Insight Focus
Farms are six weeks ahead thanks to excellent growing conditions. High-rise spraying for weed and vine control will begin soon as crops thrive in hot weather and storms. Mossman growers are fertilising after securing another year of supply to MSF Sugar, boosting confidence for the seasons ahead.
What are you up to on the farm at present?
What a difference a year makes!
At this time last year, we were right in the middle of ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper, and that weather event had a destructive impact on the 2024 season, while now we have excellent growing conditions.
With the crop looking so good for the 2025 season we are finishing off the last of the cultivation for the plant cane. Growers are out in the paddocks slashing and getting headlands in order and our harvesters have all been washed and ready for our maintenance program.
We are about six weeks ahead of where we were at the same time last year, which is a good feeling.
What Stage is your Crop at?
Hot weather and storms provide an ideal growing environment for the crop. When I was growing up the old growers had a saying about this: ‘A good storm is another bag of urea’.
As the crop is now so very high, we will start high rise spraying for weed and vine management control in the coming weeks.
We are grateful that we finished our harvest last month as further south in Tully, growers were challenged by wet conditions in the final week of the crush, and there were many bogged harvesters around the paddocks.
Tully area was challenge by wet conditions in the final week of the crush.
Are there any new developments?
Further north some of the Mossman growers are busy fertilising as they have been guaranteed another year of supplying to MSF Sugar, which is a good outcome for these growers after the Mossman Mill closed down.
MSF Sugar has purchased seven of the locos through the liquidation sale, and I saw them pass through town on the back of the trucks on their way to the mills. This continued investment from MSF Sugar is not only good for the industry but continues to provide growers with confidence for the seasons ahead.
