Insight Focus
Flooding from torrential rain has devastated local farms. Much of the newly planted cane is lost, with growers now focused on salvaging ratoons. Washed-out rail lines, mill shutdowns and debris add to the challenges, though the industry is pulling together.
What’s been happening on the farm?
We’ve just copped some wild weather. Parts of the district were smashed by flash flooding after torrential rain belted Far North Queensland. It’s been very wet – unusual for September, but not completely unheard of. Still, the sheer volume of rain carved out washouts right through the paddocks. In one narrow strip around Babinda, the damage looks worse than what we saw with ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper.
Flood and rains created huge washouts
Everywhere you look, records are being broken. The Bureau of Meteorology says Cairns Aero recorded more than 140mm this month – the heaviest September rain since records began in 1942. Over at Innisfail, they’ve already measured more than 326mm since the start of the month – the wettest September since that station opened in 2016, and one of the wettest on record for the town.
Many growers have lost hundreds of acres of cane
Up on the Tablelands at Topaz, they had 379mm, with 110mm of that falling in just three hours. Tully and Innisfail copped their share of rain too, but nothing like that destructive band that cut through the Babinda area.
Flood impacted entire paddocks
How’s the crop looking?
I think we’ll lose most of the plant cane. It just wasn’t established enough to take that kind of hit. The flooding came right at the tail end of planting, and after four tough years of weather, growers had really dug deep this season – putting serious money and effort into getting it in. Now we’ll have to write a lot of that off and focus on saving the ratoons. That’s where we can at least claw something back.
The aftermath
What challenges are on your mind?
The headaches are everywhere. Cane train lines are washed out and will need major repairs. Both mills are shut for now – I’d reckon at least two weeks lost before they’re rolling again. We’d cut about 45% of the crop before the deluge, so now there’ll have to be talks with the millers about transferring cane between mills. That’s the only way we’ll get as much off as possible and keep some cash flow coming in.
And once it finally dries out, the harvesters will run into trouble in the paddocks. There’s debris washed down off the range and plenty of washouts to contend with. I reckon a lot of growers will have no choice but to go back to burning, just to give the machines a fighting chance of getting through.
One positive is the way our district works with MSF Sugar and Mitr Phol. In times like this, it really counts that we’ve got that relationship. We’ll be pulling together to find a way forward for the industry.
Right now, though, it’s a devastating feeling.
