Mills bank on sweet reprieve from wet

SUGARCANE growers are hoping recent rain doesn’t hang around too long.

Wet weather has already slowed most Far North mills for the 2017 crush.

A MSF Sugar spokesperson said a mill’s operation was impacted when harvesters decided not to cut and couldn’t supply cane.

“With the predicted rainfall we expect to see harvesters stopping and starting and this will lead to stopping and starting at the mills as well,” the spokesperson said.

“We will, however, continue to crush cane as long as there is sufficient tonnage harvested to continue operations.”

Bellenden Ker farmer Stephen Calcagno said his crop had been dampened.

“We copped it here. It slows crushing right up. Some parts are too wet to harvest and we can’t get supply — it just puts a stop to everything,” he said.

“But that is part of living in the tropics.”

Running a harvester over wet ground can damage the ratoon crop and this has implications for crop growth in the following season. The decision to harvest rested with the grower.

Caravonica cane grower John Westaway, who sits on 80ha opposite Skyrail, will start cutting his cane in the next few weeks.

He said he would not be impacted by recent rain.

“Everything is going well here ... it has been a bit dry so the rain isn’t too bad,” he said.