MEDIA RELEASE: NSW Sugar Industry – AGM Wrap-Up
The 46th Annual General Meeting of the grower-owned NSW Sugar Milling Co-operative has been held.
Over 60 sugarcane grower-members and milling management convened in Ballina on Friday 29th November to review the 2023/24 financial year performance of the Co-operative.
More than 1.1m tonnes of cane was crushed last season delivering a return to growers in the range of $57 to $63 per tonne.
Highlights from the Chief Executive Officer’s report included record sugar and cane prices; high and sustainable pricing thanks to a strong hedge program; along with commencement of flood mitigation works at the Condong Sugar Mill following a $2m government project grant.
Before the conclusion of the AGM, the group was addressed by Warren Davies, The Unbreakable Farmer. Warren is an impassioned speaker who shares his journey from school bullying to the harsh realities of farming including high interest rates, low commodity prices, floods and drought; and the impacts of these on financial and mental health.
Directly following the AGM, the Board members convened to appoint directorship roles.
Three new board members joined the meeting. These are Dave Bartlett, Tweed; Regan Sawatzki, Richmond and Duncan Reid, Clarence.
In the session, Stephen Wagner, a grower on the Richmond was appointed as the NSW Sugar Milling Co-operative Chairman, with Kevin Twohill from the Tweed and Nathan Ensbey from the Clarence as deputies.
The focus is now on the 2024 crushing season which is ongoing. The season length has been hampered due primarily to wet weather and a dramatic increase in yield which saw the harvest totals jump from 1.1m tonnes in 2023 to more than 1.65m tonnes in 2024.
[3 December 2024]