After four weeks of crushing in the Proserpine district, Wilmar Sugar has added 230,000 tonnes to the 2017 crop following revised estimates calculated this week. Wilmar crop estimate has been revised from 1.37 to 1.60 million tonnes.
In his weekly mill progress report, cane supply manager Tony Marino said 18% of the total crop had now been crushed, which equated to 291,000 tonnes.
In the wake of Cyclone Debbie an initial crop estimate of 1.37 million tonnes was made.
Proserpine Canegrowers Manager Mike Porter hoped the increase in crop estimate to 1.6 million tonnes would extend the crush.
“If the crush did end on October 27 it is long time between the end of the crush and the Christmas period,” he said.
”If you are running a business in town you want the crush to go as long as possible to inject a bit of money into the community.”
Canegrowers previously priced the cost of Cyclone Debbie at $16 million in lost revenue.
Mr Porter said if the revised crop estimate was achievable it could extend the crush by two to two and a half weeks.
“We would really like to get 1.6 million tonnes but I don’t think we are confident it is achievable (yet),” Mr Porter said.
Source: Whitsunday Times