Harvest of the Far North's 2023 cane crush is pushing ahead on the back of one of the wettest months in decades.
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The COFCO-owned Tully Sugar Mill has almost used its entire wet weather budget - 500 hours used from the allocated 540 hours as of today - after the second wettest July on record.
Chief operating officer John Edwards said the initial crop estimate of 2.65 million tonnes had been revised down to 2.6m tonnes.
He said the mill had crushed some 741,000 tonnes to date, which represented 28.5 per cent of the total crop.
Canegrowers Tully chair Bryce Macdonald said while rain was not unusual in the Tully region at this time of the year, the amount of rain recorded was.
Tully recorded 445mm for July.
He said overcast conditions also hindered cane growth, with ratoon crops suffering from water logging and lack of sunlight.
All three of MSF Sugar's mills have experienced a disruptive start to the 2023 crush largely due to wet weather.
The Arriga-based Tableland Mill was the first in the state to start crushing on 22 May.
MSF Sugar head of cane supply Mark Magnanini said since the start of the crush, the factory had averaged just under 5,000 tonnes a day.
The daily crush received a significant boost this season with the Thai-owned company and Mossman Mill reaching a three-year toll crush agreement, which will see all cane grown on the Tableland crushed at Arriga.
Mr Magnanini said the Tableland crop was cutting below its initial estimate of 870,000 tonnes, with harvest on track to be completed by the third week of November.
The southern Tableland growing region has been hindered by wet weather - Atherton recorded 59mm for July, the second highest July total since 2013.
Mareeba recorded 21.8mm for July, its second highest July rainfall figure since 2000.
"While the factory has been able to operate at the planned crush rate, because we have had to focus harvest in the northern area it has put some pressure on logistics in the back half of the season," Mr Magnanini said.
He said growers had demonstrated solid confidence in the cane industry on the Tablelands, with more than 1000 hectares already planted.
"Confidence is high and the sugar price is high so people are planting," Mr Magnanini said.
Mulgrave Mill started on 15 June.
Mr Magnanini said the "above average" crop was expected to deliver 1.2m tonnes, with CCS higher than previous years so far.
It's a different story on the coast where South Johnstone recorded 246.8mm of rain for July, the highest July total in a decade.
MSF is banking on much kinder weather from August to October where it expects it will need to crush around 70 per cent of the estimated 1.4m tonne-crop at the South Johnstone Mill.
Mr Magnanini said wet weather during the crush and harvest impacted the entire supply chain.
The wet and soggy start to the 2023 harvest comes as growers enjoy historical high sugar prices.
