Fifth generation cane farmer, husband and dad elected to industry board

The father-of-three has been involved with sugar cane farming all his life, and now he’s taken it to the next level.

Tom and Marty Walsh are fourth and fifth generation cane farmers in the Richmond Valley area.

A fifth-generation sugar cane farmer from the Richmond Valley is taking up an important industry role.

Marty Walsh, 39, has been elected as a director on the NSW Sugar Milling Cooperative board.

Mr Walsh, his wife Donna and their three young children farm 110ha of cane on their Coraki property.

He also works in partnership with his parents, Tom and Julie, to grow sugar cane and soy bean on more than 400ha of land in the Richmond Valley area.

Mr Walsh has been involved in sugarcane farming all of his life and his commitment to the sugar industry also includes being an active member on the Richmond River Cane Growers Association board.

 

Coraki cane farmer Marty Walsh.

 

Chairman of NSW Sugar and Sunshine Sugar, Jim Sneesby said he was pleased to welcome Mr Walsh to the board.

"He will bring a fresh approach and has proven to be a great asset to both the Richmond River Cane Growers and the broader NSW sugar industry sector," he said.

"I look forward to working with a grower who has shown such great passion, commitment and vision to our industry."

In a grower case study by Sunshine Sugar, Marty said he loved working with his family.

"If I were to win lotto I would build a bigger shed to house all my new machinery and keep on farming - because I am doing what I love and I'm doing it with my best mate (my dad)," he said.

The NSW Sugar Milling Cooperative Board includes nine grower Directors, with three representatives from each of the milling areas - the Tweed, Richmond and Clarence Valley.