Australian Canegrowers calls for retention of Sugar Code

Australia’s peak sugarcane growers’ organisation has called for the Sugar Code to be retained beyond its scheduled expiry date, arguing that the framework remains essential for ensuring fair negotiations between growers and millers.

Canegrowers Chief Executive Officer Dan Galligan said the organisation would urge the Federal Government to remake the decade-old code with practical improvements rather than allow it to lapse, The Express reported.

The Sugar Code is currently undergoing a statutory review ahead of its sunset date of October 1, 2027. Introduced in 2017 following major disputes over grower marketing rights, the code establishes rules governing negotiations between growers and millers, including requirements for good-faith bargaining and access to arbitration when negotiations break down.

Galligan said the review should be viewed as an opportunity to strengthen the code rather than a threat to its future.

“Our position is clear. The Code should be remade, with sensible amendments where they improve how it works in practice,” he said.

He noted that the sugar industry is currently facing multiple challenges, including low sugar prices, fuel and fertiliser supply pressures, harvesting constraints, milling issues and weather-related risks. At the same time, he said emerging opportunities in biofuels and renewable energy could create new markets for sugarcane producers.

According to Canegrowers, the code plays an important role in reducing the risk of prolonged disputes by providing a structured framework for commercial negotiations across the industry.

More details: https://www.chinimandi.com/australia-canegrowers-calls-for-retention-of-sugar-code-urges-farmers-to-participate-in-review/