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ACFA E-Newsletter

1 October 2021

   

 SUGAR INDUSTRY

   

Canegrowers fear operator shortage will impact harvest

1 October 2021 | Queensland Country Life

Despite recent set backs due to wet weather and mechanical breakdowns, canegrowers in the Mackay region fear a shortage of haulout operators may cause further disruptions to the 2021 harvest.


Canegrowers Mackay chief executive officer Kerry Latter said the issue emerged last year with COVID restricting the movement of Australians, but this year the problem had become more urgent. More...

   

Grower Pricing Update

27 September 2021 | QSL

It has been a volatile month for the October 2021 ICE 11 contract in the lead up to its expiry, with both macroeconomic and fundamental factors playing parts in shifting raw sugar prices around in a broader 18.50 USc/lb – 20.50 USc/lb range. More...

2021 Annual General Meeting

30 September 2021 | QSL

Queensland Sugar Limited will hold its 2021 Annual General Meeting (AGM) at 10am on Friday 22 October 2020 at the Christie Conference Centre, 320 Adelaide Street, Brisbane. More...

   

Fourth crushing update for 2021

24 September 2021 | Wilmar Sugar

We’ve made good headway with the crush and our eight mills have now passed the 60 per cent mark. Our factories have processed a total of 9.07 million tonnes of sugarcane, representing 62 per cent of the total estimated crop. 


Unfavourable weather conditions this season have led to a downward revision in our crop estimates for the Herbert, Burdekin and Proserpine regions. Plane Creek has seen a slight increase. The total crop estimate for the Wilmar group of mills is now 14.68 million tonnes. More...

   

Partners in Safety

21 September 2021 | Wilmar Sugar

Wife and husband team, Maddy and Aldert Portwig, are passionate about safety in the workplace. 


Their big personalities and cheery dispositions make them purpose fit to help drive positive safety change in a workplace. 


Always up for a chat and a joke, the pair love the engagement aspect of their respective safety roles for Wilmar ANZ and are dedicated to going above and beyond to keep their colleagues safe. More...

   

Dam frustration compounded by drought

23 September 2021 | CANEGROWERS

Two years on from the decision to lower the wall of the Paradise Dam, CANEGROWERS says a lack of direction for the future of the water storage is adding insult to the injury of the region’s drought and pushing the impact into 2022 and beyond. More...

   

ALDI to Range Home Grown Low GI Sugar

27 September 2021 | Sunshine Sugar

From the 29th September, Sunshine Sugar’s Low GI sugar will be available in ALDI stores across Australia.


This particular sugar has been in high demand since the product featured in a United Nations award for best SMEs (Small Medium Enterprise) in the world as part of the Food Systems Summit 2021.


The nucane™ process is an Australian innovation that has been implemented by the only 100% Australian owned sugar brand, Sunshine Sugar. More...

   

AGRICULTURE

   

Organics the way to grow

24 September 2021 | QFF

Organic matter contributes significantly to the waste stream by weight, making up around half of what Queenslanders throw away each week. Although often seen as a natural waste stream, there are potential adverse environmental, social and economic impacts associated with poor management and disposal of organic wastes. However, organic materials are a valuable resource that can be used for a variety of purposes with benefits for the agriculture sector in particular through their valorisation into the production of animal feed, composts and soil improvers, as well as for the creation of bioproducts, bioenergy and biofuels. More...

   

Ag irrigators powering up with electricity tariff research study

22 September 2021 | QFF

Australia has gone from having a competitive advantage in energy costs to being one of the most expensive countries in the world. This significant change has impacted the productivity and profitability of many irrigated and intensified farm businesses. More...

   

Irrigation an Energy Saver opportunity for dairy

25 September 2021 | Queensland Country Life

A dairy on the Sunshine Coast has implemented an irrigation energy management opportunity from the energy audit report they received through the Energy Savers Plus Program Extension. Through the program the business received a dairy shed energy audit, carried out by AgVet Energy, as well as an irrigation energy audit, completed by The Energy Guys, both engaged by QDO. More...

   

Audacious plan to power Singapore from the NT outback passes another milestone

27 September 2021 | Farm Online

A renewable energy plan so big many believe it couldn't possibly succeed keeps passing key milestones. 


The audacious scheme to use excess sunshine from the Australian outback to power Singapore did that last week when the Indonesian government importantly approved the subsea cable route linking Australia with its intended customer. More...

Funding for microgrid pilot projects across Australia opens

24 September 2021 | Farm Online

A $50 million program to support microgrid pilot projects across regional Australia, announced in the 2020-21 federal budget, was launched by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency on Friday. 


The Regional Australia Microgrid Pilots Program aims to improve the resilience and reliability of electricity supply in regional communities and demonstrate solutions to technical, regulatory or commercial barriers to the use of the technologies. More...

Internet of Things uptake within the agricultural sector rapidly increasing

30 September 2021 | Farm Online

The uptake of Internet of Things technology in the agricultural sector is at an inflection point.


