Category: Media Releases
Media
Harvesting Efficiency: dollars in your pocket, not in the paddock
Harvesting efficiency: dollars in your pocket, not in the paddock
27 February, 2018
Sugarcane growers, millers and harvester operators will hear how they can harvest the maximum amount of sugar and cane from the paddock at a series of upcoming regional forums across the Australian industry.
Harvesting efficiency and optimisation is a major focus area of Sugar Research Australia’s investment on behalf of the Australian sugarcane industry, and will be the topic of the regional forums being held in 12 locations over the coming weeks leading up to the 2018 harvest.
SRA Adoption Officer for Harvesting, Mr Phil Patane, said improving harvesting efficiency is a complex problem that involves multiple stakeholders and considerations, but is also a major opportunity for the Australian industry to extract more from value chain.
“SRA has trial results building to show cane and sugar loss as a result of a range of economic drivers across the harvesting, transport, and milling value chain,” Mr Patane said.
“In some cases, practice change may come with additional costs, but SRA is working with growers, millers, and harvesting groups across the industry to provide them with precise information to help inform their decisions.
“In order to make practice change, the industry needs detailed information on what losses are occurring and what they stand to gain if they change practice to further optimise the harvest.
“This has been the focus of on-farm demonstration trials in 2017, where we have worked with local harvesting groups, in their own conditions, to define what sugar and cane loss they may be incurring.
“The 2018 forums will report extensively on the results of these demonstration trials. The forums will also be an opportunity for harvesting groups to take part in a new round of demonstration trials for the coming harvest. This will allow them to assess harvesting efficiency in their own local region, and local conditions.
“The forums will also present information from a range of innovative research activities.
“We will hear about research that is looking at the design and function of harvesters to see if improvements can be made to ensure we are harvesting more sugar. We will also hear about a new online tool, called SCHLOT, which provides advice for harvester operators to optimise the harvest.”
BPS SMUT UPDATE
BPS – SMUT UPDATE
There have been some concerns regarding ongoing smut issues with SRA8 in the district. Following the discovery of smut in SRA8 in some plots last year, there has been some misinformation regarding the management and spread of the disease. SRA pathologists have advised that SRA8 grown commercially with minimal stress is unlikely to contract smut in high levels early in the crop cycle. Growers who have planted SRA8 should ensure it is well irrigated with appropriate nutrition and weed control. Anyone planting SRA8 or other intermediate rated varieties, should plant with the fungicide Sinker to assist in control of the disease and minimise stress. General farm biosecurity such as cleaning and sterlisiation of equipment should also occur. Growers should also be aware that other varieties in the region are rated as intermediate for smut. Q252 is rated intermediate-susceptible, and Q208 and Q183 are rated as intermediate-resistant.
SRA 8 has been planted on the P&K farm and there is some smut in SRA 8 1st ratoons. This is the commercial cane that is sold to the mill, not growers. Smut has not been detected in any of the cane in the distribution plots that is sold as approved seed cane. BPS will be regularly inspecting and monitoring the approved seed cane and should any smut be detected in the approved seed cane it will not be sold to growers. Please contact your field officer if you have any questions.
KCGOL endorses the need for growers to remain vigilant at all times especially during heightened level of smut activity in the district due to favourable climatic conditions.
Media Release
New farm technology trialled to protect the Great Barrier Reef
Media Statement – Queensland Farm Debt Restructure Office opens
Media Statements
JOINT STATEMENT
Premier and Minister for Trade
The Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk
Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries
The Honourable Mark Furner
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
Queensland Farm Debt Restructure Office opens
The Palaszczuk Government has established a dedicated office to assist Queensland primary producers experiencing financial distress access free expert financial analysis and advice.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the Farm Debt Restructure Office was the Government’s latest initiative in the ongoing commitment to the agricultural sector and the issue of rural debt delivering a number of protections for Queensland farmers.
“The Office provides eligible primary producers with a no-fee, no-obligation assessment of their business and financial position, to help them make informed decisions on the future of their agricultural enterprise,” she said.
“The Office will be overseen by the Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority and it will work with the Authority’s network of nine offices, including the office here in Roma.”
“My Government is working to grow our primary industries sector. It’s a vital contributor to our economy and the backbone for rural and regional Queensland. I welcome the recent AgTrends forecast for the total value of Queensland’s primary industry commodities for 2017-18 to be almost $20 billion -$19.87 billion.”
Agricultural Industry Development Minister Mark Furner said the assistance doesn’t replace a producer’s existing financial providers or advisors, but complements them by offering an alternate opinion.
“Farm Business Analysis Assistance offers eligible farmers with detailed, expert options from an approved rural finance professionals at a level that the producer may not be able to afford at their time of distress,” he said.
“The report which follows an on-farm visit will give realistic options and ideas on how to repair, reduce or rationalise farming activities within the available resources, for the best possible outcome for the farmer and their family.”
The initiatives were part of the Farm Business Debt Mediation Act 2017 passed by the Queensland Parliament last year and include the now mandatory Farm Business Debt Mediation introduced to prevent foreclosure on farm debt without a fair and equitable mediation process.