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8. Conclusions and Recommendations
Sugarcane and mallee systems have many similarities. They both represent high volume, relatively
low value crops, which require considerable processing and value addition to meet the selected
market. Both systems have significant harvest and transport requirements using specialised
equipment. In both cases delivered cost is high relative to the market price.
Sugarcane industries have spent many years researching and refining their crop production systems
and associated harvesting and transport arrangements. While sugarcane farming systems have
evolved to meet a specific market, the mallee woody crop industry has yet to define its market.
Innovation in sugarcane farming has been largely driven by growers of a monoculture crop aiming to
meet a specific product requirement. Mallee growers in Western Australia have had multiple
objectives under integrated wheat and mallee cropping systems. They have only recently started to
consider mallee markets and harvest and transport costs. Elsewhere, such as NSW, mallee is being
considered solely as a biomass resource and systems are being developed by Aurora Research and
Delta Electricity to optimise production and the supply chain as a viable standalone business.
The key issues and recommendations provided in this report will assist all participants in realising a
sustainable supply chain. An important next step will be implementation of appropriate
recommendations to support implementation of a regional biomass supply chain. Opportunities for
this include Narrogin (Western Australia), NSW as part of the Delta/Aurora research biomass project
and Northern NSW as part of the NSW Sugar Milling cooperatives cogeneration initiative.
Crop Production
Chapter 1 of this report has contrasted the sugarcane and mallee crop production systems.
The sugar industry has over time been able to modify its farming systems to maximise crop
production and adapt harvesting and transport systems to minimise damage to the field and plant
while improving the quality of the delivered product. It has also implemented harvesting best
management practices which address harvest and transport requirements as well as crop agronomic
requirements. The mallee industry has also been researching these issues which will require ongoing
implementation, monitoring and review as the commercial aspects of the industry mature.
The sugar industry has placed considerable effort getting a better understanding of and managing the
various components of the harvested crop and its impact on transport and sugar processor
arrangements. This area has received limited consideration in mallee systems. It will become a critical
issue if markets for biomass have strict quality requirements and if efficiencies of harvesting, storage
and transport systems are compromised.
Expansion in the sugar industry has generally been driven at a local mill area scale in response to
market forces. Future expansion in mallee production will be driven by the market for biomass and
farming systems and layouts will need to adapt to the economics of this supply arrangement.
Sophisticated information and data collection systems have developed in the sugar industry to manage
supply areas and volumes. These systems are generally coordinated by the processor to ensure a stable
supply chain and include GIS information on field area, daily cane deliveries (quantity and quality),
GPS tracking of harvesting and transport units to coordinate scheduling and integrated information
systems allowing real time communication to all in the supply chain. These systems are mature and
could be readily customised for biomass industries.
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