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Sugar cane was first grown in the Mossman area in the 1890’s and the
Mossman Mill was established in 1893. However, it was not until 1897
when the first cane passed through the mill and this cane came from
a fire that “got away”. The season produced 2,965 tonnes of sugar
from 27,905 tonnes of cane and concluded in February, 1898. The mill
operated most successfully and in 1906 was the first mill in
Queensland to crush over 100,000 tonnes. The mill is a Limited
Co-operative and as such is owned and controlled by growers who
supply it and is one of the few co-operative mills surviving in the
industry.
The original mill was designed to crush 25 tonnes per hour. Today
the mill crushes in excess of 1 million tonnes at a rate of around
375 tonnes cane per hour and draws cane from as far away as Mareeba.
The present mill is still located on the original site.
There is 86 km of tramline in the area on which two single and two
‘double-header’ locomotives transport the cane to the mill. Cane
from areas to the south, north and southwest is brought to the
tramline by trucks.
What’s it all about?
Sugar cane belongs to the grass family of which there are approx.
5000 species. Other well known economic grass crops are barley,
wheat, rice, maize, sorghum, as well as pastures for stock. One of
the great attributes of sugar cane is its ability to 'ratoon'. This
is the regrowth of the crop after it has been harvested and is one
of the reasons that cane is an economical crop to grow. There are
high costs associated with the plant crop and farmers generally rely
on ratoons to make their investment worthwhile as costs of ratooning
are much lower than those of the plant crop.
What’s your preference?
Contrary to some opinions, the difference between white sugar and
brown sugar is not whether the crop is burned pre harvest. The sugar
produced at the mill is all the same, regardless of the treatment of
the crop - the different types of sugar available to the public are
a result of processes carried out at refineries which are generally
situated in the state capitals.
How much sugar?
Approximately 350 to 500 tonnes are harvested each day by each
harvester during the season. Harvesters generally only operate 22
weeks per year. In most of Queensland, cane is harvested on an
annual basis. Tropical weather is ideal for cane and ensures rapid
growth.
The harvested crop is moved to the mill in 'canetainers' which have
a capacity of 10 tonnes depending on the method of filling them. The
'canetainers' are moved to the mill by rail although some movement
from outlying areas to rail sidings is carried out by trucks.
Protecting the environment…
Cane growing has changed dramatically with the acceptance of green
cane harvesting. Following harvest most farmers leave the trash and
tops on the ground as a trash blanket mulch. This has several
beneficial effects. The blanket reduces soil erosion by protecting
the soil from the direct effect of the heavy rain during the wet
season; it conserves soil moisture in the dry periods by protecting
the soil from the sun and wind; it reduces weed seed germination; it
returns nutrients to the soil; it encourages earthworm and
microbiological growth. The trash blanket also results in a
reduction of growing costs as the farmer has no need to cultivate
the soil.
One effect of the change in harvesting practice has been a great
reduction in the spectacular cane fires which were once an integral
part of the tourist scene.
What happens after crushing?
The sugar and molasses are taken to Cairns for export overseas by ‘B
Double’ trucks. Sugar was last shipped out of Port Douglas in 1958.
The residue from the crushed cane is used within the industry; the
fibre (called Bagasse) is used to fire the boilers, which in turn
provide the power for the mill while the waste from the extraction
process (known as mill mud) is applied to paddocks as a fertiliser.
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