Fighting hard for the Mossman cane farming community

Member for Cook, Cynthia Lui, has reaffirmed her commitment to support Mossman farmers to transition towards a sustainable agricultural future as the 2024 cane crop nears harvest readiness.

Ms Lui said she had been advocating strongly to Ministerial colleagues, the Premier and Department of Agriculture representatives for greater support to manage the 2024 crop and to mitigate losses in the wake of the Administrator decision to wind up the Mossman Mill.

“I am acutely aware of what the Mossman Mill has meant for the town and the role it has played in Mossman’s economy for past 130 years,” Ms Lui told Newsport.

“Looking to the immediate future for growers, the priority for a successful transition is the cane in the paddock right now.

“Farmers have invested time, money, and care into the current crop and with no working mill in Mossman to process this crop, the key to transition is to minimise their losses. Growers are asking for financial support to transport the cane, or to harvest the cane on ground.

“They say that without this support, they will not have the assets or resources to transition successfully.”

Ms Lui said it was clear from her conversations with growers that they have strong hopes and plans for a sustainable future in agriculture and are continuing to explore all options in cane, like biofuels and other crops.

“This is an extremely difficult time for Mossman, and the community continues to look for innovative solutions despite it all," Ms Lui said.

Ms Lui said she sponsored a petition to Parliament earlier this year, developed by local farmers, which was signed by more than 5000 people, and was tabled on April 30.