Project title: Developing Extended Fallow Options for the Plane Creek District
Group Name: Plane Creek Sustainable Farmers Inc
Objectives:
- Trial & develop a range of fallow crop options suitable for a extended fallow program in Plane Creek District
- Address loss of land to cattle/trees/hobby farms by providing options for growers in Plane Creek to diversify without leaving the sugar industry
- Partner with industry organisations to maintain production of sugar by CSR mill, increase production of Ethanol by CSR distillery, and increase viability of growers
- By partnering with commercial organisations including Pioneer Seeds, Lindeman & Associates, Syngenta and Landmark Mackay, our group members will develop more rigorous & diverse agronomic skills, marketing and business case analysis skills than we have ever been exposed to in the sugar industry.
- Growers from the Burdekin region we interact with have shown us evidence of improved profitability & reduced inputs by growing complimentary crops in an extended fallow period. These growers have increased cane production per hectare, resulting in the same total cane tonnage produced from the farm at reduced costs. Total sugar mill/income distillery should increase with additional throughput of sweet sorghum, beet, grain for ethanol.
Project Activities:
The project will trial a range of break crop options, in various sequence, in an extended fallow program to identify the most economical and suitable rotation options for cane growers in the Central Region. The project will partner with sweet sorghum project, participate in sugar beet trials, assess new Mungbean varieties, aerobic rice, refine and coordinate soybean and peanut production, chickpeas, corn, sunflower, safflower, and sunhemp. In partnership, assess agronomic issues and viability of these crops.
Contact Person: Robert Sluggett 0419477478
