Irrigation innovation hubs are being established in key sugar cane growing regions in a bid to help farmers better manage their crops and increase profitability.
Cane growers in the Burdekin district are teaming up with researchers from the University of Southern Queensland with the aim to produce bigger yields through irrigation management.
USQ project lead Michael Scobie is working with a range of experts to develop the skills and capacity of local extension and service providers which will ultimately help farmers produce more cane.
“This project is really looking at helping people involved in the sugar cane industry get better at managing, understanding and assessing their irrigation assistance performance,” Mr Scobie said.
“The idea is to build up the capacity for people who are existing and working in this industry.
“From consultants to extension officers, individuals work one-on-one with our researchers to develop their skills.
“Whether it’s assessing pumps and irrigation systems, developing new technologies or implementing better strategies to reduce water loss, it’ll mean delivering bigger profits for sugar cane growers.”
Sugar cane is one of Australia’s biggest and thirstiest crops, with an estimated 160,000 hectares under irrigation, lapping up millions of litres of water a year.
The project is part of a broader scheme – the Australian Government’s Smarter Irrigation for Profit (Phase 2) – which brings together experts to improve irrigation performance across cotton, grains, sugar cane, dairy and rice industries. https://c8e405b5f895c7152a511a9cd286c47f.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-37/html/container.html
USQ’s Dr Malcolm Gillies is working on a project to modernise the labour intensive process of furrow irrigation.
It builds on a Sugar Research Australia funded project in the Burdekin four years ago, which saw growers successfully move to automation.
Since then, there has been additional investment in furrow automation systems and Dr Gillies said researchers were looking to see if the learnings could be applied further south.
“USQ is working with growers across the Bundaberg and Burdekin regions to… see if the automation of systems is feasible and secondly to see which technologies are applicable and to see whether the economics stack up,” Dr Gillies said.
“As part of the… program we’re working across multiple industries so some of the learnings we have made in the cotton industry we are transferring those to the sugar industry.
“There is a large range of new technologies and new equipment becoming available and our role as researchers is to help growers use that technology to its best advantage.”
Mr Scobie said the sugar industry faced difficult issues including challenging weather conditions and low world sugar prices, which could reduce productivity and profitablity.
“Improving irrigation and water management on the farm, is one key approach to making sure that the industry remains vibrant and viable.”
North Queensland’s sugar season is drawing to a close with the first of Wilmar’s eight mills expected to crush out next week.
Despite wet weather hampering the start of the harvest, mills in the region remain on track to crush the last of the season’s cane by the end of November.
Wilmar general manager cane supply and grower relations Paul Giordani said the company had now processed more than 85 per cent of the estimated crop.
He said as of 9am Monday, the eight mills had processed close to 13 million tonnes of cane out of a forecast 15 million tonnes.
The Proserpine Mill is expected to crush out first on November 12.
Proserpine Canegrowers chair Glenn Clarke said the district had had a reasonable run, though production was slightly down on the original forecast.
“It was a bit wet at the start, but we’ve come through pretty well toward the end and make a bit of time up,” Mr Clarke said.
“The La Nina or wet weather hasn’t eventuated for us yet, so we’re coming up good at the end.”
Mr Clarke said they had some storms down toward Bloomsbury where up to 50mm was recorded late last week, and about 20mm around Proserpine itself.
“The rest of the area is still remaining dry and we’re focusing on getting the remainder of the crop out then we’ll welcome rain for next years crop.”
Herbert River Canegrowers chair Michael Pisano said it had been a mixed bag in his district.
“The crop was better in most areas of the Herbert than anticipated,” Mr Pisano said.
“The southern part of Ingham had a poorer crop as it was a lot drier and sugar content was down this year.
“We will end up cutting around the 4.2million tonne mark, so a little bit more than last year but well down on where it should be.
“About 80 per cent of the crop is cut now, so we’ll be finishing in late November if all goes well, so about four weeks.”
Mr Pisano said while rain delayed the start of the harvest, it had have contributed to additional growth.
“It was a very dry start to the year and when we got the rain the cane grew.
“The late growth is probably most likely what affected sugar content.”
Mr Pisano said it had been relatively dry in recent weeks.
“Some parts were lucky and got a couple of storms last weekend.
“I managed to get 25mm which was great, it was the first rain I’d had for months.
“That definitely helps, and most areas wouldn’t say no to another drop of rain to help the crop for next year.”
