Dear Growers

Into the third week of the season and we have had our first interrupted week due to wide spread rain event which has stopped all harvesting in the district. Macknade shut down last Friday morning and Victoria Mill shut down early Monday morning.

The mill reported that they were fortunate to liquidate all juice stocks and processed sugar in pans and receivers, which will make the restart a lot easier given they don’t have to process stale juice.

The mill reported that both sites have undertaken caustic cleans and normal maintenance activities. They have also worked through an extensive list of jobs so they are ready to start once field conditions permit. The mill reported that they had a team working in the feeding station as this is their highest lost time area. The mill has emphasised the need to be mindful of bagasse fuel stocks, even though there is a sufficient amount of bagasse for a restart they need to ensure they have continuity of supply.

The mill will be ringing around early next week to ascertain what supply is possible so they can make a call on a Macknade or Victoria Mill start.

A couple of other pieces of information from the mill;

• The Lucinda loco will be commissioned on Monday and will be back in service when the district starts harvesting again.
• The mill have fabricated another 25 new bins this week and will continue to put additional resources during the wet stop on this project.

Frank Scardamaglia

Manager

CANEGROWERS Herbert River

Email: frank_scardamaglia@canegrowers.com.au

Phone: 0475 818 800

New Sugar Industry Award Rates effective 1st July 2022

To view the industry award rates please click here

Household Resilience Program

The Household Resilience Program will open for new applications on 1 August 2022.

The Household Resilience Program has been extended by a further $20 million for Phase 3.

The Household Resilience Program provides funding to help eligible homeowners in coastal parts of Queensland improve the resilience of their homes against cyclones.

Owner-occupiers who live in a house built before 1984, located within 50km of the coastline from Bundaberg to the Queensland/Northern Territory border, can apply to receive a Queensland Government grant of 75% of the cost of improvements (up to a maximum of grant value of $11,250 including GST).

Approved applicants must make a minimum 25% co-contribution towards the approved program works undertaken, paid directly to their approved contractor.

The improvement works must total $3,300 or more.

Approved grants are restricted to 1 per household. Funding for the program is limited, and grants will be awarded until the funding capacity is met.

For more information and eligibility, please click on the link below 👇

https://www.qld.gov.au/housing/buying-owning-home/financial-help-concessions/household-resilience-program?fbclid=IwAR2bMjqFcYfjSZ9sGTyxhvYLH4AyTB2i5IZlwjDFAKRPT_9FsK18VmCNk5g

Horan & Bird energy package for CANEGROWERS members

Horan & Bird and their energy partners Juice Capital and NBE have packaged an offer for CANEGROWERS Members to save on energy costs.

Attached here is the Horan & Bird energy package for CANEGROWERS members.  Page 3 outlines the offer to CANEGROWERS. 

The total farm package offer includes an on-farm energy analysis where Horan & Bird will make recommendations of optimal farm savings including:

• Grid energy – Horan & Bird have negotiated same or better rates with Ergon and can deliver a benchmarked saving of at least 4-6%
• Solar PV systems – they can advise if solar PV systems are beneficial after an analysis of pump loads on farm and can offer a deal for installation and cheaper solar energy.
• Digital meters – Horan & Bird can offer COMMS Type 4 digital meters at no costs (usually $350) and would waive monthly services charges of $22 per month.

Interested growers should contact Horan and Bird to make an appointment for the farm energy analysis to see if there is a benefit and savings for their business. 

The contact number for Horan and Bird is:

Paul Horan - Sales Manager

0447 213 885

Paul.Horan@horanandbird.com.au

www.horanandbird.com.au

Growers ready to lead industry down new road

Peak industry organisation CANEGROWERS is ready and willing to lead the way to a more profitable and diversified future for sugarcane outlined in a new roadmap.

“This document has been two and a half years in the making. It is exciting as a cane grower to be at the starting point of a new chapter in our sugarcane industry’s story,” CANEGROWERS Chairman Owen Menkens said. “We are ready to lead the transition, working with existing and new investors.”

CANEGROWERS initiated a Sugar Industry Leaders Forum in late 2020 to talk about realising bioeconomy opportunities to add to Australia’s expertise in quality raw sugar production. Today the Sugar Plus vision has been launched to position the industry as fuelling the Future of Food, Energy and Fabrication. 

To read the full story click here

Lower Herbert Major Grants Project – Round 1

Grower Incentive Grant Projects are now underway for 31 Herbert growers who have received a Grower Grant from the Major Grants Project, managed by CANEGROWERS Herbert River and funded through the Reef Trust Partnership.

Grants to a total value of $530,500 will help these growers improve their nutrient management practices by purchasing equipment such as GPS rate control systems, stool splitter fertiliser boxes and bed renovators. All Round 1 growers’ have collectively committed a cash contribution of approximately $600,000 towards their projects and most projects will purchase their equipment in Ingham.

All Round 1 growers’ will become Smartcane BMP Accredited, or Reaccredited as required, prior to completion of their project which will be by 31 December 2023. The Application Process for Round 2, the last Round of the Major Grants Project, will be open from 15 August to 30 September 2022.

CANEGROWERS Herbert River Directors

Chris Bosworth     0418 983 507      ca_ltbosworth1@bigpond.com

Steven Marbelli    0417 621 970      marbi.70@bigpond.com

Paul Marbelli         0408 180 552      Marbie08@bigpond.com

Leah Russo             0409 477 713      leahandsanto@bigpond.com

Terry Motti             0417 636 863      tezmot71@gmail.com

Sam Torrisi             0408 779 598      Torrisi5@itnq.com.au

Zenan Reinaudo    0400 762 103     mzreinaudo@bigpond.com