Author: Kalagro

Good afternoon members.

NQ Dry Tropics is a community run, not-for-profit company that has been a leading delivery agent of land and water management change across the Burdekin Dry Tropics regions since 2002. The NQ Dry Tropics’ Sustainable Agriculture Program empowers producers to use best management practices, for resilient landscapes and productive enterprises. The Sustainable Agriculture program is delivering extension, training, Innovation and Reef Water Quality Grants in the Burdekin through the Burdekin Cane project as part of the Reef Alliance Project – Growing a Great Barrier Reef.

Burdekin Cane Project is designed to provide assistance to help cane growers implement changes that improve management practices and productivity, while also reducing agricultural runoff into the Great Barrier Reef lagoon. The project is a partnership between agricultural industry, regional NRM bodies and facilitated by the QFF, with a common goal of securing the future health of the Great Barrier Reef. This voluntary project is delivered in the Burdekin Dry Tropics natural resource management region by NQ Dry Tropics and is not linked to regulation.

REEF WATER QULAITY GRANTS

Over $900,000.00 is available to Burdekin cane growers over two rounds of funding, in 2017 and 2018. All Burdekin Cane Reef Water Quality Grants (RWOG) are capped at $20,000.

CRITERIA

Grower must contribute 50% through cash or in kind, up to the capped amount.

Dear Growers

Further to 2017 Marketing Choice communication from Greg Beashel of QLS dated 28/03/2017 posted on our website recently further contact has been made with Greg for clarity around schedules yet to be provided by Wilmar.

The two schedules namely, grower information Wilmar is to provide QSL and that relating to co-mingling sugar at the terminals.  It is critical QSL are provided with these schedules before they can assess whether the draft OSA is acceptable. Greg also mentioned that the Federal Government had released the Productivity Commission Report today. The report recommends that the amendments to the Sugar Industry Act, which provide grower choice, should be repealed as well as recommending that QSL should lose its tax free status, both of which would have serious implications for the sugar industry. 

Link to overview report – http://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/agriculture/report/agriculture-overview.pdf

Les Elphinstone