cane needs to be planted at a time
which will give the young developing
crop the best chance of establishing
LQWRDSURÀWDEOHSODQWFURS²WKLVLV
generally when soil temperatures are
above 18°C at the planting depth.
Shirtan® is widely used by growers
as it stimulates rapid germination of
sugarcane in addition to protecting
against pineapple sett rot. One
difference growers comment on
is that a mercurial treated crops
gets out of the ground faster under
poor environmental conditions.
This is extremely important in
some years and districts. No other
product or fungicide provides a
similar stimulation of germination.
This stimulation of germination has
been repeatedly demonstrated in
replicated research experiments.
However, the Minimata Convention
on Mercury may mean the
future use of Shirtan is limited.
CANEGROWERS understands the
risks that mercury poses to human
health and the environment, even
at low concentrations, however
the science indicates the risk in the
cane industry is well managed.
Growers using Shirtan® will only
apply the chemical to an individual
ÀHOGRQFHHYHU\\HDUV
and provided to the APVMA. The
2012 APVMA report outlined there
was no evidence to show the use of
Shirtan® in sugarcane was leading to
an accumulation of mercury in the soil.
So where to from here?
CANEGROWERS has provided a
submission to the consultation on
$XVWUDOLD·VSRVVLEOHUDWLÀFDWLRQRIWKH
Minimata Convention. CANEGROWERS
considers Shirtan® to be an important
fungicide for the cane industry and its
use pattern in cane poses a negligible
risk to human health and the
environment. CANEGROWERS believes
its availability should be maintained
and not phased-out after 2020.
The next steps for the Australian
Government are to consider the
submissions. The submission
is available on the link below.
CANEGROWERS will provide further
information as it comes to hand. „
The average sale of Shirtan® between
2002 and 2011 was 37,684 L which
Sugar Research Australia estimates
would treat approximately 80% of the
70,000 ha of sugarcane planted each
year in Australia. Recent advice from
Crop Care indicates the average usage
of Shirtan ® between 2011-2014 is
44,000 L per annum which would treat
around 77,000ha (77%) of plant cane.
The cane industry’s research arm
Sugar Research Australia, does
not know of any data that shows a
VLJQLÀFDQWLQFUHDVHLQPHUFXU\LQVRLOV
in sugarcane growing regions from
the use of the fungicide. To support
this, Crop Care, the company that
owns Shirtan®, has a requirement
of registration that it undertakes
soil monitoring of mercury levels.
Crop Care has been doing this for
around 20 years and soil samples are
collected on a 5 year rolling basis
Industry Spotlight sponsored by Smartcane BMP
'Pineapple disease' caused by
Ceratocystis paradoxa.
30 March 2015
| Australian Canegrower 11
QSL
SIGN UP FOR MARKET UPDATES AND QSL NEWS AT WWW.QSL.COM.AU
ICE No.11 Prompt Futures Contract
20.0
19.0
Market Update
By Ginette Barrett, Treasury Manager
18.0
Current as of 23 March 2015
17.0
Market Commentary
16.0
Sugar
15.0
,W·VEHHQDYRODWLOHIRUWQLJKWIRUWKHUDZVXJDUPDUNHWDVLWÁXFWXDWHGEDFNDQG
forth without any true sugar fundamentals guiding its direction. The MAY15
contract traded from a high of 13.56c/lb to a new life-of-contract low of 12.39 c/
lb, while the rest of the board also slumped to new life-of-contract lows. Even
though the market was volatile it managed to only lose two points over the week
to close the fortnight at 12.68c/lb for the MAY15 position.
14.0
13.0
12.0
Australian Dollar (AUD v USD)
0.98
0.96
0.94
0.92
With no fundamental news to guide the sugar market it tracked very closely to
the Brazilian Real. The Real suffered over the fortnight, trading to a 12-year low
against the US dollar at 3.3162, triggering sugar to follow in its footsteps down.
$VWKH5HDOÁXFWXDWHGEDFNDQGIRUWKVXJDUDOVRIROORZHGWKHUROOHUFRDVWHU7KH
Real managed to turn itself around against the US Dollar on Friday night, giving
sugar the boost it needed to hold its ground and take back some gains.
,QWKHÀHOGWKHUDLQKDVFRQWLQXHGLQ&HQWUH6RXWK%UD]LOSURYLGLQJSHUIHFW
conditions for the harvest and prompting approximately 16 mills out of some 370
mills to start crushing early. These mills tend to make ethanol and the immature
cane is best suited for distilling, giving them some early revenue. The remainder
of the mills will hold out until April in the hope the weather will enhance the sugar
yield of the cane. Final sugar tonnage is still up in the air with a range of 31-33.5
million tonnes or somewhere in between. This will remain a key risk to monitor in
DFKLHYLQJWKHIRUHFDVWGHÀFLWLQ4
0.90
0.88
0.86
0.84
0.82
0.80
0.78
0.76
2YHUDOOWKHUDZVXJDUIXWXUHVZLOOUHPDLQXQGHUSUHVVXUHDV%UD]LOÀJKWVWREULQJ
its currency under control and the world surplus continues to weigh on the
PDUNHW7KHUHGXFHGVWRFNOHYHOVDQGDQ\LQGLFDWLRQVRIDGHÀFLWIRUVXJDUZRQ·W
become evident until towards the end of 2015 calendar year.
QSL Forward Fixed Price Contract (A$/mt)
510
Currency
Currencies have traded a volatile fortnight, with the Aussie dollar trading from a
low of 0.7561 to a high of 0.7848 on the back of US Dollar data. The Federal Open
Market Committee meet last week and surprised the markets, removing the word
“patient” from its statement while also lowering the expected rate increases for
2015 from 1.125% to 0.625%. The USD ground lower as the market digested the
statement, realising it will be a longer wait before rate rises in the US. The USD
didn’t stay down for long, pushing back on the market to hold its ground.
490
470
450
430
With all commodity currencies (including the AUD and BRL) remaining under
immense pressure against the USD, sugar returns continue to remain fairly stable
as the fall in the AUD offsets the fall in raw sugar prices. This dynamic will be key
for sugar exporters as the world adapts to a return to a USD-dominated world
economy.
410
390
2015
2016
2017
Data source: QSL Daily Market Report (Futures
and Currency) & QSL Daily Indicative Prices
12 Australian Canegrower | 30 March 2015
While all care is taken in the preparation of this report the reliability or accuracy of the
information provided in the document is not guaranteed. QSL does not accept any responsibility
to any person for the decisions and actions taken by that person with respect to any of the
information contained in this report.
QSL
QSL: WORKING FOR YOU
New season marked by market lows
By Dougall Lodge, QSL General
Manager Trading and Risk
It’s been a tough start to the 2015
season from a pricing perspective,
with both the world sugar market and
foreign exchange markets very volatile
since QSL’s 2015 pricing pools opened
on 1 March. We’ve seen the July 15
futures position move from A$401
per metric tonne to A$370/mt on the
back of an ICE #11 price moving in a
range from 13.90c/lb down to 12.70c/
lb and the Australian dollar trading
between $US0.7590 to $US0.7850.
