Growers not guilty

THE Queensland sugar industry has 72 per cent of its canegrowing land benchmarked in the Smartcane Best Management Practice, BMP, program, and climbing.

The BMP is not easy for growers to complete, takes time, however it is outcomefocused and it is fair, and it now has international recognition.

Cane farming families fully understand their stewardship responsibility in caring for our land and thus caring for our reef, having for a long time focused on three key elements, regarding the fertiliser and herbicides they use – maximising incorporation into the soil, maximising uptake by the plant, and maximising retention of all inputs into plant growth and health on farm.

We need to be focused on the whole of communities collective stewardship responsibility and actions to the reef and understand that cane growers have been in a state of constant change and improvement for decades.

Long-term monitoring has shown that 10 years after Cyclone Hamish caused widespread damage, the reefs are recovering. Coral loss has also been attributed to Cyclone Debbie in 2017 and the current crown-of-thorns starfish outbreak.

Recent reports and researchers also advise that the Great Barrier Reef is still beautiful in large areas and it is resilient, evolving over time.

Hence for the stone throwers who choose to attack our cane-growing families, it is better to focus on collectively working towards the positives. KERRY LATTER, CEO

Canegrowers Mackay