More Than Best Practice

By Kevin Borg, Chairman, CANEGROWERS Mackay
Smartcane BMP was established by CANEGROWERS around 15 years ago to ensure growers could be confident of meeting environmental legislation standards- the program was – and still is - ahead of the curve, and well-established by the time Reef Regulations were introduced. Beyond meeting legislation, it has become a proud standard of sustainability for our industry, attracting new markets and investment in new uses for sugarcane.
Now that the crush is – at last – behind us, I would encourage any growers out there not yet accredited to get in touch with their area BMP facilitator- you would be surprised at how close to being accreditation-ready you might be. Adding your support to a good program, we can continue to make things better.
There’s lots of reasons to get accredited- it can help you streamline your documentation, it will assist with productivity and profitability. Accredited growers are deemed to be within Reef Protection legislation standards, and will not be audited.
We are now in government audit season, and non-accredited growers can expect regulator auditors may wish to review their practices and documentation. If you are accredited and happen to have an audit requested, please get in touch with CANEGROWERS Mackay and we will advocate for you.
But it’s the unintended consequences of our industry’s Best Management Practices program that is the most heartening. By having 44% of Queensland’s cane country accredited, by being known to be a world leader in sustainable sugarcane production, the early work of Queensland CANEGROWERS to proactively develop Smartcane has paid dividends in expanding the market for our sugar.
It’s a standard that has been accepted by global sustainability programs like Bonsucro and Vive.
The growth in raw sugar exports to the UK is a case in point: in May 2023, the Australia UK Free Trade Agreement meant an easing in tariffs for Australian sugar. By July, CANEGROWERS Queensland was on hand to see the first shipment leave Townsville to become the first Australian sugar up the Thames since the 70s. This was preceded in 2022, by a CANEGROWERS/KPMG blockchain project to track sustainable sugar from paddock to the receiving port in South Korea.
Locally, we are attracting the interest of biocommodities producers who are looking for sustainably produced feedstocks for food, fibre and fuels. Whether it is a value add, or a market diversification, it is keeping the market for sugarcane strong.
We need to continue to grow our accreditation credentials. It’s what our customers expect. Mackay and Plane Creek need to continue to grow beyond the 36 and 32 % (respectively) of accredited cane footprint. The stronger our credentials , the more we are in a prime position on the world market.
Smartcane BMP is a program we can be proud of. It has three core modules around soil health, nutrient management, irrigation and drainage, and management of weeds pests and disease. It has additional modules that will assist growers to develop their practices across crop management, business, workplace health and safety, natural systems and global sugar sustainability standards.
Moreover, there is a great deal of experience, and highly-regarded land management practices, that sit with farmers, and that benefits the whole region with improved waterway health.
Keeping our growers, our practices, our markets strong is top of mind for CANEGROWERS.

Photo credit: Kirili Lamb

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