The QSL team was expecting some
of this downward market movement
and so we have been taking action to
protect the 2015 pools. We were able
to price some sugar at the relatively
higher prices available early in the
month and this has helped put some
protection in place. Both our Actively
Managed Pool and 2016 2-year
Forward Pool have had around 20 per
cent of their volumes priced, while
the Guaranteed Floor Pool has had its
Absolutely Floor locked in at A$420/mt.
On the sales side for 2015, QSL is
almost fully sold to our key customers
in Korea and Indonesia, with only a
relatively small amount of unsold sugar
and the production buffer remaining.
The physical market is oversupplied,
so it is times like this that the high
quality of Queensland sugar and our
strong historical relationships with
customers become very important.
At a macro level, the US Dollar has
been on a very strong run in the last
couple of months, which has helped
push the Aussie dollar down and has
also seen the Brazilian Real drop to
its lowest levels in 12 years. In the last
year the USD/BRL exchange rate has
moved from around 2.20 BRL/USD to
the recent lows of 3.30 BRL/USD – a
reduction of about 50%. This reduction
has meant that Brazilian millers are
receiving better returns for their export
sugar in local currency terms, despite
the fall in the sugar market. Most other
USD-based commodity prices have
also been on a downtrend following
the higher USD environment. The
speculators in the commodity markets
have been quite active in putting
on sold positions due to the bearish
macro view. They will need to buy back
their sold positions at some point in
the next month or so, which could
potentially trigger a sharp reversal
in the current downward trend.
Looking ahead
From a fundamental perspective,
despite the outlook of the global
supply and demand returning to a
balanced position or even a slight
GHÀFLWWKHFDUU\RYHURISURGXFWLRQ
surpluses from the last few years and
current relatively high stock levels
at origin and destination look set to
keep pressure on raw sugar prices. The
outlook for the 2015 season is shaping
up to be similar to 2014, when we saw
the cost of carrying sugar at origin
EHLQJUHÁHFWHGLQWKHIXWXUHSRVLWLRQV
which will be encouraging producers
in Thailand and Brazil to maximize
their storage in the expectation
of better returns at a later date.
Meanwhile India’s crop is on track
for around 27 million tonnes of
production. The Indian government
FRQÀUPHGLQODWH)HEUXDU\WKDWLW
will be providing an export subsidy
to help support the local producers.
In response, the Australian Sugar
Industry Alliance has been working
with the Australian government to
communicate that we believe this
to be a violation of India’s World
Trade Organisation commitments.
Over the next month, the key risks to
look out for from a world sugar price
perspective will be a potential further
strengthening of the US dollar if the
expectations of an interest rate rise
for the USA move forward, and any
major movements in the BRL. Brazilian
economic stability and the volatility
of the BRL are also going to be critical
to ICE#11 sugar price movements.
Fundamentally, any additional import
permits from Indonesia and additional
consumption in China could lead to a
turnaround in sugar prices, otherwise
weak offtake and further stock
build-up is expected. The speculators
will be watching all of these items
very closely and if they switch their
positions from sold back to neutral
or to bought, then this move in itself
could also trigger a move back up. „
Thailand’s 2014/15 crop has been
proceeding very well with an expected
output of around 100 million tonnes
of cane, and while there has now
been over 9 million tonnes of sugar
produced already, only a small portion
of this has been shipped so far. With
solid rains over the past couple of
months, Brazil’s crop is on track to
recover to levels of around 580-590
million tonnes of cane. With the
weaker BRL, we would now expect that
the production mix will potentially
swing to being more focused on
sugar vs ethanol than earlier planned.
30 March 2015
| Australian Canegrower 13
WHAT’S NEW
Keep fuel tax credits so farmers are not
double taxed
A new publication released this month
shows why the fuel excise introduced to
contribute to the cost of building public
roads should not apply to diesel used
off-road or in off-grid power generation.
It also argues that the tax provisions
are founded on a fundamental
principle of sound tax policy, namely
taxes on intermediate business inputs
DUHLQHIÀFLHQWDQGGLVWRUWLRQDU\
The publication, Powering Regional
Australia: The Case for Fuel Tax Credits,
was put together by an alliance of
groups who saw the need to promote
a balanced and informed debate
on the purpose and impact of the
Fuel Tax Credits System (FTCS).
Amongst the coalition, which
formed to set the record straight
on the case for the fuel tax credits
scheme, also commonly known as
the diesel fuel rebate were groups
IURPWKHDJULFXOWXUDOÀVKLQJIRUHVWU\
tourism and resources sectors.
CANEGROWERS contributed a sugar
focus to the publication, keen to dispel
the myth that it was just another subsidy.
“The diesel excise rebate is not a subsidy
or a handout as the excise paid on diesel
was originally introduced to pay for road
infrastructure. To put it simply we don’t
pump water on public roads and we
only receive the rebate for off-road use,”
says Burn Ashburner, CANEGROWERS
Senior Manager – Industry.
Burn says the tax was designed
VSHFLÀFDOO\IRUWKHPDLQWHQDQFH
of public roads.
“So it is clear that the fuel tax
credit is a genuine rebate on the
tax paid in the fuel price which
has no bearing on the sugar cane
industry fuel users,” Burn says.
“A prime example of this is the fact
the rail system for transporting
sugarcane to the sugar mill is entirely
privately owned and run, although it
KDVVLJQLÀFDQWSXEOLFEHQHÀWDQGQR
direct impact on the road system.
“For the sugar industry to maintain
its world competitive position it is
essential that unfair and unnecessary
taxes are not levied on the industry.”
It is clear that it makes no sense to
impose an effective road user charge
LQWKHIRUPRIIXHOH[FLVHRQÀVKLQJ
trawlers, harvesting equipment
or diesel generators powering
community facilities such as hospitals,
schools and tourist accommodation
located off the electricity grid.
To do so would represent a large
and unfair super tax on regional
and remote Australia. „
A free copy can be downloaded from
the CANEGROWERS website: www.
canegrowers.com.au/page/downloads
Sugar industry plans
for banana disease
Representatives from the sugar
industry are meeting with the
Australian Banana Growers Council
and Biosecurity Queensland to get
an understanding of the issues that
will arise due to the discovery of
Panama Tropical Race 4 (TR4) disease
in banana plants in the Tully Valley.
The banana industry has adopted
stringent on-farm biosecurity
protocols aimed at restricting
the movement of machinery and
people on and off banana farms.
TR4 only affects banana plants
by entering through the roots
and stopping the uptake of water,
eventually killing the plant.
It is expected the sugar industry
will be impacted during the
harvest season through the
movement of cane harvesters and
haulouts along with associated
services and support vehicles.
The sugar industry is assisting
with a set of protocols that will
be developed for contractors
and cane farming operations to
follow. Millers are also developing
protocols for movement of cane
trains and maintenance of the
rail lines, some of which traverse
through banana paddocks.
