A Strong Common Voice

Image: CANEGROWERS Mackay recently held its AGM, an important event in the membership calendar. Pictures: Contributed

‍

“Whatever decisions may be arrived at, it is well to keep that important principle in view – that the interests of the whole are always greater than the interests of the unit, and what is of benefit to all must be of benefit to the individual.”                                    

Queensland Agriculture Minister William Forgan Smith (Member for Mackay 1915-42; Premier of Queensland 1932-42) speaking at the first meeting of the Queensland Cane Growers Association, Mackay, 21 January, 1926.

CANEGROWERS has a long and rich history of grower representation, going back almost 100 years, and with its origins here in Mackay. Did you know the first ever meeting of the Queensland Cane Growers Association was held here in Mackay on January 21, 1926?

That coming together signalled something important: that growers needed to unify as a collective. There’s nothing new about collective representation, and the principles of collective representation are sound: when we stand together we can speak out with a common voice.

And that is what the organisation does, representing grower member families from the negotiation of cane supply agreements with mills, to ensuring a place at the table in regional economic development, to getting good support from governments, to maintaining global market access.

Our grass roots representation starts with the farmgate, to branch meetings and the district office, providing advocacy at a local, state, national and international level. We negotiate at the local level and enforce at the State level, supported by CANEGROWERS Queensland, which includes elected representatives from our own Mackay and Plane Creek milling districts.  

We ensure growers have marketing choice nationally and take other countries to task if they break the trade agreements to keep our export industry strong and ensure growers get paid on their cane supply agreement. A great example of this is what CANEGROWERS was able to achieve through lobbying, with the Australian Sugar Milling Council, to achieve a positive decision from the World Trade Organisation when Australia disputed India’s dumping of subsidised sugar onto the market several years ago.

By having a strong grower representative body, backed by high grower membership, we can work with other peak organisations in the sugar industry and government to keep our industry strong. It is evident that when CANEGROWERS speaks, government listens

Across 2022, CANEGROWERS Mackay elected members and staff have worked hard for the 740 grower member families across this region. We have met with State and Federal Government ministers and departments discussing important and topical matters, such as energy, transport, land use and management, cost of production, biofutures, environment and climate. We have engaged and collaborated with businesses and organisations across the sugar industry supply chain.

We were able to offer free crop insurance for crop areas listed under membership from June 2022 to June 2023.

We have enabled the running of courses that help our members run their business effectively, such as the excellent Business Essentials course, chemical accreditations, pilot driving, and heavily championed Smartcane BMP delivery.

We have facilitated access to CANEGROWERS’ top-level professionals, such as solicitor Chris Cooper, who represents and advises members in a range of areas, including Government land resumptions, disputes and other legal proceedings.

The levy that our members pay truly is an investment in the future of their business.

There is a huge amount of value in CANEGROWERS membership, but the greatest value is the strength in numbers of our membership. As growers, we are stronger together!

‍