Wilmar’s Invicta Mill on the Burdekin is on track to finish second for the group, with the last day of harvesting expected to be Sunday, November 15.
Mr Giordani said the remain six mills were expected to finish by the end of November.
Final-year chemical engineering students at The University of Queensland are investigating how sugarcane can be used as a clean energy source to create hydrogen.
Professor Damien Batstone said bagasse and other agricultural residues were an abundant resource that could generate “green” or carbon-negative hydrogen at scale.
“One hundred and fifty students in 36 teams are analysing both thermal gasification, and the more cutting-edge ‘supercritical hydrothermal gasification’ method,” Professor Batstone said.
“The new approach looks promising, with the cost as low as one third that of the current options.”
The process uses waste biomass – crushed sugarcane stalks and leaf – to produce hydrogen for under $3 per kilogram.
Professor Batstone (right) said any carbon dioxide produced was captured, making the process carbon negative.
“The technology can be used with any waste biomass, including green waste and municipal waste streams, and the students’ economic models and design processes show it can be put into practise immediately,” he said.
“Adopting this new hydrogen production approach could have a tremendous impact on the sugarcane industry as farmers seek alternative uses for their crops and mill infrastructure.
“This offers an alternative pathway with potential for higher profits for canegrowers who may have considered exiting the industry, as well as job opportunities for regional areas and clear environmental benefits.
“The process allows sugarcane to be used in ethanol and plastic production, while fully utilising the biomass residues.”
Professor Batstone said agricultural residues were heated to between 400 and 1000 degrees Celsius to create “syngas”, then a series of conversion and separation processes generated pure hydrogen.
“It can be done at atmospheric pressure or at very high pressure in the presence of water,” he said.
“Gasification has been widely applied to coal processing but has not been applied to hydrogen production from biomass at large scale.”
Professor Batstone said the project required students to engage intensively with renewable energy and energy transformation, to give them an understanding of the industry’s key challenges at the outset of their careers.
“The federal government’s 2019 National Hydrogen Strategy identified hydrogen as a critically important future source of energy,” he said.
“It flagged creating hydrogen using fossil fuels at $3 per kilogram with significant carbon emissions, and non-fossil-based renewable electricity at significantly higher prices between $6 and $11 per kilogram.
“Industry professionals and UQ researchers are guiding the students in this emerging and vital field, and their work could have a real benefit for industry and the environment.”
Chemical and environmental engineering student Mr Kailin Graham said the project offered insight into real-life engineering work.
“Previous courses taught chemical engineering principles; this project required us to apply these as we would as engineers in the workforce,” he said.
“We engaged with the sugar industry and technology specialists, and it’s exciting to know that our work will have direct relevance to Australian industry.”
Professor Batstone said a position paper compiled from the teams’ findings would be made available to farmers and sugar companies for potential application in their businesses.
Babinda cane grower Stephen Calcagno wants to ensure the best decisions possible are made for growers at all levels when it comes to shipping sugar.
Mr Calcagno was appointed to the Sugar Terminals Limited board at their annual general meeting this week.
Canegrowers took the unprecedented step of endorsing Mr Calcagno as their candidate for the board back in September.
He replaces retiring director and Mossman grower Drew Watson on the board and will join Mackay grower Tony Bartolo who was elected by G-Class shareholders in 2018.
Mr Calcagno said while there was a lot of uncertainty around at the minute, he still sees a bright future for the industry.
“STL owns Queensland’s bulk sugar shipping facilities so its management is critical to maintaining Australia’s reputation as a reliable supplier of quality sugar to the world market,” Mr Calcagno said.
“Along with that, the company must also provide a dividend to shareholders, many of whom are cane growers.”
More than 4.6 million tonnes of raw sugar and other bulk commodities, including molasses, wood pellets, gypsum and silica sands, are handled by STL terminals each year.
Canegrowers chairman Paul Schembri said grower interests were in safe hands with Mr Calcagno.
“He is an experienced representative dedicated to his fellow growers who is also open minded and forward-thinking, meaning he will work with other board members for the benefit of the company and the industry as a whole,” Mr Schembri said.
With the state election just days away, a war of words between the major parties over the structural integrity of Paradise Dam in the Wide Bay-Burnett region continues.
The 300,000 megalitre Paradise Dam wall was slated to be reduced by five metres from May 2020, after Sunwater raised safety concerns about the dam wall’s integrity, effectively reducing the capacity of the dam.
The Commission of Inquiry’s 563-page report was tabled in Queensland Parliament in May, with the Palaszczuk government accepting all eight of the report’s recommendations.