All properties with bananas
are being urged to:
Tom Chesson, CEO of the National
Irrigators’ Council, agrees. “Any
Government cuts to the scheme would
be greeted with dismay by irrigated
agriculture that is already reeling from
the high cost of energy,” he says.
• Make sure all workers are
familiar with the symptoms of
Panama disease, and check the
crop regularly for the disease
Burn Ashburner says that the sugar
industry pays some $34 million per
annum in tax on fuel which is used
in vehicles, pumps and locomotives
which do not use public roads.
• Use clean planting material and
ensure all other farm inputs
are disease free. Tissue culture
plants are recommended
The issue was picked up in a Senate
hearing in 2014 where a senior Treasury
RIÀFLDOWROGWKHKHDULQJ´WKHSULQFLSDO
rationale behind the fuel tax credit
system … was to ensure that a number
of industries that used fuel off road
were not subject to double tax.”
14 Australian Canegrower | 30 March 2015
• If Panama disease is suspected
– report it immediately
• Take care to prevent the entry of
Panama disease onto the farm
by preventing all unnecessary
visits and ensuring that workers,
visitors, vehicles and equipment
are decontaminated before they
enter and leave your farm. „
SNAPSHOT | SRA
Autumn planting and canegrub control
%\3KLO5RVV65$'HYHORSPHQW2IÀFHU
Weed and Pest Management
Thinking of autumn planting?
Make the right decision
for canegrub control
OK, you’ve decided whether or not
you need to treat for canegrubs.
The next decision is when to apply
an insecticide and what product
formulation you will use.
Nuprid®, is imidacloprid. All active
ingredients degrade and lose their
concentration in the soil over time.
A minimum concentration of active
ingredient is needed for effective
canegrub control; this can be different
for different canegrub species.
For autumn planting, you should
consider both canegrub species and
when you expect an infestation.
The controlled release formulation of
imidacloprid, suSCon® maxi, protects
the imidacloprid inside the granule
from degradation but it still begins
to degrade as soon as it is released
into the soil. Hence, for liquids always
apply as close to the anticipated
infestation period as possible.
9JCVŏUVJGUKIPKſECPEGQHVKOKPI!
Two-year canegrubs
The active ingredient in canegrub
insecticides, such as suSCon®
PD[L&RQÀGRU‹6HQDWRU‹DQG
If you usually have two-year canegrubs,
such as French’s or negatoria, you
will need to treat at planting because
Two-year canegrubs - Chart 1
there are usually enough survivors
after a fallow to cause damage to the
newly emerging plant cane in autumn.
If you want to control only existing
grubs at planting then a liquid product
OLNH&RQÀGRU‹ZLOOZRUN+RZHYHU
if you want to also control the next
generation of grubs from December
2015 to June in 2016, you are better
off using suSCon maxi® to ensure
there is enough active ingredient in
the soil at that time (see chart 1).
One-year canegrubs
If one-year canegrubs, such as
greyback or southern one-year, are
your problem you have some added
ÁH[LELOLW\LQWLPLQJDQGFKRLFHRISURGXFW
formulation. Assuming that your fallow
blocks were clean, the next infestation
period of one-year grubs won’t be
until December 2015 to June 2016. This
means that 10 months could elapse
IURPSODQWLQJLQDXWXPQWRWKHÀUVW
damage. You will then need another
ÀYHWRVL[PRQWKVSURWHFWLRQGXULQJ
the infestation period (see chart 2).
In this case you should not apply
liquid formulations at planting,
but rather apply them as late as
SRVVLEOHHLWKHUDWÀOOLQRUKLOOXS
If you want to apply your canegrub
treatment at autumn planting then use
the controlled release suSCon® maxi. „
One-year canegrubs - Chart 2
Canegrub
30 March 2015
| Australian Canegrower 15
ON FARM
Stephen Accornero has a trial dry land rice crop on his Herbert River district
farm. It was planted in February and should be ready for harvest early June.
Herbert dry land rice trial Q&A
There were plenty of questions when the Women in Sugar Australia
FRQIHUHQFHÀHOGWULSSXOOHGXSEHVLGH6WHSKHQ$QQDOLVDDQG%UHQGHQ
$FFRUQHUR·VULFHWULDOMXVWRXWVLGHRI,QJKDP,W·VWKHÀUVWULFHFURSLQWKH
Herbert River district and part of a SunRice target to encourage production
of the grain in north and central Queensland in the 2015 season.
Stephen Accornero, cane farmer
When was the rice planted?
The rice was planted 5 February, 2015.
SunRice brought a planter up from the
Burdekin to plant rice in the Tully and
Euramo areas and then planted ours on
the way back to the Burdekin. SunRice
provided the seed and we supplied our
tractor, fuel and fertiliser. Steven Rogers
(of SunRice) and Brenden did the work.
What ground preparation
was needed?
The cane paddock was harvested in
the 2014 season and then offset twice
to remove stool and bed form. This
was followed by a herbicide spray
to remove weeds and residual cane
with Stomp and Stam. Caterpillar
damage has been minimal and did
QRWUHTXLUHVSHFLÀFPDQDJHPHQW
Does it need fertiliser?
just before the rice planting. This is in
line with our usual fallow procedure
for cane and soybeans on this Forest
Home farm. The rice was then planted
in rows on the beds and interspace.
Fertiliser application (depending on soil
WHVWVVSHFLÀFWRULFHJURZLQJLVGRQH
prior to the planting of rice and then
two follow-up applications are done
according to a rice calendar schedule.
What pests or threats do you
need to watch out for?
Does the rice do anything to
prepare/improve the ground for
the cane which will follow?
Ducks and geese have made their
presence felt by eating any residual
grain before germination and after
the plant shoots they like to eat
the growing point. However, we
have been able to persuade them
that they should move on.
Now that it’s growing, caterpillars and
weeds appear to be a problem. As per
SunRice advice, weed management
was undertaken on 20 February
16 Australian Canegrower | 30 March 2015
To our limited knowledge, the rice will
obviously provide a break crop rotation.
After harvesting, the remaining stubble
LVKLJKLQVLOLFDZKLFKLVEHQHÀFLDOWR
VLOLFDGHÀFLHQWVRLOV:HDUHWKHRQO\
farmers in this district at present
trialling dryland rice and therefore
knowledge is somewhat limited in
the aspect of soil improvement or
EHQHÀWV3DGG\ÀHOGULFHKDGSUHYLRXVO\
been grown by cane farmers in the f
ON FARM
district approximately 20 years ago
but proved unsuccessful as a crop.
When is the trial rice going
to be ready for harvest?
It is expected that we will harvest
WKHFURSLQWKHÀUVWRUVHFRQGZHHN
in June. We have our own harvester
which is used to harvest our other
grain crops and we are able to
use the same machinery for rice.
