@article{Antony:123135,
      recid = {123135},
      author = {Antony, George and Prestwidge, D. and Sandell, G. and  Archer, A. and Thorburn, Peter and Higgins, Andrew J.},
      title = {Towards farming-systems change from value-chain  optimisation in the Australian sugar industry},
      journal = {AFBM Journal},
      address = {2005},
      number = {1672-2016-136588},
      pages = {9},
      year = {2005},
      abstract = {The supply chain of the conventional Australian sugar  industry is characterized by horizontal separation between  the stages. Often antagonistic relations between segments,  particularly farmers and millers, led to each developing  their systems for their own segment’s benefit, without  reference to the wider industry interests. Cane growing  developed into a monoculture, reliant on material inputs  and technological solutions, whose low labour intensity  afforded substantial lifestyle benefits to growers. Such a  system worked well while the industry was the worldwide  cost leader, but it has contributed to stagnating yields  and left growers exposed to the industry downturn caused by  Brazilian competition.
Over the past few years, CSIRO and  BSES research aimed at securing industry-wide cost savings  included the logistical optimisation of the harvesting and  transport segments, harvest scheduling to maximise sugar  yield, optimisation of the length of the harvest season,  logistical aspects of export marketing, and inclusion of  climate forecasts in industry decisions. Our results  indicate that while costs and benefits of such system  changes fall unevenly on various segments of the supply  chain, there is scope for industry-wide benefits from  changed practices in individual segments.
Some  opportunities for downstream improvements identified in our  research rely on changes in the farming system. The  collection of most plant matter for electricity  co-generation means an end to burning before harvest or  green-trash blanketing. This, in turn, affects plant  nutrition and water management by farmers. Sugar production  can be improved by variety selection for location and soil  types. Farm-layout changes can facilitate efficient  harvesting, reducing not only harvesting costs but soil  compaction and stool damage, in turn increasing yield. Crop  rotations with legumes have promise for agronomic  improvements and growing sweet sorghum may supply the mill  outside the sugarcane season. The paper describes a number  of such interactions between farming systems on cane farms  and the rest of the sugar supply chain, including  implications for segment-by-segment profitability.},
      url = {http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/123135},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.123135},
}