Natural Resources, Mines and Energy Minister Dr Anthony Lynham said community safety and providing long-term water security in the Bundaberg and Burnett regions remained the Labor government’s priority.
“All options remain on the table – including returning the dam to its original height – while Sunwater and Building Queensland conduct further testing,” Dr Lynham said.
“I have repeatedly assured farmers that the dam yield will be restored.”
BURNETT RIVER: The 300,000 megalitre Paradise Dam is being reduced by 5m after safety concerns were raised about the dam wall’s integrity.
LNP agriculture spokesman Tony Perrett said if elected, they would put the safety of local residents first, while working to fix Paradise Dam for the benefit of the entire Wide Bay-Burnett community.
“The LNP will work with international experts to stabilise Paradise Dam and undertake the work required to restore its former capacity, guaranteeing farmers throughout the region long-term water and economic security,” Mr Perrett said.
“The LNP’s vision for building dams is in complete contrast to Labor’s failure to build any new dams in regional Queensland over the last 15 years.”
QFF CEO Dr Georgina Davis said new water infrastructure was needed in the regions to provide more opportunities for high value agriculture.
Queensland Farmers’ Federation CEO Dr Georgina Davis encouraged all political parties to advance water infrastructure for the future of the state and to ensure farmers could continue producing world class food, fibre and foliage.
“After recently partnering with consulting firm Jacobs, QFF identified the top five irrigation water infrastructure projects the next parliament should prioritise to deliver sustainable economic growth and jobs to rural and regional communities,” Dr Davis said.
“We note that other than the Lockyer Valley, the other projects have not yet received support under the Queensland LNP’s water infrastructure announcement, let alone from other political parties, which have failed to make any commitment toward a ‘pipeline’ of essential water infrastructure.”
A rescue package to safeguard sugar industry jobs in the Wide Bay Burnett region hangs in the balance as the Queensland election looms, with industry leaders urging the Labor Party to commit funds before this weekend’s election.
A Queensland Government contribution of $6.33 million is needed to ensure a $20.55 million infrastructure improvement plan can be implemented so that Maryborough region growers can deliver sugarcane to a mill in Childers.
While no decision has been made by MSF Sugar to cease operations at its Maryborough Mill, the company has worked with industry stakeholders to examine various options for crushing the cane grown in the region. With Isis Central Sugar Mill (ICSM) and CANEGROWERS Maryborough, a five-year plan has been developed that could see sugarcane currently contracted to the Maryborough Sugar Mill transferred to ICSM, near Childers.
During the election campaign the Liberal National Party has committed to the plan and the industry is now urging the ALP to also announce it will provide the necessary funds should it again form government after this weekend’s election.
“The incoming Queensland Government must be ready to work with industry and the Australian Government to deliver the package and secure the future of sugar industry jobs in the southern cane region,” said CANEGROWERS CEO Dan Galligan.
“Maryborough growers need to be confident they’ll have access to a mill to process their cane in order to plan future crops.”
“Carting sugarcane all the way to Isis Central Sugar Mill will keep hundreds of people in work but it will also add costs, and the industry needs some State Government support,” he added.
Australian Sugar Milling Council CEO David Pietsch said that the owners of Maryborough Sugar Mill, MSF Sugar, had committed a sizeable contribution towards the plan and it was time for Government to also come to the party.
“Time is short and the industry needs to know the funding has been secured so that the necessary infrastructure can be put in place before next year’s crush, to provide certainty to growers, mill workers and the local communities that are so dependent on the sugar industry,” Mr Pietsch said.
“Jobs in the region are already going to be lost as a result of the closure of the Bingera Sugar Mill at Bundaberg and the possible mill closure at Maryborough, so this investment will be critical to stabilise the Isis Central Sugar Mill and support farming businesses in the region,” he concluded.
The proposed plan includes building a transloader facility, expanding the rail network and improving the efficiency of road transport.
The total package will secure:
76 Maryborough growers will continue to supply 380,000 tonnes of cane to a local mill to supply local and global markets;
110 jobs in harvesting and field haulage operations and cane transportation otherwise at risk if cane cannot be transported to Isis mill;
681 direct and indirect FTE jobs at Isis Central mill and $99.2 million in local economic activity;
40 new ongoing seasonal jobs created in the operation of the Isis Central mill;
44 jobs in the construction of the transloader facility;
8027 megawatt hours additional renewable energy created and exported from the Isis Mill
