Category: The Cane Cut

Cane growing, the industry that built the shire as we know it is about to disappear altogether. Becoming a one industry town should set off the alarm bells for all of us with the exception of those eying off agricultural land for subdivision, housing and hobby farms for short term profit.

Douglas Shire cane growers have just received news announcing the appointment of a voluntary administrator  for the Mossman Sugar Mill. Despite record high global sugar prices, supply challenges and adverse weather conditions are being blamed for interrupting the Mill’s ability to operate viably.

A $1million grant has been awarded to CocoNutZ Australia-an agricultural bio-manufacturing platform diversifying Mossman Mill’s productivity through producing a range of condiments using local sugar cane products.

A new $5.6 million project for the Mossman and Tully regions will see Terrain NRM and Mossman Agricultural Services work with Mossman cane farmers, through agricultural extension officers and agribusiness providers, to identify factors that are restricting the uptake of fertiliser by cane plants. These measures will improve the quality of water flowing to the Great Barrier Reef while also improving yield.

On Thursday 3 June, the Mossman Mill will fire up the main boilers to conduct steaming trials in anticipation of a June 15 start to the 2021 season.

ANDRE LEU, International Director of Regeneration International Key Points Climate change will have a far more serious long-term impact than COVID-19 By 2038, the impact…

There is a growing movement among cane farmers and graziers to improve soil health. Soil health is a key component of regenerative agriculture which is the focus of a forum in Cairns next month.

Today, Rabobank provides us with local and global insights on 2021 expectations for the sugar sector. A global sugar deficit of 0.3 million metric tonnes raw value (mtrv) is being projected for 2020/21 in Rabobank’s latest Global Sugar Quarterly report.

To save the planet and feed the populace means a transformational change in the way we grow food and fibre. This article looks briefly at the big picture, the challenges and local opportunities.

It’s no secret that cane is struggling and that land is going out of production into hobby farms or cattle grazing. For a variety of reasons, there are few options for crop diversification for agricultural land that could be implemented, or switched to, quickly at scale. But with each additional loss of cane production, overall viability becomes more threatened.