Media Release

KAP Leader and Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter today praised the sugar industry for turning out in their hundreds to support the future of the sugar cane industry in Australia.

Approximately 300 cane growers from around Far North Queensland attended the Public Senate Hearing in Townsville today into future arrangements for the marketing of Australian sugar.

Mr Katter said that he had seen total unanimity within the sugar industry for the first time in his lifetime.

“The State LNP government and the Federal LNP Government, with their reluctance to give any undertaking to the sugar industry, have today seen total unanimity within the sugar industry,” Mr Katter said.

“Everyone is opposed to the deregulation of QSL’s marketing powers and in favour of the restoration of marketing powers to the farmers.

“There has been a stand at long last on the issue of marketing.”

Mr Katter lodged a submission that called for the re-establishment of a tribunal that can hear, determine and set a fair market price between the farmer and the miller.

He said today that almost the entire Australian workforce worked under a Fair Work award and questioned why farmers should be deprived of the same right.

“The farmers have paid and will continue to pay a very high price for de-regulation,” Mr Katter said.

“Unlike most other sectors of the Australian economy, there is a straight out monopoly in sugar. The farmer either sells to his local mill or he doesn’t sell.

“It’s not like cattle, milk or grain. Whereas even grain fetches $200 to $300 a tonne, sugar sells for only $30 a tonne. So the farmer can’t afford to send his sugar 200kms up the road to the next mill or he won’t have any operating profit left.

“There must be a return to a fairness tribunal setting the price that the monopoly miller pays the farmer.”

Mr Katter said he congratulated all of the groups who’d put forward submissions and attended the hearings to show their support for the industry.