Insight Focus
Australia’s Far North sugar harvest nears completion. Dry weather has lowered yields and sugar content, while falling global prices and high input costs continue to challenge growers. Despite the tough season, farmers remain resilient and focused on next year’s crop, hoping for better weather and market conditions.
What’s happening on the farm right now?
We’re right in the thick of finishing the season. Mulgrave Mill wrapped up on November 3, and South Johnstone Mill is due to finish around November 24, so there’s about two weeks left. The harvesters are on their final round — the clean-up round — and everyone’s feeling that end-of-season fatigue.
We’re applying fertiliser where needed, keeping the crop ticking along, and trying to stay on top of things before everything winds down for the year.
This year also marked the end of an era, with the last of the Mossman cane processed at Mulgrave Mill. That’s effectively a wrap for the Mossman sugar industry — a sobering milestone for the region, even as other districts push on to the finish line.
How’s the crop looking?
It’s been a real mixed bag. We had heavy rain a few months ago that wiped out some plant cane, but now it’s bone dry — we haven’t seen a drop of rain since October.
The dry spell has really taken the edge off the crop: tonnages are down, and the cane’s drying out. Even the sugar content is starting to collapse, which is never good news.
Still, the ratoons for next year are looking promising. The dry weather has helped the returns, and most of the new plant looks strong apart from the low-lying areas that suffered from the earlier flooding.
October and November have produced clear skies and no rainfall
What are the main challenges at the moment?
The big one is the sugar price — it’s fallen hard. Sitting around 14.2c/lb (US), it’s well below the cost of production for Australian growers. Apparently even Brazil needs around 15.5c/lb to stay sustainable, which says it all.
Input costs haven’t eased either — fertiliser, electricity and fuel are all still high. Years ago, you could find savings here and there, but now we’re running lean.
Another frustration is feral pigs coming out of the national parks looking for moisture and carbohydrates. They’re chewing the base of the cane sticks and damaging ratoons — an expensive and demoralising problem on top of everything else.
Feral pigs have caused damage to young cane as conditions stay dry
What are you most proud of?
Honestly, it’s the resilience of the growers.
After years of floods, cyclones, and now a low price, everyone’s still putting one foot in front of the other. You’re either in or you’re out — and most of us are still in, still investing in next year’s crop, not cutting corners. That takes guts.
Even with the setbacks, there’s a determination to keep going and do the job properly. By the time the harvest wraps up, everyone — from the millers to the harvesters to the farmers — will be ready for a breather. Then we’ll dust ourselves off and start again, hoping the weather gods give us a better run next year.
Cockatoos also like to feast on the sweet cane
