Sugar gets caning in flood-hit Queensland

The sugar industry faces losses of $100 million from persistent flooding along Queensland's coastal sugar belt.

Some crops have literally drowned, while weeks of gloomy skies have retarded growth.

While the full extent of the damage may not be known for weeks, industry peak body Canegrowers' CEO Ian Ballantyne said crop losses were likely to be between $60 million and $70 million, and the repair bill for industry infrastructure, such as cane train networks, half that figure again.

"The main impact of the flooding is not yet known and won't be known for some weeks after the floodwaters have subsided," Mr Ballantyne told AAP.

"You only find out then whether the cane is actually dying or is going to be productive.

"I guess the biggest impact across the state has been the lack of sunlight for about five weeks, which means that the crop hasn't grown and therefore will impact on productivity across the board."

Losses in the hard-hit Ingham area could amount to 20 per cent of the expected crop, Mr Ballantyne said. Some cane would have to be replanted.

He said it was too early to rush in and fix some infrastructure with the monsoon season still active and the possibility of cyclones.

"This is February and we've got a long way to go before the wet season's over," he said.

The sugar industry's losses are on top of an estimated bill of over $210 million to repair storm damage to state and local government infrastructure and support flooded communities.