Growers’ voice heard on ports, marketing

QCGO Chairman Owen Menkens will join former QCGO Chairman and Mackay grower Paul Schembri as a Grower Director on the Sugar Terminals Limited, ensuring two powerful voices for growerson these critical industry assets.  Photo credit: QCGO

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By Joseph Borg, Chairman, CANEGROWERS Mackay

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The sugar industry is an ever-evolving and moving feast, with constant advances in nutrition, chemicals, research, technologies, and milling operations.  This is, of course, the hands-on growing, research and manufacturing side of the business.  

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On the flip-side, there is the evolving global trade landscape of the industry’s marketing, logistics and export terminals.  This side of the industry includes vitally important choke point assets which is a reality often overlooked by the general community.  

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In the last few weeks, we have seen some major steps forward for both Queensland Sugar Limited and Sugar Terminals Limited, which will now help both organisations better reflect the changing landscape of the logistical and marketing side of our industry.  

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At the 2025 Queensland Sugar Limited (QSL) Annual General Meeting, constitutional changes were put up to modernise the governance of the organisation to better reflect the position of QSL standing in the industry.  Unfortunately, these changes were voted down by a couple of milling companies, who it could be said were direct competitors to Queensland Sugar Limited in the marketing space.

Fast forward to the 1^st of July, 2026 and we saw Queensland Sugar Limited officially transfer the operations of the sugar terminals to allow Sugar Terminals Limited to begin insourcing operations and therefore transforming Queensland Sugar Limited into a pure marketing entity rather then also being a terminal operator.

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Moving forward, at the 2026 Queensland Sugar Limited Annual General Meeting, a slightly modified version of these constitutional changes was presented to both grower and miller reps and pleasantly were unanimously accepted and implemented.  

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It is a credit to all milling and grower representatives who have shown leadership in this arena to agree to the constitutional changes which will allow Queensland Sugar Limited’s governance to better reflect its current standing in the marketing space of the Australian sugar industry.  

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In a nutshell, it allows the entities which market the majority of their sugar through Queensland Sugar Limited to have a majority say in the governance of the organization which is a major positive for the customers of Queensland Sugar Limited and is long overdue.

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Finally, the other piece to this puzzle was the election of Queensland Cane Growers Organisation Chairman, Owen Menkens to the vacant Grower Director position on the Sugar Terminals Limited Board.  Congratulations must go to Owen who has replaced the retiring grower director Steve Kirby. A vote of thanks must go to Steve for his years of service through probably the most difficult period in Sugar Terminals Limited existence.  

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Owen will continue the important role of providing a strong grower voice to this board, diligently working alongside STL Grower Director and previous Queensland CANEGROWERS Chairman Paul Schembri.  

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It is a credit to the Canegrowers organisation to have both these incredibly passionate and fierce leaders holding directors’ positions on the board of the most important logistical organisation critical to the prosperity of the Australian sugar industry as a whole.  

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These two changes which have occurred in the recent past have help secure the marketing and logistical future of our industry going forward but we still have a way to go.  Mackay Canegrowers, and the wider QCGO community, have publicly argued with vigour and determination on the future of these critical industry organisations. Change is inevitable, in industry, in our commodity markets, in the world. It is essential that our grower organisation is strong and active in continuing to ensure best outcomes for growers.

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