Sweet success for sugar growers

Peter Melville takes out an award at the Sugar Industry Dinner.

PETER Melville has been a small crops grower all his life, but on Friday he was recognised for his successful cane farm.

The Bucca Road grower was one of the winners at the Sugar Industry Dinner, sharing the Sunfam highest tonnes sugar per harvested hectare award for the Bingera area, with 14.91 tonnes per hectare.

Mr Melville said he never expected to win.

“(I) never ever thought of trying to win that award, but very happy about it,” he said.

He said he was looking into ways to improve yields and keep the industry alive.

“If we don't come up with answers we won't have a family farm,” he said.

Other winners on the night at Brothers Sports Club included Richard Zunker from Redtrail Pty Ltd, who took out the same category at Millaquin Mill and the district champion award.

The young industry achiever award went to Robert Young, while Neil Taylor and Lynne Messer shared the service to industry awards.