The rice will be transported to the
Burdekin for processing. SunRice will
organise harvesting and transport
for farmers, however, as we have
existing equipment we envisage
costs will be less for us which should
UHVXOWLQKLJKHUSURÀWDELOLW\
As this is a trial, what will
you be looking at in deciding
if it’s something you will
repeat in the future?
The major factors for us to consider
for the future would be:
• SURÀWDELOLW\
• VRLOEHQHÀWVIRUFDQH
• suitability to present farm
management practices,
• GLYHUVLÀFDWLRQDQG
• crop risk management (i.e.
different income stream).
Steve Rogers, SunRice
In which areas is rice being grown
on cane farms and how much
has been planted this season?
Rice is and has been in production in
areas from Lakeland in the north to
Dirranbandi in the south for the past
ÀYH\HDUV&XUUHQWO\RXUIRFXVLVRQ
rice production in north and central
Queensland including rainfed rice crops
in the Herbert and Tully regions. SunRice
is targeting up to 1,500 hectares for the
2015 season with 400 hectares currently
under production in the Burdekin,
Mackay, Ingham and Tully areas.
Why is SunRice recruiting cane
farmers to expand rice production?
SunRice’s entry to north Queensland
offers a complementary crop for
growers to include in their farming
system. For example, aerobic rice can be
grown in rotation with other crops, such
as sugarcane, easily without any hassles
of having to change the layout of the
IDUPDQGRIIHUVPDQ\EHQHÀWVLQFOXGLQJ
improving soil nutrition and managing
disease in addition to providing another
high value cropping option. Aerobic
rice is grown using similar practices
and often with the same machinery
they use for cane production. Prior to
SunRice’s entry to north Queensland,
growers didn’t have a lot of options to
diversify their farming business whilst
still being able to use the land for other
crops such as cane and now they do
with a local, Australian owned company.
+RZGR\RXVHHULFHÀWWLQJLQWR
the operations of a cane farm?
Rice, depending on irrigation
capabilities, can be grown twice a year
over the dry season and wet season.
The dry season is planted in July and
harvested in December and the wet
season crop is planted in January and
harvested in May. Rainfed rice (in areas
such as Tully and Ingham) can only be
grown over the wet season. This gives
JURZHUVÁH[LELOLW\WRLQFOXGHULFHLQWR
their crop rotation in a manner that
best suits their farming operation.
As a high value crop, growers can
see returns from their rice crop of
XSWRKHFWDUHVLQSURÀW
:KDWEHQHÀWVGRHVJURZLQJULFH
provide to a cane farming business?
'LYHUVLÀFDWLRQWKHEHVWZD\WKDWULFH
complements the cane farming business
LVWKHRIIVHDVRQFDVKÁRZ5LFHLVD
IRXUWRÀYHPRQWKFURSVRWKHIDUPHU
is seeing returns back from the crop
within six months from planting and full
payment by nine months. Agronomically,
rice, used as a cereal rotational crop,
has a place in any farming system
with good stubble management and
disease prevention. Also it gives growers
a chance to use different chemicals
other then what is used in sugarcane
which helps with persistent weeds.
What varieties are suitable to
be grown on cane farms – with
irrigation, without irrigation?
SunRice already has proven varieties
that can be both grown in an irrigated
or non-irrigated aerobic farming system.
The company is committed to R&D
to test new rice varieties and improve
IDUPLQJHIÀFLHQF\LQ4XHHQVODQG
6LJQLÀFDQWWULDOZRUNLVDOUHDG\XQGHUZD\
funded by SunRice’s subsidiary Rice
Research Australia Pty Ltd (RRAPL)
with assistance from growers,
Farmacist and T.R.A.P Services. „
Stephen Accornero answers questions during the
:RPHQLQ6XJDU$XVWUDOLDFRQIHUHQFHÀHOGWULS
30 March 2015
| Australian Canegrower 17
WOMEN IN SUGAR
Herbert seeks yield improvements
The Herbert River cane growing district
is looking to a number of factors to drive
yield improvements over coming years.
As the Women in Sugar Australia
conference delegates gathered in Ingham
recently, the Sugar Research Australia
variety program review team was also
in town assessing the effectiveness of
the current program for the Herbert
and to report on recommended
changes and improvements.
CANEGROWERS Herbert River Chairman
Steve Guazzo said the district’s ten
year average had been sitting at 83
tonnes per hectare but in recent
years had only managed 74 t/ha.
In his own family’s operation he’s
seen his production drop from an
average of around 18,000 to 14,000.
“I think varieties have contributed to
this,” Steve said. “I think the varieties we
have at the moment don’t seem to be
producing well for our situation – dryland
farming with about 70% clay-based soils.
“The varieties are just not robust
for the conditions we have here.”
The other big factor is Yellow
Canopy Syndrome.
“We have a fair bit of YCS around
the place. The effects of that are
not yet well understood but there is
productivity loss even if the crop is
not visibly really yellow,” Steve said.
“It’s not just affecting the tonnes, the
growth, but it’s affecting the CCS.
Both the sugar content and the tonnes
are down,” he said. “The biggest
frustration is the not understanding
what we’re dealing with.”
Some Herbert district growers are
reporting that 2014 was their worst
season ever because of YCS and are
pinning their hopes for an answer
to the condition on the three major
projects underway within SRA.
“We’re all working feverishly to try to
ÀQGWKHDQVZHUWRWKLVEHFDXVHLW·VDELJ
issue for us and it’s been spreading south
– it’s become a real thorn in our side.”
Steve Guazzo also estimated the
district lost close to 10% of its cane
production when land was bought up
and planted to forestry by a number
of managed investment schemes.
These have since folded and the
land has been sold back to farmers
and is being put back under cane.
CANEGROWERS Herbert River Chairman Steve Guazzo addresses the Women in
Sugar Australia conference in Ingham.
18 Australian Canegrower | 30 March 2015
“Around half a million tonnes of cane
was lost to these MIS schemes, so that
was a real challenge for us,” Steve said.
Despite these factors, in addressing
the Women in Sugar Australia
conference, Steve Guazzo was
upbeat about the future.
“While many crops have been
tried here, sugarcane is the one
which has most consistently done
well in this district,” he said. „
WOMEN IN SUGAR
$OOVHWIRUWKHFRQIHUHQFHÀHOGWULSDWWKH:RPHQLQ6XJDUFRQIHUHQFHLQ,QJKDP
Women in Sugar 2015
By Neroli Roocke
Taking inspiration from the acronym
of the hosting group, Women in Sugar
Herbert, the CANEGROWERS Herbert
River Chairman Steve Guazzo opened
the 2015 Women in Sugar Australia
conference in Ingham with three wishes
– for rain, better sugar prices and a
successful couple of conference days.
By the time the 100 or so delegates
prepared to head home, two out of
the three wishes had been granted.
On the evening of the conference
dinner, the heavens opened and the
best rain for more than a month fell
on the dryland cropping region with
many growers going on to record
more than 100mm over the following
days. And the conference was indeed a
good couple of days for all involved!
