Historic day: Choice for Mackay Sugar cane growers

MACKAY Sugar has locked in new marketing choice arrangements with QSL, giving its growers choice in who provides their marketing, pricing and payment services.

The view to the canefields from North Mackay lookout. Picture: Stuart Quinn

MACKAY Sugar has locked in new marketing choice arrangements with Queensland Sugar Limited, giving its cane growers choice in who provides their sugar marketing, pricing and payment services.

Wilmar growers throughout the region have had the option of marketing through QSL or Wilmar for some time but Mackay Sugar's Raw Supply Agreement meant its growers were limited when it came to marketing their share of sugar milled by the company.

Now they will have a choice in the matter.

Queensland Sugar Limited (QSL) managing directing and chief executive Greg Beashel announced on Friday the industry-owned sugar marketer had signed an On-Supply Agreement with Mackay Sugar, which "enabled growers supplying its Mackay mills to deal directly with QSL from the coming 2019 season”.

"QSL has a long history of serving the growers of Mackay, but has always done so via their miller, who decided which QSL products and services growers could access,” he said.

"As of today, those growers can deal directly with QSL and choose from our full range of pricing and payment services, including receiving direct payment from us.”

Growers who want to use QSL for the coming season have until March 5 to return the necessary paperwork.

"The form that they need to complete and details regarding the process are all included in a QSL information pack that's being sent to Mackay growers via email and in the post in coming days,” Mr Beashel said.

"We'll also be hosting a series of information sessions around the district to walk growers through the nomination process and explain their QSL pricing and payment options.”

Mr Beashel said he hoped "as many growers as possible will come along to one of these sessions”.

Growers can drop into QSL's new Mackay office on level 2 of the Mackay Canegrowers building in Wood Street, or phone [phone].

Originally published as Historic day: Choice for Mackay Sugar cane growers