Queensland Cane Agriculture and Renewables (QCAR) is cautiously welcoming the announcement by Wilmar Sugar on Friday that it will review the Cane Analysis Program (CAP: 2017) across all its Queensland mills over the next few months.
QCAR had been investigating, with due diligence, the anti-competitiveness of the overdue for review CAP for almost a year after an independent sugarcane auditor revealed the Herbert River mills (Victoria and Macknade) were only sampling fibres for members of the Herbert River District Cane Growers Organisation (HRDCGO).
In amping up the pressure on Wilmar to remove the offending, exclusive arrangement, QCAR Herbert River district manager Lawrence Di Bella hosted an information meeting at the Station Hotel in Ingham on Friday.
Attending the meeting were Hinchinbrook MP Nick Dametto, Hinchinbrook Shire Council mayor Raymon Jayo, deputy mayor Mary Brown, fellow councillors, and local professionals.
QCAR Herbert River district chairman Matthew Pappin said he was thrilled to announce that Wilmar, in the hours following the meeting, agreed to review its CAP not only in Herbert, but also for the Burdekin and Plane Creek regions.
“We will now work towards correcting the ‘sins of the past’,” Mr Pappin said.
“We will also strive to ensure that all growers are treated fairly, that good governance procedures are put in place and that all farmers have the right to make a fair living from the crop they produce.”
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QCAR chief strategy officer Michael Kern, QCAR chair Christian Lago, QCAR CEO Stephen Ryan, QCAR Herbert River district senior vice chair Ian Kemp, and QCAR Herbert River district chairman Matthew Pappin at QCAR’s information meeting held at the Station Hotel on Friday, November 22, 2024.QCAR Herbert River district manager Lawrence Di Bella hosted an information meeting at the Station Hotel on Friday, November 22, 2024.QCAR Herbert River district committee member Walter Giordani with fellow committee member, Michael Penna (also an AgForce representative), at QCAR’s information meeting held at the Station Hotel on Friday, November 22, 2024.Hinchinbrook Shire Council deputy mayor Mary Brown, QCAR Herbert River district committee member Carol Mackee (also the Ingham Chamber of Commerce president), and QCAR Herbert River district junior vice chair John Board at QCAR’s information meeting held at the Station Hotel on Friday, November 22, 2024.QCAR chief strategy officer Michael Kern, Hinchinbrook Shire Council deputy mayor Mary Brown, and Mobbs Mar Legal director Georgina Paterson at QCAR’s information meeting held at the Station Hotel on Friday, November 22, 2024.QCAR Herbert River district committee member Carol Mackee (also the Ingham Chamber of Commerce president) with QCAR CEO Stephen Ryan at QCAR’s information meeting held at the Station Hotel on Friday, November 22, 2024.Hinchinbrook Shire Council councillor Mark Spina with QCAR chair Christian Lago at QCAR’s information meeting held at the Station Hotel on Friday, November 22, 2024.QCAR Herbert River district manager Lawrence Di Bella with Hinchinbrook Shire Council councillor Andrew Carr at QCAR’s information meeting held at the Station Hotel on Friday, November 22, 2024.
QCAR is urging cane farming organisations to back its call to also cover first and second ratoon crops in the proposal for financial support towards replanting of destroyed cane.
QCAR estimates there could be up to one million less tonnes of cane cut across the Herbert this year, resulting in between $25 to $50 million in economic losses.
QCAR met with Senator Susan McDonald and Hinchinbrook MP Nick Dametto in Townsville and was joined remotely by Premier David Crisafulli in Ingham, to push for the state and federal governments to declare a Category D emergency and unlock funding for flood-affected farmers.
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