In his opening talk, CANEGROWERS
Herbert River Chairman Steve Guazzo
told the group the area has faced many
challenges and changes since agriculture
ZDVÀUVWVWDUWHG&XUUHQWO\WKHUHDUH
around 550 family farmers working
65,000 hectares in the district and
supplying the two Wilmar-owned mills.
“Our best crop ever was 5.55 million
tonnes in 2005, but since then we’ve
KDGDGLIÀFXOWUXQLQFOXGLQJF\FORQHV
and smut which meant we lost some
of our sweeter varieties,” he said. “We
also have Yellow Canopy Syndrome
here and a few very low production
years so we are working very hard
to overcome these factors.”
Referencing the conference theme of
‘Working Together to Move Forward’,
Steve Guazzo outlined the structural
changes which have occurred
within CANEGROWERS and how
they were helping the organisation
focus on the challenging issues of
marketing, environmental regulation
and costs such as electricity.
“All of these issues are very serious
for every cane grower – so we’ve
been working with other groups
such as ACFA on these big issues. We
need to unify our efforts so we can
impress on government that we are
serious about these issues and they
are really important to us,” he said.
The management of farm businesses
was a particular focus of this year’s
conference with presentations from
QSL on the world sugar market
and on insurance, superannuation
and succession planning (these will
be featured in a coming edition of
Australian Canegrower). A presentation
RQÀWQHVVJRWHYHU\RQHXSDQGRXWRI
their chairs, laughing, for some exercise,
while a touching and personal story
from a local woman sought to inspire a
new commitment to organ donation.
Day two of the conference is
traditionally a bus trip and this year’s
offered new experiences and sights.
7KHÀUVWVWRSDWWKHFRPPXQLW\
mosaic mural being constructed
along the wall of one of the town’s
buildings depicts the sugarcane
industry’s place in the region’s history
(previously featured in the 16/2/2015
edition of Australian Canegrower).
Many photographs were taken with
women from other regions taking
inspiration from the story of f
30 March 2015
| Australian Canegrower 19
WOMEN IN SUGAR
how people of all ages have been
involved in creating a lasting and
beautiful addition to the town.
A quick visit to the soaring eagle of
the Alpini Monument in the town’s
lush Botanical Gardens gave Mario
Torrisi the opportunity to talk about
the Ingham district’s two waves of
,WDOLDQPLJUDWLRQ²WKHÀUVWLQWKHYHU\
early years of the 20th Century and
then after World War Two. Many of the
ZRPHQLQWKHJURXSZHUHDEOHWRÀQG
familiar names and family connections
on the adjacent Settler’s Wall.
After viewing the Accornero family’s
trial rice crop (an unusual sight in
the Herbert and part of a SunRice
effort to see more of the grain
grown in Queensland – see story
on page 16) the group departed for
the Lucinda Bulk Sugar Terminal.
The blustery rain and wind didn’t deter
the enthusiasm of the women for the
almost 5.7km drive out to the very end
of the pier. It’s the longest jetty in the
southern hemisphere and the weather
meant that the mainland was almost
invisible when looking back from the
wharf. The QSL guides explained the
logistics and process of receiving,
storing and then loading the massive
conveyor belts to transport the sugar
out to waiting ships for export.
7KHÀQDOVWRSZDVOXQFKLQ+DOLID[
and a look through the local museum.
The conference ended with fond
farewells to old and new friends, a
rousing vote of thanks to the local
WISH organising committee and
a vow to meet again in 2016. „
Mario Torrisi tells the WISA conference delegates about the Herbert River district’s
Italian heritage at the Settler’s Wall and Alpini Monument in the Botanic Gardens.
Looking 6km back to shore from the end of the Lucinda Bulk Sugar Terminal jetty, wearing the full safety kit including life jackets!
20 Australian Canegrower | 30 March 2015
ON FARM
Lifetime award for innovative machinery maker
On Australia Day this year he was given
the 2015 Lifetime Contribution Award by
the Cassowary Coast Regional Council.
We are all very proud of him. „
Hans Binder has spent 40 years making machinery for the sugarcane
industry and on Australia Day 2015, the 81 year old was honoured by
the Cassowary Coast Regional Council with a Lifetime Contribution
Award. His daughter Teresa Turner writes about her father.
My father, Hans Binder, arrived on
Australia Day in 1957 from Austria as a
TXDOLÀHGÀWWHUDQGWXUQHU$IWHUZRUNLQJ
on a cane farm and in local engineering
shops he started his own business
HB Machinery in Wangan in 1960.
Remembering the unpleasant job of
walking behind a Caterpillar tractor
struggling with a Cotton King made for
horses and putting wood under truckwheels, he set out to develop better
machinery. To improve the hauling
capability of cane trucks in the hills he
made trailers with winches and hydraulic
UDLOV,QKHVROGKLVÀUVWWZR
man fed cane planter which doubled
the acres of cane planted per day.
As larger tractors became available,
he doubled fertiliser application,
PDNLQJWKHÀUVWJURXQGZKHHOGULYHQ
double-row fertiliser spreaders.
'XULQJWKHVKHPDGHWKHÀUVW
commercially available side-tipping
cane bin trailer for farmers in Mossman
DQGKLVÀUVWELOOHWSODQWHUZDVEDVHG
on ideas from Massey Ferguson and
3RSSXOLQ+HPDGHWKHÀUVWGRXEOH
row billet planter for M Perone and the
ÀUVWVHOISURSHOOHGSODQWHUVIRUMick
Reitano and Ray Arcidiacono in Tully.
Fertilser spreaders, billet planters and side
tippers based on my father’s concepts have
become, and still are, the industry standard.
My father has sold planters to Florida,
Taiwan, Mexico, Columbia, Nicaragua
and China. He has held a number of
patents and trained many apprentices.
Getting to know you
This column is about putting faces to names. Second in line for Australian Canegrower
PDJD]LQHLVRXU&KLHI)LQDQFLDO2IÀFHUDQG+5PDQDJHU-RGLH0LWWHOKHXVHU
What's your role in CANEGROWERS?
$V&KLHI)LQDQFLDO2IÀFHU,DPUHVSRQVLEOH
IRUPDQDJLQJWKHÀQDQFLDOULVNVRIWKH
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reporting requirements and supervision
RIWKHÀQDQFHDQGDGPLQLVWUDWLRQWHDP
I work closely with the CEO and the
Board to assist on all strategic matters
as they relate to budget management,
forecasting needs and funding
requirements. I am also the Human
Resources Manager for the organisation.
What's the most rewarding
part of your job?
I have an obvious passion for numbers
DQGLQWKLVMRE,JHWWRZRUNZLWKÀJXUHV
everyday. My role is varied, no two days are
the same. My day is spent working closely
DFURVVDOOEXVLQHVVXQLWVZLWKLQRXURIÀFHVR
I keep up to speed with what is happening
in areas outside of the Finance team. I enjoy
the regular contact I have with district
staff, and I love to hear the stories about
our members, or even take a call when a
JURZHUSKRQHVWKURXJKWRWKHRIÀFH
What do you see are the challenges?
