The countdown is on for the 2025 harvest season with a lot of activity in the fields and sheds, and finally, a slowing down of industry events, including this week’s annual Mackay Area Productivity Services (MAPS) Field Day.
Held at the Victoria Plains Seed Plot, this is always a well-attended event with growers and stakeholders having the opportunity to get a glimpse into what is happening in the Central District via MAPS and SRA (Sugar Research Australia).
QCAR Central District has had a busy week with some committee attendance at the field day, but also the Queensland Government’s Primary Industries Prosper 2050 information session on the consultation draft 25-year blueprint for our state’s primary production.
After this inaugural webinar, one of three, I agree that the direction, intent, and vision are ambitious, encouraging and positive. With a focus on resetting the relationship between Queensland primary producers and governments, a starting point will be recognising and acting on local and regional priorities.
QCAR is involved on a local level in all regions and will be following the progress of the consultation period with interest. The last thing our struggling producers need now is a pot full of unusable rhetoric.
We caution and remind all government representatives, that real change can only occur when those individuals with a hand on the rudder are truly prepared to embrace new and proactive thinking and actions to ensure a cohesive and truly collaborative future direction.
I can also report on an informative ASSCT Conference (Australian Society of Sugarcane Technologists) in Brisbane. A lot of connections were made and interesting conversations held, and more importantly, a significant amount of interest in the AgEtal RSD (ratoon stunting disease) testing kit was supported by distributor AgForce and invested in by QCAR. This will be a game changer in the RSD detection space.
QCAR will be participating in the previously postponed Sugar Research Australia (SRA) R&D Planning Forum at the Ibis in Mackay this week. Being a forum, this is an important opportunity to listen and learn, but also to put forward local views, concerns and ideas.
Communication, which is the art of sharing information, when conducted with openness, respect and honesty, could potentially save the world. It is that powerful!
Boosted by all things technological, it is an easy tool to use, which begs the question: Why in the sugarcane industry are we still so bad at it?
I point in no particular direction, rather, I spread my arms in a wide and sweeping all-encompassing gesture because it is a failing on every level and in every sector.
That said, we are now just weeks away from the start of the crushing and it is timely to remind everyone to put safety first.
Mackay Sugar will again have a staggered start with Farleigh the first mill to kick off on 10 June, followed by Racecourse on 12 June and for the first time in over a decade MSL will aim to fire up both milling trains at Marian on 17 June.
Proserpine and Plane Creek mills will start on 17 June and 3 June respectively.
For the Central District crop estimates are Mackay 5.15M, Proserpine 1.58M and Plane Creek 1.6M.
Standover will play a big part in how the 2025 season rolls and we’ll need our millers on the ball to ensure growers get a clean slate for 2026 resetting reasonable season timing, crops and season length.
There is positivity in the air, and we wish everyone a safe and productive 2025 crushing.
If you’d like some more information about QCAR or how we can assist you and your business, call Sonia Ball on 0467 573 321.
Catching up at the recent 46th Australian Society of Sugarcane Technologist’s (ASSCT) Conference in Brisbane are, from left, Amanpreet Sandhu, from Mossman Agricultural Services and Sonia Ball, QCAR Central District Manager.
QCAR Herbert District Manager Lawrence Di Bella, left, joins a regional team of sugar industry stakeholders getting information about the new RSD testing kit from AgEtal. Photos supplied
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