Ingham cane yields rising

WEEKS of showery weather has kept the Ingham district’s cane crop in a state of growth and yields are about 8 per cent up on pre- season estimates.

Wilmar Sugar Herbert region cane supply manager Jim Kirchner said this increase was more pronounced in the northern and western areas due to their warm, moist conditions.

He said some drier districts had reported an escalation in the amount of crop affected by yellow canopy syndrome, which may have a negative impact on overall CCS expectations.

At the end of last week, the Herbert River mills had crushed 779,000 tonnes with a seasonto- date CCS level of 11.62.

Herbert River Canegrowers manager Peter Sheedy said the significant crop growth could add a week to the harvest.