Burdekin mangoes coming
THE Burdekin and Bowen areas are forecast to produce more than 1.5 million trays of Australia’s favourite fruit.
From the week of October 23, the first 11,000 trays of the Burdekin-bowen region’s mangoes will be picked and on the shelves for consumers, according to forecasts by the Australian Mango Association.
The summer staple is already in good supply with the Northern Territory season in full swing.
National dispatch levels have increased from 100,000 trays a week in early September and are expected to exceed 400,000 trays by the end of October as the peak of the season begins.
Australian Mangoes chief executive Robert Gray said despite 2020 being a tough year for many, produce had not been affected.
“Thanks to perfect warmer weather, our preliminary tests indicate that Australians can expect an incredibly flavoursome season,” he said.
The Burdekin-bowen region is forecast to peak around December producing as many as 293,000 trays of mangoes in the week of December 4.
AS THE STATE ELECTION ON OCTOBER 31 DRAWS CLOSER, POLITICAL REPORTER
WILL TAKE A LOOK AT THE SIX ELECTORATES IN OUR AREA.
TODAY SHE LOOKS AT HINCHINBROOK
SPRAWLING cane fields and idyllic coastal towns, Hinchinbrook has it all.
Stretching from the northernmost suburbs of Townsville to just south of Tully, the electorate of Hinchinbrook is diverse and prosperous.
Sugarcane brings in the cash, while the beautiful beaches, waterfalls and islands off the coastline bring in the eco-tourism dollars.
But getting to those islands appears to be the major sticking point heading into the October election, with almost everyone who spoke to the Bulletin suggesting dredging key channels to allow better access for both locals and tourists.
Eco-tourism along with housing and more training opportunities to keep locals employed were also high on wishlists.
Cardwell Chamber of Commerce president Annette Swaine said dredging was key to opening up the area, with a family getting stuck in the mud for four hours just this week.
“Myself and another business that run out of here daily with tours, we’re running the tide everyday … we can’t have set times,” she said.
It is not just the economic potential but the safety concerns that need to be addressed.
The Cardwell Coast Guard only leave the town at high tide.
Hinchinbrook Shire Council has long pushed for dredging at Dungeness and Mayor Raymond Jayo has said tourism operators cannot run a business by a tide book.
The Hinchinbrook Chamber of Commerce has also called for dredging at Forrest Beach, near Ingham.
Herbert River Canegrowers chairman Michael Pisano said the key issue for growers in the region was maintaining their marketing choice.
In 2015, the government passed legislation that gave cane growers the choice of who would market their sugar, and Mr Pisano said it was important this legislation remained in place.
“The millers are continuing to lobby for change, but things have been stable and the government has not mentioned anything about repealing the legislation,” Mr Pisano said.
But there is one piece of legislation the second-generation cane farmer would like to see change — the 2019 can incarnation of Reef Regulations. Mr Pisano said cane farmers had been dealing with reef regulations since 2010, but it was the latest version of them that had “overcooked” parts. While irrigation was only used as a supplement in the Herbert grower region, Mr Pisano said the issues that