Shire set to transition away from cane - Cook MP
Douglas agriculture
The 130-year-old Mossman sugar-cane industry is not viable beyond this season and the State Government is now fully focused on transitioning farmers to new crops, Cook MP David Kempton says.
Mr Kempton’s statement to Newsport this week came after Mulgrave Mill owner MSF Sugar last week announced a plan to haul cane from Mossman on trucks would not proceed beyond this season.
“Regarding future options for Mossman cane growers, MSF Sugar, along with the State Government, has worked hard to develop a project that would have enabled those growers to continue in cane, including construction of specialised cane transport and receival equipment,” the statement read.
“However it is now clear that the majority of Mossman growers are reluctant to commit to produce sufficient cane volume for a sustainable long-distance cane-haulage project”.
Mr Kempton said this week Shire farmers were still hopeful of harvesting close to 200 tonnes of cane this year, but that would have dropped to about 150 tonnes next year, which is not enough to make trucking the product to Gordonvale viable.
“Unfortunately the volume of the crop has come down to such a level that it will take a long time to get it back up to viability again,” Mr Kempton said.
“This is going to be a blow to the community after 130 years of continuous cane growing,” he said.
“But I think, in reality, and the growers and the council and all the players understand, that we’re better off to address that issue now, and look forward to the future, rather than prolonging a dying industry through what was essentially a subsidy or welfare process.
“Unfortunately there’s no miracle crop that we can just plant that’s ready for harvest next year, so we really are looking at a transition into diversification across a whole range of agriculture and horticulture opportunities,” he said.
The Government recently pledged about $6m to invest in trucks and trailers to help haul Mossman-region cane to Mulgrave Mill for the next about five years.
But Mossman Canegrowers association chair Matt Watson said at the time farmers were awaiting the results of a Transport and Main Roads Department (TMR) trial in July to test how bigger B-double trucks can handle the Captain Cook Highway.
The trials were crucial in deciding whether it would be economically viable for cane to be trucked to Gordonvale across the next five years, he said.
Mr Watson said last week local cane growers were disappointed they could not reach a commercial solution that was of benefit to all parties, but remained determined to work with the Government, the Council, and others, to find a way forward for growers and the agricultural industry.
“We managed to get a couple of years’ grace, but there is still a lot of work ahead of us,” Mr Watson said.
Following the closure of Mossman Sugar Mill in 2023, about $34m worth of cane has been processed at Mulgrave Mill.
State Primary Industries Minister Tony Perrett said a further $6m remaining on the table for a longer-term solution, to be worked out with the growers, local government and the Mossman community.
“The Government has been working on alternative crop trials,” he said.
Douglas Shire Mayor Lisa Scomazzon said many farmers had already begun considering a shift away from cane.
“This latest decision marks a significant turning point for our agricultural community,” she said.
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