This year's ANZAC Day saw hundreds turn out to remember the efforts of Australia and New Zealand's great service men and women. Veterans, schools, clubs and businesses poured into the streets to march in grand parades, and packed in close to attend services held across the Hinchinbrook Shire. Beautiful wreaths were lain and the bugles mournful tones echoed across respectful silences as flags were lowered to half mast. A gunfire breakfast, coffee and traditional ANZAC biscuits kept everyone going
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Allan Colquhoun grew up in Sydney, but his life has taken him far beyond the city limits. In his youth, he worked with a station owner named Bob, whose property combined dairy and sheep farming with a focus on Jersey bulls and cows. One vivid memory that’s stayed with him is of Bob chasing down a bull meant for butchering on his stock horse —a beast that, to Allan’s amazement, climbed over the holding fence one hoof at a time to escape. Allan spent most of his working life as a coastal travelle
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Hinchinbrook Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Tourism held their monthly Coffee Connect last week, being hosted by local business Wild Local. There was a very strong attendance at this event, with Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter and KAP Senate candidate, Robbie Lyon. Rebecca and Dom Zaghini provided a delicious light snacks and gave the audience an overview of their business journey from inception to their current location, the diverse range of products they provide and some insight into t
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Over the weekend, the Ingham Kennel Club hosted six rounds of dog shows, featuring judges from across Australia who rotated to ensure fair and balanced competition. Dogs were entered into one of seven group categories, with the Toy Group attracting the largest number of entries. Sunday's shows saw the Italian Greyhound emerge as a standout, making up 20 of the 170 total entries across the weekend. Unique and rarely seen breeds like the Xoloitzcuintli and Briard added excitement to the event, of
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Wilmar Manager Grower Marketing
The New Year has heralded an unwelcome change in global sugar price sentiment, initially prompted by the world market getting more comfortable that the first quarter supply of sugar was tight but manageable. This resulted in a gradual deterioration of the ICE #11 March 25 futures premium over the May contract.
The speculative money sensed the path of least resistance was down, so they had been getting increasingly aggressive with their short-selling strategies. This was being met with scale-down trade buying. Then the rumour – and now fact – that the Indian government is issuing export licences for 1 million tonnes of white sugar, broke the market to the downside.
India's choice to issue export licences at this time is puzzling. Wilmar has been revising down sugar estimates for the current harvest due to a poor growing season combined with an increase in crop disease, and an increase in ethanol production. This results in a low domestic stock position of what is an important base energy source for a large proportion of the population.
With this harvest approximately 50 per cent complete, production is running behind schedule, and the increased disease is resulting in poor cane quality. Indian domestic sugar prices have rallied and, at current levels, it appears there is no incentive for sugar to be exported. The notion that the government would subsidise exports is a possibility but there appears little incentive for that to occur.
The wrap-up of the 24 season for Brazil is all but done, with the final sugar production estimated to be just under 40mt. Rain in Brazil has been reasonable over the last couple of months so there is some alleviation from the dry growing season of 24.
The current forecast for Brazil's 25 crop is for a large 42.5m tonnes of sugar production. The increase is based largely on the assumption of a 52 per cent sugar to ethanol mix (24 season was 48 per cent).
So after a long period at the end of last year with minimal market news, the New Year has started with a flurry. How this plays out is yet to be determined. The structure of futures prices is relatively flat so the current consensus of the market is an each-way bet.
Fortunately, the AUD has weakened significantly over the past couple of months, which has dulled the impact of the falling futures market. However, at 62 cents, the AUD is at levels that historically have proven good buying, so it could be vulnerable to a rally on the back of USD weakness linked to the changing mood of Trump.
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