Ahead of Queensland’s state election this week, Australia’s sugar manufacturers are calling for increased investment to support the growth of the $4.4 billion industry. Shayne Rutherford, Chair of the Australian Sugar Milling Council (ASMC), emphasized the need for the incoming government to prioritize solutions that promote growth, diversification, and job creation within the sector.
The ASMC represents companies that produce over 80% of Queensland’s second-largest agricultural export commodity. Rutherford noted the industry’s significant economic contributions, stating it generates $4.4 billion in economic activity and supports more than 20,000 jobs, primarily in regional Queensland. However, he highlighted that the industry’s potential is hindered by a lack of supportive investment, policy, and regulatory frameworks.
The ASMC’s election priorities include establishing a government-industry taskforce to increase the annual cane supply to 34 million tonnes to sustain the 20,000 jobs supported by the sector. They also seek to secure $1.2 million for a Cane Rail Fund to optimize Queensland’s cane railways, invest $2.5 million over four years to establish a proposed $12 million Centre of Excellence for Advanced Sugar Manufacturing, focusing on research and development and commercialization, and allocate $1.7 million over three years for the Sugar Career Start Program to address workforce and skills shortages.
Rutherford stressed the necessity of billions in new investments to maintain the industry’s economic contributions while exploring opportunities in renewable electricity, biofuels, and the production of bioplastics and proteins. He called for a “Team Queensland” approach to attract and mitigate risks for investments in the sugar sector, encouraging investors to choose Queensland over competing regions like India and Brazil.
Rutherford emphasized the importance of a reliable and skilled workforce, ensuring the adequacy of cane railways for the state’s second-largest freight task, and the need for more research and development to maintain competitiveness in sugar manufacturing. He concluded by urging the incoming government to create a policy environment that reduces investment risks rather than imposing additional barriers.
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