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Given the small farm sizes (i.e. smaller than industry average) many <strong>of</strong> these growers rely on <strong>of</strong>f farm<br />

income. This highlights the importance <strong>of</strong> sharing equipment and harvesting by grower owned cooperatives<br />

or partnerships.<br />

Cane payments:<br />

Planting Sugar Cane<br />

(source: Sunshine Sugar)<br />

The cane payment system is largely based on the traditional cane payment formula previously<br />

described. With the introduction <strong>of</strong> whole <strong>of</strong> crop harvesting the payment system changed from being<br />

based on CCS to payment on pol. Modification to the cane payment formula was mainly due to over<br />

penalising on impurities (function <strong>of</strong> CCS formula), which were much larger than in the traditional<br />

burnt cane harvesting system. Since the introduction <strong>of</strong> the new payment system the NSW Sugar<br />

industry has reverted back to burnt cane harvesting and away from whole <strong>of</strong> crop harvesting, however<br />

the revised payment system remains. During whole <strong>of</strong> crop harvesting, growers were paid $16 / tonne<br />

<strong>of</strong> fibre, measured by NIR under a separate agreement.<br />

5.4 Ownership and Implications<br />

Farmer and miller ownership within the raw sugar value chain has many different models. At change<br />

points along the value chain (i.e. growing, harvesting, transport and milling) competition for returns<br />

occurs, which requires negotiation. The model with the least conflict is one which has the fewest<br />

changes in ownership throughout the chain. The basic competition within the value chain is the<br />

negotiation <strong>of</strong> returns to the farmer’s cane input versus millers manufacturing input (Hildebrand,<br />

2002)<br />

Along the value chain there are other levels <strong>of</strong> competition such as farmer vs. farmer and farmer vs.<br />

harvester. To reduce competition at harvest due to periods when the sugar content is highest within<br />

the season, at a farmer vs. farmer level harvesting is scheduled / rostered so that the crop is<br />

progressively harvested in a number <strong>of</strong> rounds throughout the season providing growers with a share<br />

<strong>of</strong> the harvest period. At a farmer vs. harvester level if harvesting is contracted then contractors are<br />

paid at a negotiated unit fee which as mentioned, is usually based on an average fee across the group<br />

regardless <strong>of</strong> actual cost (i.e. cross subsidy). In some regions harvester monitoring systems have been<br />

installed on machinery to obtain a better idea <strong>of</strong> actual costs with a view <strong>of</strong> translating these costs to<br />

the grower.<br />

5.4.1 Implications along value chain<br />

Hildebrand (2002) suggests that if all <strong>of</strong> the value chain is owned by the miller then there is least<br />

conflict and no competition until sugar is marketed. This model represents a small proportion <strong>of</strong> the<br />

industry although a significant proportion <strong>of</strong> the Brazilian sugar industry operates in this way.<br />

Conversely a value chain owned by the farmer (apart from competition between farmer vs. farmer and<br />

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