Growers around the Mossman region who have committed to a supply agreement to have their sugar cane processed at the Mulgrave mill in Gordonvale are desperate as they await the state government to confirm support of their transport costs of $30 a tonne.
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Canegrowers Mossman director Scott Fasano said it had been in an "extremely long and involved period of negotiation" with the Department of State Development and Infrastructure (formerly the Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning) since the Mossman mill went into voluntary administration last November.
Mr Fasano said the cost of transporting sugar cane 100km down the Captain Cook Highway was of huge concern as before the Mossman mill closure last March, their haulage costs were virtually nil.
"It's going to cost us $30 a tonne to get it from Mossman to Gordonvale," he said.
"Growers have had to take a gamble and hope they do get assistance from the state government to truck it down there to Gordonvale, they have paid for the freight themselves and they are going backwards financially.
"We hope the Department of State Development and Infrastructure support this deal and it goes ahead but we still have to lock in the details."
In April Mr Fasano said the $12.1m premier Steven Miles put forward for the Mossman Region Transition Program incentive, it had not been made clear where and how the money would be spent.
He said he and other cane growers are still waiting.
"They have $12.1m sitting on the table to help the people impacted by the Mossman mill closure but they still have not spent one cent on the community," he said.
"We need to get our sugar cane processed soon, it's not like cattle, we can't leave out in the paddock.
"Our sugar cane has to be at the Mulgrave mill in July and it must be processed before the end of November."
In Mossman before the mill closure, the sugarcane industry was understood to have employed around 570 people, or a third of the town, and contributed $190 million annually to the regional economy.
Another issue is the increase of haulage along routes which were damaged when Cyclone Jasper pounded the region, causing significant delays.
Bray Group director Dale Bray, recently put out a call for drivers with either a multi or heavy combination licence to contact his company for the work which would involve a six day on, two day off roster in order get the cane down the road to the Mulgrave mill.
Mr Bray who also runs a cane and peanut farm said the finer logistical details were still being hammered out.
But he believed it would be confirmed and had put out the word to ensure he would have enough drivers to commence the work sometime in mid-June.
"The deal is still being sorted out by the state government," Mr Bray said.
"This will help the cane growers get their harvest crushed and it's an opportunity for them to get some recovery of their return of their crop investment."
Mr Bray whose last harvest came to 240,000 tonnes from his property on the Atherton Tablelands, said his business which employed around 100 people said he would pull out all the stops to assist the Mossman region growers.
"We will be running a combination of different transport units," he said.
"But this is only a temporary solution to the problem."
Mr Bray said he had received some interest from his advertisement for drivers.
The Department of State Development and Infrastructure has been contacted for comment.
Know more about this issue? Contact Alison Paterson on 0437 861 082.