/RQJWHUPÀQDQFLDOVXVWDLQDELOLW\LVD
challenge as membership organisations
strive to minimise levies and maximise
service. An organisation such as ours
has its key input of staff, needed to
represent the growers, and the challenge
being this is the largest cost to the
organisation. So getting the balance
right of being able to service the growers
and industry well, plus keep costs to a
acceptable level is a key challenge.
the moment, so any spare time is often
used looking at landscaping ideas, wall
FRORXUVRUÁRRUÀQLVKLQJV0\IDPLO\
and I love to get out and camp when we
can. The dog gets to tag along, dirt bike
riding for the boys is also usually on the
agenda. My husband, having grown up on
a cane farm at Cordalba (Isis region), has
a passion for motor bikes and our son is
following in his footsteps, having ridden
GLUWELNHVVLQFHKHZDVÀYH\HDUVROG„
:KHUHDQGZKDWZDV\RXUÀUVWSDLGMRE"
0\ÀUVWSD\LQJMREZDVZRUNLQJIRUD
photo developing store when I was 16 back in the day when you would take your
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,ZRXOGGHYHORSWKDWÀOP,WZDVDYDULHG
and sometimes 'interesting' job which
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DQGVWDUWHGXQLYHUVLW\0\ÀUVWMREDVDQ
Accountant was straight out of University
working for KPMG Chartered Accountants
within the audit division. I loved this job,
it was varied, challenging and came with a
huge learning curve. I spent six years with
KPMG before I moved to London where I
made the shift to work within Commerce.
What do you like to do on weekends?
My weekends are busy taking my two
school age children to their weekly
sporting or dancing events. We are also
in the process of building a new home at
Jodie Mittelheuser
30 March 2015
| Australian Canegrower 21
CLASSIFIEDS
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Book online anytime of the day or night at www.canegrowers.
com.au or email us at ads@CANEGROWERS.com.au.
Next deadline is 3 April 2015.
*As a FREE service to CANEGROWERS members, Australian Canegrower will print suitable
FODVVLÀHGDGYHUWLVHPHQWVUP TO 5 LINES FREE, FOR ONE ISSUE ONLY. A charge of $5. 50
will apply for each extra line or part thereof. A charge will apply for advertising of noncane growing activities. Advertisements must relate exclusively to cane farming activities,
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incl GST. Only pre-paid ads will be accepted.
YOUR LOCAL AGENT
OF CHOICE
Features for 2015
Coming up:
APRIL 27:
Technology
MAY 25:
Farm Machinery & Equipment
Want to give your business the
attention it needs? BOOK NOW!
ads@canegrowers.com.au
JOHNNY FARMING COMPANY
New Hydraulic Heavy Duty
OFFSETS
3 metre width, 28 discs,
All bath bearings
$11,000 plus GST ($12,100 incl GST)
Other size offsets available are 1.8m, 2.2m,
2.5m, 3m & 3.4metres.
3 point linkage offsets available also
JOHNNY FARMING
COMPANY
Australian
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5 Tractor Tyres
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DROVER EQUIPMENT AUSTRALIA
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Other sizes available are 1.2m, 1.5m & 1.8m
Johnny Farming Company
Phone (07) 4952 2577 or 0412 535 887 (John)
or 0407 638 674 (Andrew)
133 Schmidtke Road Mackay Qld 4740
4th Generation
Current Farmer
Cairns, Gordonvale,
Innisfail and other areas
upon request
Please contact Linda for
your free market appraisal
Mob. 0427 038 065
Graham Twyford
Machinery Sales Pty Ltd
Specialising in Used Cane Harvesting
Equipment Sales
ENQUIRE NOW ! JOHN DEERE 3520
Wheel Machine, 2011 Model. 4,784
Hrs. Standard Topper, Factory Fitted
Auto B/C & Crop Lifter Height. 9 Litre
JD 375 HP. Late Model High Capacity.
JUST ARRIVED CASE POWERHAUL
1999. 10 Tonne Left Hand Side
Tipper 10,800 Hrs. 5 Speed, 170 HP
Cummins. Very Tidy.
CAMECO 1995 WHEEL HARVESTER
CAT. Eng. 325 HP. Recent engine
rebuild.
UTV’s, ATV’s & AG BIKES
See website for more details
P: 07 4952 2577 M: 0412 535 887
www.johnnyfarmingcompany.com.au
E: johnnyfarmingco@bigpond.com
133 Schmidke Road Mackay 4740
Beaulieu R.U.M.
Attention Canegrowers
7KH¿UVWVWHSLQDFKLHYLQJDKLJK\LHOGLQJFDQHFURS
LVDJRRGVWULNHDQGYLJRURXVJURZWKLQWKHHDUO\VWDJHRI\RXUFURS
This can be achieved easily by simply adding
5 litres of R.U.M per acre to your dip water.
For a cost of around $25 per acre
Can you afford not to give it a go?
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22 Australian Canegrower | 30 March 2015
CAMECO 1997 TRACK HARVESTER
Cat. 325HP Eng. Recent Eng. Rebuild.
4ft 6’’ Cleaning Chamber.
NEW! 4 SLAT OPEN BUTT ROLLERS
Suit JD 3510/20 and CASE. Helps
Drop Dirt. Enquire NOW!
NEW PLANTING TIPPERS Triple Side
Tippers on trailer remote hydraulics.
Immediate Delivery.
WRECKING 2006 3510 Track
Harvester. Complete Walking Gear,
Chopper Box, Pumpbox, Elevator
and Slew Assembly and more.
IN STOCK NOW 12,10 & 6 BLADE
DIFFERENTIAL CHOPPER
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CAMECO Tungsten Hard Faced
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Graham Twyford
48 Central Park Drive, Paget Mackay
Mobile: 0418 742 696
Phone: 07 49 526 668
Email: graham@gtmachinerysales.com.au
Web: www.gtmachinerysales.com.au
WHAT’S NEW
MEMBER SERVICES
Mossman –Tully
2nd hand Newvisby Centre Lathe, 1720mm
length bed, 47mm hollow spindle, 1070mm
between centres, 3 & 4 Jaw Chucks Face
Plate and Steadies. $2,000 + GST ono. Phone:
0419 988158 or 0417 720764.
Ford F350 Truck, 6 cyclinder, Petrol, Steel drop
side body with telescopic hoist. Good tyres.
Has only done 87,940 kilometres. No Rego.
No Road Worthy. 1981 Model price $600000 + GST. Mulgrave Area Ph: 07 40561160
PUMKIN ELEVATOR 180° Turntable $10,000.