But many in the sector are still wondering what exactly is IoT.

In a nutshell, IoT is where objects like weather stations and soil moisture monitors are fitted with sensors and software. These objects can then be connected to other devices to exchange data via the internet or other communications networks. More...

   

'Too little too late': Major storms frustrate farmers on brink of harvest, delight others

10 September 2021 | ABC

The heavens have opened over Queensland's southern border region, but it couldn't have come at a worse time for grain growers – right at the start of harvest time. 


For other farmers, however, it's been an unexpected delight to see rain gauges fill up. More...

   

Insurance hikes hit contract harvesters

28 September 2021 | The Land

Professional contract harvesters say they're being hit by massive insurance price hikes, adding to ongoing concerns over labour shortages ahead of the upcoming season.


Custom Harvesters president Rod Gribble, Yenda, NSW, said it appeared insurance companies had somehow deemed contractors to be a higher risk than farmers. More...

   

CSIRO buys Qld farm to continue push into alternative proteins

30 September 2021 | Farm Online

Improved crop varieties will be the focus of CSIRO with the purchase of a 77 hectare property in the Lockyer Valley west of Brisbane. 


The national science agency will establish its sub-tropical agricultural research station at Forest Hill after quitting its leased site at the nearby University of Queensland's Gatton campus. More...

Sorghum researchers find genes which could increase grain size

29 September 2021 | The Land

Queensland researchers have discovered genes in sorghum which could increase grain size without any penalty. Bigger grains could mean higher yields, fewer screenings, improved digestibility and better milling efficiency. More...

  • Chromosome discovery could reduce nitrogen fertiliser demand in wheat | Grain Central

China expected to stop phosphate exports, food production prices set to rise

1 October 2021 | ABC

The cost of producing food is set to increase with the Chinese government expected to restrict the production and export of a crucial agricultural fertiliser.


China's economic planning body, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), is moving to restrict the production and export of phosphates until the middle of next year. More...

   
   

CRUSH STATISTICS

   
Week Mill Crush (t) %CSS
Date STD Week STD
26 Sep 2021 Mossman 447,710
26 Sep 2021 Tableland 463,667 13.90 14.15
26 Sep 2021 Mulgrave 805,921 11.84 11.44
26 Sep 2021 South Johnstone 677,157 11.61 11.50
24 Sep 2021 Tully 1,400,924 12.80 12.71
25 Sep 2021 Victoria 1,552,267 12.85 12.64
25 Sep 2021 Macknade 723,428
25 Sep 2021 Invicta 2,104,692 14.75 14.48
25 Sep 2021 Pioneer 1,119,668 15.12 14.56
25 Sep 2021 Kalamia 1,086,479 14.58 14.09
25 Sep 2021 Inkerman 1,003,031 15.06 14.28
25 Sep 2021 Proserpine 918,193 14.59 14.37
26 Sep 2021 Mackay 2,949,850 14.92 13.79
25 Sep 2021 Plane Creek 798,363 15.45 14.10
26 Sep 2021 Bundaberg 595,579 15.54 14.02
12 Sep 2021 Isis 533,437 14.37 13.59
Maryborough
12 Sep 2021 Rocky Point 102,651 14.35 13.69
26 Sep 2021 Harwood 367,363 13.46 12.12
26 Sep 2021 Broadwater 430,223 13.71 12.43
26 Sep 2021 Condong 298,642 13.16 12.13

WEATHER AND CLIMATE

   

Weekly Rainfall Update

for 7 days to 9 am 28 September 2021

Rainfall Statistics

Week Ending 1 October 2021

Town Oct YTD
 Mossman0.0 1365.2
Mareeba 0.0 810.2
Cairns  0.22264.2
 Gordonvale0.22264.2
Innisfail 0.04311.8
Tully 0.04311.8
Ingham 0.03047.0
Ayr 0.0942.0
Proserpine 0.0981.2
Mackay 0.0987.8
 Bundaberg5.6368.6
Maryborough 14.8582.2
 Beenleigh17.0 963.8
 Murwillumbah98.3 1312.1
Ballina 3.21411.2
Yamba 4.61378.0
   

Sunrise storms portend another dangerous day in eastern Australia

1 October 2021 | Weatherzone

As the sun rose above eastern Australia on Friday morning, thunderstorms were bubbling away above Queensland and NSW. The early-morning storms made for some mesmerising satellite images when viewed from space. 


However, the picturesque dawn storms are also a sign that more dangerous weather is on the way for eastern Australia today. More...

   

BOM confirms tornado near Bathurst

30 September 2021 | The Land

A tornado has ripped through the central west causing damage in a 30 kilometre line, the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has reported. BOM has confirmed a tornado has occurred in the Central West of NSW this afternoon. 

In a statement BOM said there were reports of damage to houses, powerlines and trees around the Clear Creek area, north north-east of Bathurst "From current reports, we have indications of damage over a 25 to 30 kilometre line, running roughly north-west," the statement sad. More...

   

EVENTS