Media release issued earlier today: A fight for the rights of growers A MOVE by Wilmar Sugar Australia to exit their sugar marketing arrangements with Queensland Sugar Limited (QSL) has been described as a bastard act by Member for Dawson George Christensen. Wilmar, operator of mills in Sarina, Proserpine and the Burdekin, announced this morning that they would effectively establish their own marketing arm. It’s a move that could spell the end for QSL. “I condemn Wilmar for making a decision like this without consultation with their farmers,” Mr Christensen said. “It is not right for a multinational company that has only recently entered the Australian sugar market to make a unilateral decision to essentially strip sugar cane growers of their ability to determine their own future. “There has been a longstanding gentleman’s agreement within the industry that canegrowers have a right to determine how at least two thirds of the sugar supplied to the mill is marketed. “This decision by Wilmar is a bastard act.” Mr Christensen reminded Wilmar Sugar Australia of the events of 2011. QSL forward-priced a considerable amount of sugar on behalf of Wilmar and QSL’s other mills, but due to unseasonal rain and crop destruction it could not be supplied. “In that instance, they actually did recognise the growers’ interests, and said ‘you’re in this with us and you have to pay part of the loss’,” Mr Christensen said. “They forced that on growers by taking a cut out of their payments. “Well they can’t have it both ways. When there’s a loss to wear, growers own the sugar, but when it comes to marketing, growers have no ownership at all, it’s Wilmar’s decision. “ Mr Christensen said this was why people have such mistrust of foreign ownership. “This might be the way Wilmar does business in Asia, but that’s not the way we do business in Australia,” he said. The Member for Dawson, who has already had a discussion with Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce on the subject, has vowed to take the strongest possible stand against the actions of Wilmar to protect the interests of growers in the Dawson electorate. “As a result of this decision, I will be actively lobbying for a legislative instrument to protect growers’ economic interest in their own sugar,” Mr Christensen said. Wilmar Sugar Australia operates eight mills in Queensland and six are in the Dawson electorate. They are Plane Creek Mill at Sarina, the Proserpine Mill, and the four Burdekin region mills of Kalamia, Invicta, Pioneer and Inkerman. They also operate Macknade and Victoria Mills near Ingham.
Posted on: Thu, 03 Apr 2014 04:30:03 +0000
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