Chair’s Update

The beginning of November saw the weather change with some intense storms and rain, the harvest had been running fairly smoothly up to this point with only minimal rain in early September, then a dry October. With the rain events to date the CCS has topped the annual curve and is on a downhill slide with the weekly CCS now 13.73. The season average CCS is still sitting at 14.03 which is not a bad outcome for the year so far.

Mill reliability has been quite reasonable except for the failure of No. 5 mill whilst No. 2 mill was also offline. The decision to keep going with No. 2 and No. 5 mill bypassed was greatly appreciated albeit at a reduced throughput. I can’t say the same thing about the transport system though, with prolonged bin deliveries resulting in bins not being filled, and cut to crush times blowing out, somewhat caused by difficulty in finding truck drivers, which I guess is a sign of the times that we live in.

With the rain and the temperature ramping up we are seeing next years crop starting to power away and hopefully we will be able to get the last of the crop off in not too long. The sugar price has taken a serious fall in the past couple of months with the price dipping below the cost of production for most growers. In saying that, as I write this there is a small rally in the price.

I urge growers to follow the pricing and speak with Glenn Harris about available pricing options to help soften the blow of the reduced world sugar price. It is disappointing that we are yet again seeing little to no Advance payments coming in due to the rapidly reducing price and it is hoped that in future seasons, QSL’s FlexPay product can be used to manage your cashflow to suit your needs.

With the longer season and low sugar prices the decision has been made to increase Base CCS to 13.80. You should see this adjustment in late November.

Soybeans have been a backstop in the past when the sugar price has been low and once again could make an excellent option to help with cashflow, not to mention how good they are for the soil. Matt is available to assist with a wealth of knowledge around the selection of varieties and the growing husbandry of soybeans. There is an article on page 6 providing some basic information.

The Irrigation Pricing Rebate Scheme is now open for applications to receive a 15% rebate to eligible businesses on bills issued by Sunwater, including Burnett Water. Tanya and Matt are available to assist with applications and further information can be found on page 3.

Cane planting wrapped up with an extremely good uptake of the Sugar Services’ one-eye sett program. This is a great tool to help keep up to date with your clean seed program and new varieties. We farewelled David in October and are now seeking a full-time replacement. If you know someone who may be interested in the position, the vacancy advert is included on the last page and I ask you to encourage them to contact Tanya for further information.

While we are looking for a new person Matt Leighton will be helping with soil samples, and other BSSL roles to ensure growers are not impacted greatly.

Southern CANEGROWERS and Productivity Board representatives recently met to discuss the SRA Plant Breeding program and presented a proposal to Garry Rosewarne at SRA on the future of the Southern program and Regional Variety Selection Committee.

Lastly, we extend a huge congratulations to Shanon who recently received the East Coast Apprenticeships Trainee of the Year award. Many of you will recognise Shanon as the friendly, professional face at reception who greets you whilst also ensuring our office runs seamlessly.

Let’s hope the weather holds out and we can get this harvest season done and dusted in the very near future.

Mark Pressler

Chairman

To read the November edition click here.