Phone 0428 198 433
Chamberlain 4080. Fiat 1000. John Deere
4040. Fiat 980. Michigan Scraper 110-14.
Phone:0407 160673 or 07 40554449 after
7pm
Planter HBM stick planter. Blower. Plant
Cutter. Silvan CX-2 Fertiliser Spreader. Hardy
600l plastic tank
7 tyne double –bar ripper. Howard rotary
hoe M130. Spicer axel and rims. Half tracks
to suit Case 7000 cane harvester. Air-intake
LOOK HERE!
INGHAM AGENCIES
EXTRACTOR FAN BLADES
GREAT RANGE!
BETTER PRICES!
NEW PRODUCT AVAILABLE
screen to suit Case 7000 Cane Harvester.
Phone:0407 160673 or 07 40554449 after
7pm
1 x Good Year tyre 520/85/R42 used radial. 4
x used 14-9-28 Olympic Tyres. 2 x used 169-38 Tyres
2 x used 14-L-16.1 Tyres. Phone:0407 160673
or 07 40554449 after 7pm
Petrol Farm-all, new tyres, gal rims, hydraulic
winch, best offer. 0417 075 641
4 row cane k.m.c wide body peanut thrasher
with spare parts ex cond ready for work
$45,000 inc GST. 0418 184 146 or 0409 544
950
2 row k.m.c peanut digger ex cond ready for
work $10,000 inc GST. 0418 184 146 or 0409
544 950
New Holland M.C28 4WD auto mower. Front
deck 74” truck GC $8,500 inc GST. 0418 184
146
IH tractor 766 turbo model mechanically
VGC, rear tyres 23-1-30 VCG, $7000 inc GST
07 4066 9889
Tully welding works trash extractor. Offers. 07
4066 9889
Toft 6000 with Rotary Chop & Cat 3306DI
Motor - good Billet machine. Set of Track
Chains with Growser Plates & Track Rollers
to suit 7700 Cane Harv. Engine to suit MF102
Cane Harv. Komatsu 125 Motor. Ph: 0428 100
564
Kubota B7200 with slasher, finishing mower
& back blade. Fiat F130 4WD, aircab in good
condition. Ford 8210 4WD, aircab in good
condition. Ph: 0 417 717 013
Same Super Titan 190hp Tractor for sale.
2002 Model, full powershift, good condition.
2995 hrs Tyres 16.9-34 20.8-42 60%. $45,000
neg. ph 0448656880
FOR SALE
Now taking orders for new machines
RUPRGLÀFDWLRQVWRPHHW$XVWUDOLDQ
*RYHUQPHQW5HHI5HVFXHIXQGLQJ
JXLGHOLQHV(QTXLUHQRZ
CORRADINI
TIPPER
ELEVATOR
FLIGHTS
BASECUTTER DISCS
610mm & 585mm
5 blade and 6 blade versions
HILLING SWEEPS
VIDA PLATE
STRIPS
VIDA PLATE
LINER
MADE IN QUEENSLAND FOR
AUSTRALIAN CONDITIONS
Contact: Michael Pelleri
Phone: 07 47761273 Fax: 07 4776 2326
sales@inghamagencies.com.au
• 1 X 4040 John Deere 2WD Air Cab in good
condition
• 1 X 2Tonne Silkwood Implement Side
Dresser on wheels with colters
• 1X 3.6 tonne Case Excavator
• 1 X 17 tonne Hitachi Excavator
• 1 x Kubota 9540 FWD Tractor Ex Con
• 1 x John Deere 5520 FWD V/G Con
• 1 X Kubota 6040 FWD Tractor Ex Condition
• 1 x 2009 Trimble Auto pilot to suit a John
Deere 3510 Harvester
• 1 X John Deere 4520 – FWD VGC
• 1 X Ford Aero Max Prime Mover with
Hydraulics
• 1 X 2013 5tonne 3 row adjustable
VWRROVSOLWWHUZLWKFRQ¿GRUWDQN
07 4068 5499 or 0418 988 601
email: sales@rbengineeringnq.com.au
www.rbengineeringnq.com.au
30 March 2015
| Australian Canegrower 23
MEMBER SERVICES
New Holland TM 130 Tractor for sale.
2003 Model, full powershift, good
condition. 8000hrs. $30,000 + GST neg. Ph
0448656880
Double Coin – Earthmover 23.5R-25
tyres and rims to suit Case Austoft 7000.
0407160673 or (07) 40554449 after 7pm
Herbert River – Burdekin
2 x JCB 3230 2009 Fastracs 6300 Hrs Been
Hauling Out. Excellent Condition. Only
Selling Tractors. 0417611539
2 x 14 tonne transports w/ powerheads,
cross elevators and Cummins motors. 07
4782 7549 or 0418 188 446
2 x New Continental Contact AC85 Tyres
460/85 R38 (18.4xR38)$1000+GST for 2
Tyres. Ph: 4777 4758
Ford D Series Truck, 7T – Petrol Engine.
Good condition – no rust. $5,800 O.N.O,
Phone 0429 101 163
24 disc Hodge off set plough, excellent
condition, discs 90% new bearings, ram seal.
$5,500.00 inc gst. GIRU area ph 0427434452
John Deere 6210 SE , 4 wheel drive , air cab,
3700 hr, good condition, radial tyres 70%,
$28,000 + GST, Ph 0428771361
Fiat 160-90, 4,241 hrs. VGC. $40,000 inc GST.
Ph: 07 4777 4713
$45,000+GST ono. Ph: 0428 509 641
Westhill trash extractor with Hodge topper.
Topper near new. Ph: 0407 165 557
1998 Cameco 2500 track harvester, excellent
condition; limited life left on tracks. Many
spares. $70,000 + GST or ONO. Ph: 0419 207
637
EXCAVATOR Komatsu PC75UU-2 (7.5T) –
1998, quick hitch knuckle offset boom, aircon
cab, zero swing, new track chains & grousers
+ final drives, new bolt on rubber pads for
tracks. $23,100 incl GST. Ph: 0419700761.
TRUCK - Volvo F12 Prime Mover, PTO
hydraulics, Volvo 9 speed synchro gear box,
spring suspension, GVM 24500 kg. $19,900
incl GST. Ph: 0419700761.
TRAILERS - Mansell Tri-Axle, bisalloy,
spring suspension, air operated dolly lock,
retractable mesh tarp, 2-way tailgate, tare
6500, g.c. 3 trailers for sale. $19,000 each incl
GST. Ph: 0419700761
Second hand pumps and motors. Eaton 76
pumps and 46 wheel motors. Reconditioned
and used. To suit Case power haul. Ph: 0458
545 312/07 4954 5312
Austoft 1989 harvester, Komatsu engine.
$40000 + GST. Ph: 0427 595 774
Contract rotary hoeing including 2cm GPS
marking out in one operation. Hourly rate.
Mackay Sugar and northern Sarina areas.
Ph: Adrian 0429 143 074
Carta 11T on G170 tractor, excellent cond.
