Cane Production

Sugar cane production is a major activity in the Johnstone Shire, with 549 cane farmers cultivating 26,200 hectares of cane. This activity is a major contributor to the economy, with a total of 1,641,437 tonnes of cane crushed in the Innisfail District in the year 2000. 88% of total tonnage was harvested green.

In 1995 the Queensland cane growing industry commissioned an extensive environmental audit and an environment management strategy was subsequently developed in 1997. The major environmental issues affecting cane growers in the Innisfail area are water quality, soil quality, pest control, streambank stability, riparian zones & remnant vegetation, acid sulfate soils, chemical and dangerous goods use and storage, long term productivity/ farm sustainability.

In response to these issues the industry has/will:

•   Adopted green cane harvesting and trash blanketing on 88% of farms.
•   Adopted minimum or zero tillage of ratoon crops.
•   Given further attention to the type, amount, timing and placement of fertiliser.
•   Productivity Boards monitor and report the presence of noxious weeds.
•   Adopted best management practices on machinery cleaning and movement.
•   Developed integrated pest management (IPM) systems for major pests.
•   Sought permits to control rats.
•   Advocated leaving a wider headland and promotion of revegetation for rat management.
•   Tested any potential acid sulphate soil areas before undertaking drainage works.
•   Farmers have completed chemical accreditation courses.
•   Cane growers support the drumMUSTER chemical container-recycling program.

Banana Production

The banana industry currently uses about 4500ha of land in the Shire (BIPB Census 2000) and this has been expanding over a number of years. The farms are distributed widely, often forming part of an overall enterprise, which includes cane. Plantations range in size up to 350 hectares.

The development of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) system for banana production led to the training of professional pest scouts and the industry has reduced its use of insecticides and fungicides by more than 19% over the last decade.

The work done on nutrient transport and water quality in the Johnstone Catchment led to a Natural Heritage Trust project "Best Bet Management Practices for Bananas" to assist in reducing nutrient loss to rivers and the reef lagoon. The preparation of the Farmcare manual, which deals in all aspects of a producer's "duty of care" to the environment, has been a big step forward for the industry.