North Queensland cane farmers receive blessing ahead of harvest

Under the shade of a north Queensland mango tree, farmers and the Habana community gather for an annual harvest mass where it is not only people who are blessed.

Tractors and other farm equipment line up against a backdrop of stunning green cane fields as Catholic priest Andrew Hogan delivers the outdoor service.

Father Hogan prays for the crop to deliver a good financial return and for the safety of those working in the sugar industry — on the land and in the mills.

Harvest mass has been a tradition in Habana, a rural community of about 1,000 people near Mackay, for more than 40 years.

Organising committee chair Laurence Bonaventura said it was the last chance for many farmers to relax before the end of the year.

"It will get very, very busy for them," he said.

Tractors, machinery blessed

Farmer Joseph Grech had been bringing his older tractor to be blessed for 40 years, but decided to "give it a rest" this year and brought his newer model.

Mr Grech said farming had changed a lot in his 54-year career, including the move from burning and cutting cane by hand to mechanised harvesting.

But he said harvest mass had remained a constant.

"It has stayed the same because everything [in the mass] is perfection," he said.

About 80 people attended this year's mass, which ended with the congregation and machinery being blessed by holy water.

Rural fire trucks, an ambulance, and other work vehicles were also included as an acknowledgement of those who kept the farming community safe.

Habana and Districts Progress Association secretary Palmina Rae said the expanded line-up reflected how much cane farming meant to the community.

"We wanted to gather everybody who's involved in the industry, that includes teachers, ambulance drivers, everybody is contributing to our local sugarcane industry," she said.

"It means a lot to me, it's a tradition, it's an opportunity for us to celebrate our faith but also to celebrate the sugar industry, which is a big part of the history in Habana."

Reduced tonnage expected

Canegrowers chair Owen Menkens said the industry was under pressure with a couple of years of less-than-ideal conditions in Australia's sugar industry.

He said the organisation expected 28.5 million tonnes of sugarcane to be harvested from 13 districts in Queensland.

He said the smaller-than-average crop was due to flooding in the Herbert region north of Townsville and about 1 million tonnes of cane being left in the paddock from last season.

"Last year was a pretty bad year," Mr Menkens said.

"We had some wet weather as well as some poor mill performance issues, and that's why we have a smaller crop this year."

Many farmers were still harvesting into January this year, which was at the top of cane farmer Stephen Vella's mind as he received his blessing at harvest mass.

"We're praying that the mills have a good run, that we can get the cane off within that 23 [or] 24-week period," Mr Vella said.

"And just for once to sit and enjoy the last couple of weeks before Christmas instead of having to harvest cane and do farm chores."

More mills to fire up

Mackay Sugar is Australia's second-largest raw sugar producer with almost 1,300 mainly family-owned farms supplying its three mills.

Last year, the company contributed about 800,000 tonnes of raw sugar to the 4 million tonnes produced in Queensland.

The first bin of cane was tipped at Farleigh Mill on June 10, with Racecourse and Marian Mill to fire up in the coming week.

The crush is already underway in Far North Queensland on the Tablelands, Tully, the Burdekin, Sarina, and Bundaberg.

The Herbert River and Isis mills are expected to start crushing within the next two weeks.