Driest sugar cane season on record pushes back harvest on Qld's Fraser Coast
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-04/maryborough-cane-harvest-delay/5646426August 03, 2014 at 3:24 PM
General Manager of the mill Stewart Norton says they’re facing their smallest yield since 1982.
It's about half the average annual tonnage.
“We’re looking at a very small crop start, with about 350,000 tonnes this year."
The crush is now expected to start on August 11.
Mr Norton says the drought conditions even dried up the main irrigation scheme out of the Mary River and Tinana Creek for about a month earlier this year.
Despite the setbacks, he says producers are still optimistic about the season ahead.
“We’re in for a tough year for sure, but they’re all hanging in there.
“Growers are still talking to us about expansion; they’re also looking at expanding and improving the irrigation networks on their own farms.
“There’s still a lot of positive vibes out there.”
But he expects the positivity will start to wane in November when the low returns from this harvest start to be felt.
In a bid to increase tonnage, MSF Sugar is spending $15.5 million to upgrade and expand cane farm irrigation in Maryborough.
Mr Norton says the three-year project will provide 17 MSF-owned farms with 40 centre pivots, and upgrade 1,619 hectares of land to a low-pressure irrigation system.
He says the scheme will bring confidence back to the region.
“We want to get these in very quickly.
“The [low pressure] system is just more efficient; there’s less power and a better application of water."
The late start to the crushing season is far from an isolated occurrence, with much of the state experiencing similar issues.
In Mackay, heavy rain impeded operations, while Bundaberg Sugar's Bingara Mill suffered $3 million in damages from an electrical fire in May.
Frost has also bitten hard in parts of the Tropical North and Wide Bay, where about 15 per cent of cane in the Isis region has been severely damaged.
The industry is working hard to get the cane processed as quickly as possible before the frost damage spreads through the stalks.
Despite the delays, in the first month since crushing commenced in the southern cane crop, initial estimates have been revised upwards to 5.4 million tonnes.
Sign In © 2024 Green Pool Commodity Specialists All rights reserved.