HIGH sugar content levels have lifted spirits in the Far North as cane harvesters and mills fire up for the 2008 season.

More than six million tonnes of cane is expected to be crushed,
with millers from Mossman to Tully predicting higher yields than last year despite losing large tracts of land to forestry investment scheme companies.

The harvest got underway at Gordonvale’s Mulgrave Mill on Tuesday afternoon, one hour ahead of Tully’s mill starting up.

Mulgrave’s cane supply productivity manager Alan Hopkins said early indications were promising.

"Our best (sugar content) result for the first day was 14.5CCS. We don’t usually get it that high for a month or so," he said.

Mulgrave had processed 12,000 tonnes by yesterday morning, while Tully had 26,300 tonnes crushed on its way to a tonnage total expected to come in just under the two million mark.

Mr King said fine weather and sunlight had helped the Far Northern sugar industry, which has suffered below average seasons since Cyclone Larry hit.

Bundaberg Sugar’s northern mills cane supply manager Craig Alman predicted yields were improving but would still not be up to average.

However, he said sugar content levels were also higher in his area.

"Our CCS for last week was 13.37 compared with 12.52 this time last year, and the year-to-date level is also higher this season," Mr Alman said.

The company’s Tablelands mill
began its season early and has already crushed 115,251 tonnes.

Bundaberg Sugar’s South Johnstone and Babinda mills started this week while Mossman Mill will begin on June 30.

Yesterday Canegrowers chief executive officer Ian Ballantyne described a disappointingly "soft" price outlook but predicted a medium-term improvement in raw prices.

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