RE-ENGINEERING SUGAR INDUSTRIES―A VIEW FROM AUSTRALIA

摘要

There has been significant pressure for the Australian sugar industry to reengineer itself. This paper reviews changes in industry legislation, milling, growing and the grower/miller interface. It concludes that the industry has, in the 15 years since reform commenced with the removal of both an embargo on imports and a fixed domestic price, shown a remarkable degree of reengineering. Legislative controls have been almost completely removed and the industry is now significantly deregulated, while retaining growers' ability to negotiate collectively and the industry's ability to sell its sugar through a single desk. Milling has been reengineered through closure and consolidation of mills, new milling capacity and new processes such as dry cane cleaning technology and improved clarification, boiler management and control systems. The growing sector has been reengineered through the development of new farming systems and new approaches to agricultural extension. The grower/miller interface has been recognised as an important area for reengineering and developments include improvements in harvesting practice, harvest scheduling and cooperative development. However, further reengineering―consolidation of farms, uptake of new systems, harvesting and transport integration and rationalisation and restructure of milling―will all be required to ensure a profitable future.