0419740973
95 Toft 7700 Komatsu 325hp diff chop, u/
slung basecutter, tracks good, manual, cab,
standard topper, swingout radiator, well
maintained. $60000 + GST. Ph: 4958 5188
Side tippers, 5 and 6 tonne singles and
doubles also 10 tonne singles, all high lift
and all brand new condition. For further
details contact me on 0419712872
Rainfall Report
Recorded rainfall (mm)
Location
7 days to 9am
Average rainfall (mm)
Year to date
Jan–Mar
16.03.15
23.03.15
Mossman
256
22
976
Mareeba AP
80
1
551
633
Mackay – Proserpine
Cairns
218
3
1027
1260
Mt Sophia
296
18
2068
1824
Cameco 2000 track harvester, 5ft primary
extractor, leg base cutter box, all new
walking gear, $110,000 inc GST. Ph:
0407714172
12t self-propelled 6x6 elev. infielder. VGC.
6t side/tipper on Leyland tandem GC. Don
Mizzi 741 model on Fiat 750 special turbo
plus MF102 half-tracks to suit. Mason 9550
4 row precision vacuum seed planter GC.
0438 606 578 (Mackay)
Toft 7700 1989 updated, M11 cummins
engine(340 hp)Trail Bros adjustable chop,
swing out radiator,2 elevators long & short,
$30,000+gst. Phone 0418776156.
HBM billet planter, 4 years old, twin disc
opener and standard chutes, twin elevators,
suscon applicator,120 litre onboard shirtan
storage for dip, 1 man operation with
camera, lorsban tank, $20,000+gst. Phone
0418776156
Ritchie 6 tonne tipper coupled to 100/90
Fiat $20,000+gst. Phone 0418776156
Roberts 6 tonne tipper coupled to 5150
Case 4wd $20,000+gst. Phone 0418776156.
Farm dispersal sale, Hodge plant cutter,
Hodge super plough, scoup, plant
trailers, don gough planter, irvin hooded
sprayers, ford 5000,ford 4000,chamberlain
4080,planting tippers, too many items to
list. Phone 0418776156
Volvo,L90 Front End Loader, 2.3m Bucket
with quick hitch. Good Reliable Machine.
Babinda
360
0
1229
2173
Innisfail
206
14
1081
1763
24 Australian Canegrower | 30 March 2015
1371
Tully
292
18
1410
2088
Cardwell
208
0.5
831
1302
Lucinda
105
0
445
1258
Ingham
120
Tce
482
1195
Abergowrie
141
0.6
650
1079
Townsville
5
0
214
747
Ayr DPI
2
0
324
594
Proserpine
35
0
428
787
Mirani
40
0
467
902
Mackay
27
0
372
849
Sarina (Plane Ck)
20
4
556
1028
Bundaberg
14
0
321
431
Childers South
26
0
375
330
Maryborough
11
13
386
494
Tewantin
3
106
535
587
Eumundi
2
80
773
709
Nambour
3
50
820
715
Woongoolba
0.8
134
487
491
Murwillumbah
0.6
92
736
641
Ballina
35
68
701
591
Woodburn
0.4
2
387
491
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Weather forecasts, radar and satellite images and other information for the farming community can be accessed on www.
bom.gov.au. Weather report provided by the Bureau of Meteorology’s Commercial Weather Services Unit.
WHAT’S NEW
CLASSIFIEDS
STL shares for sale approx. 26000 please
phone 0428 77 22 54
MF 105 cane harvester, vgc, $7700 inc GST,
includes second wrecked harvester for parts.
2x variant irrigation guns, $330 each. Ph: 0428
367 078
Bundaberg - Rocky Point
Drop-deck, tautliner and flat top extendable
for hire. 07 4159 8174 or 0417 004 717.
K line speedtillers for hire, efficient tillage
implement, phone agquip hire. 1300 859 869
www.agquiphire.com.au
Inter row tractor with 3 row folding spay
boom available for hire. Agquip Hire 1300 859
869 www.agquiphire.com.au
Mitsubishi 12 ton Truck with Fassi 3 Ton Crane,
in very good condition. MF175 Tractor in
excellent condition. Phone 41 598 174 / 0417
004 717 Bundaberg Area.
Early model Toft 7000 cane harvester, 240
Komatsu engine, leg base cutter, 2-blade
chop 0413 584 728
L cam Cummins engine, 290 hp, low hours,
suit Austoft $5,500 0413 584 728
BareCo ROPS frame suit Chamberlaine C6100
VGCondition $500 0413 584 728
Chamberlain 4080 tractor, air cab, fair
condition $5,500 0413 584 728
Bonnel 24 plate offset. VGC. Bonnel 7-tyne
ripper. Childers area. 0427 629 122
Wanted
Tractor tyres of all sizes. 0418 775 698 all
hours.
MACKAY: 26inch Bonnel coulter assembly
with clamp. Ph: 0418 185 663
AYR: 32 plate offset discs Ph 0408161493
MULGRAVE: 2 ton billet planting bins double
or triple preferred. Ph 0408562046
MACKAY: 3 point linkage plant cane roller any
area. Ph: 0435111968
MARIAN: 3 row Bonel wheelie rake or similar
implement, suitable for moving thrash of
cane stool. Please phone 0419601959
TULLY: Inter row cane stripper PH.
0427627404
Meet CANEGROWERS Reef Heroes
Our Reef Heroes are the many farming families
along the Queensland coast who are working
to protect the Great Barrier Reef for future
generations. Using the latest technology and
innovative practices they are improving their
farms, reducing soil erosion and protecting
water quality.
Their efforts should be celebrated and we want
all of Queensland to know what’s happening
on sugarcane farms. Each week a new page on
the CANEGROWERS website will introduce you
and all Queenslanders to them.
The list will grow and grow!
http://www.canegrowers.com.au/page/
reef-heroes/
Keep an eye out for our Reef Heroes on the
CANEGROWERS Facebook page and share the
stories with your friends!
Work Wanted
Looking for work in the Mackay area for
the cane harvest. Experienced in farming
machinery operation. Present location
Rockhampton
and
phone
number
0427039179
Experienced haulout driver looking for work in
2015 sugar cane season. Have self contained
rv, consider all area's. Brian 0487588707
Property
WANTED TO LEASE: Cane farm; SarinaMackay area. Ph: 0419 771 504
30 March 2015
| Australian Canegrower 25
Driven by growers.
Used by growers.
Owned by growers
In recent years how we farm has been dictated by others. As Australian farmers, we would much rather have a system which
works for us. A system which is about improving our bottom line and one we can use to market our sugar to the world.
The Australian sugarcane industry has worked together and built just such a system. Smartcane BMP.
Smartcane BMP will help Australia maintain its competitive edge in the increasingly
competitive world market. Being able to show we are productive and sustainable
producers of quality sugar is becoming increasingly important to our customers,
and the Smartcane BMP system is the way we are going to show just that.
Become part of the movement:
Sign up to Smartcane BMP
Contact your local Smartcane BMP facilitator. Get recognised for what you are already doing.
www.smartcane.com.au