'They didn't do anv of this to win awards or get rich' Family buying a future in sugar

摘要

Those who need proof that the sugarcane industry is evolving new structures to meet changed market conditions should visit award-winning Ingham grower Joe Spina. Mr Spina's ambitious expansion plans may not have been so readily realised if the industry was not undergoing fundamental reform which is quickly changing the face of sugarcane growing in Queensland. In the last three years the Spina family has made further significant investment in the sugar industry by buying small farms from growers who had finally decided to give up the struggle of making a living from properties which could no longer support them. Joe Spina is one of hundreds of growers actively building a future for themselves and their families in a determined bid to remain part of Queensland's historic cane growing community, even if that means taking big financial risks. With sons Michael and Laurie (working on-farm) and Joe Jnr, who works at Victoria Mill, Mr Spina has improved his acquisitions through laser-levelling, realigning them for better drainage and more economical harvesting and cultivation to optimise production.