Plan for new crop options

THE Herbert River region is prime sugar cane country but new crops could be coming to the region.

Hinchinbrook Shire Council will engage TropCrop Pty Ltd as consultants to undertake a study into the potential growing of alternate crops complementary to sugar cane in the district.

It is part of the council’s ongoing Agricultural Diversification Program.

Mayor Ramon Jayo said the reason for looking at alternate industries was to try and break the reliance on a “single crop economy”.

“Diversification creates jobs and delivers income into the region,” he said.

“Other factors determining the necessity to investigate alternate cropping arrangements include the decline in soil health and pests that arise from continuous cropping in a monoculture system, and the premise a complementary rotational crop will in fact improve soil condition and lift productivity of existing cane systems.”

The council says the study is intended to relate identified crops to geographical areas and specific soil types.

” The study is a component of a larger project being undertaken into emerging markets and supply chain gap and sector capacity in the agriculture sector of North Queensland by Hinchinbrook Shire Council in conjunction with the Burdekin, Charters Towers, Townsville and Palm Island Regional Councils,” Cr Jayo said. “Once completed, the study will comprise a resource capable of being utilised by local farmers and investors alike.

“Whilst many would indicate that such alternatives have been attempted and trialled in the past, no reference to any such documented research or results, or reasons as to why success or failure occurred, can be located and hence no documentation is available.”

The report is expected to be presented by August.