The timely forum focused on the cyclical and structural changes facing the sugar industry, which particular emphasis on the current price cycle and how growers could capitilise in the good times.
Rabobank’s global sugar strategist Andy Duff travelled from Brazil to address the growers, and spoke about the impact of government intervention on supply and demand fundamentals and the changes in global sugar consumption.
Mr Duff has spent the past two decades in Brazil and discussed how that country, as one of Australia’s competitors on the sugar export market, were adapting to try to mitigate the current low price environment and how to capitalise on opportunities when the market started to turn.
Sugar symposium
Women in Sugar Burdekin representatives: Sarah and Lisa Pozzebon, Mt Kelly, with Wendy Zandonadi and Deanne Spina, Ayr.
Anthony Curro, SRA, Brandon and Mark Castelanelli, CASAGCO, Ayr.
Ayr cane growers Joe Linton, Ross Musumeci and Ray Musumeci.
Megan Sloan and Laura Cox, Burdekin Theatre.
Kristen Clayton, Bloomsbury and Tina Ellwood, Walkerston.
Georgia Twomey, Rabobank commodity analysist with Andy Duff, Rabobank Agribusiness, South America, Global Strategist - sugar.
David Morris, Mareena Jecchio and Justina Wilson, Achmea Australia.
Frank Clayton, Bloomsbury and David Ellwood, Walkerston.
Michael Butterfield and Diego Ferres both of Centro de Tecnologia Canavieira (CTC), Brazil with Dahlia Darweesh, Rabobank, Sydney.
There was plenty of interest in the sugar symposium.