MORE than 150 growers and representatives from Queensland’s major areas of sugar production donned suit and tie for the Project Catalyst Growers Forum Dinner held on March 2.
The function was held at Jupiters Hotel and Casino in Townsville as part of a three-day forum focused on sugar innovation.
Growers from Mackay Whitsunday, the Burdekin and the Wet Tropics joined leading organisations from the sugar industry, including: Wilmar, Canegrowers, Sugar Research Australia (SRA), the Australian Cane Farmers Association (ACFA), Bayer CropScience, Netafim, Syngenta, Case IH, Suncorp and Inkerman Lime & Gypsum. The Hon. Steven Miles, Queensland Minister for Environment and Heritage Protection, National Parks and the Great Barrier Reef, was also in attendance.
Now in its sixth year, Project Catalyst is a pioneering partnership between cane farmers, The Coca Cola Foundation, WWF-Australia, Catchment Solutions, and corresponding NRM Groups in key sugar production regions (Reef Catchments, NQ Dry Tropics and Terrain NRM).
Project Catalyst trials are on-going year round on farms across the state, with the forum the major platform for the discussion of trial progress, outcomes and results. Major partner, The Coca-Cola Foundation, has announced a further $500,000 grant to Project Catalyst Australia, bringing its total investment into the Project to $3.25 million over the past six years.
For photos from the dinner, click on the link below.
The project aims to support growers to speed the adoption of innovation for improved practice change, focused on reducing the environmental impact of cane on water quality and the Great Barrier Reef. To date, more than 75 cane farmers involved in Project Catalyst farm trials have helped improve runoff and drainage water quality of an estimated 102,000 megalitres across 20,345 ha of land.
