Introduction Mr Hildebrand, Chair of the Sugar Research and Development Corporation and Mr Wallis, Chief Executive Officer of the SRDC, members of the North Queensland sugar industry. I am pleased to be with you today to launch the second phase of the Sugar Yield Decline Joint Venture. The Government is committed to Australia's sugar industry.
Sugar is the mainstay of economic activity in tropical and sub-tropical Australia.
Along with wheat, beef and horticulture, sugar is one of Australia s leading export commodities. It is also a fundamental part of the character of northern Australia - the canefields, sugar trains and mills that I saw today are the images that typify tropical agriculture. Many of the regional communities here in Queensland are sugar communities and, like other rural communities, they contribute much to the Australian economy and way of life. But, I appreciate that the sugar industry is doing it tough at the moment. Having a strong export focus can unfortunately leave you exposed, as now, to low world prices.