Wilmar's Pioneer Mill is back up and running after a fire caused major damage to the site. The Burdekin mill started crushing again last Thursday, 12 days after a fire damaged the site's bagasse conveyor system.
General manager operations Mike McLeod praised Wilmar employees who repaired the damage and recommissioned the factory in such a short time frame.
"It was a herculean effort by all involved," Mr McLeod said.
The fire in the mill's bagasse conveyor system happened on Saturday, October 5 and caused extensive damage to the conveyors and associated electrical systems.
General manager cane supply and grower relations Paul Giordani said logistics officers worked with growers and harvesting groups to transfer Pioneer area cane to Wilmar's other Burdekin mills for processing while repairs were under way.
He said Burdekin crush would still finish in mid-November.
"Before the fire, we were forecasting the last mill to crush out in the Burdekin on November 13," Mr Giordani said.
"Our current projections have Pioneer Mill being the last to finish, on 18 November."