@article{Qureshi:125868,
      recid = {125868},
      author = {Qureshi, Muhammad Ejaz and Wegener, Malcolm K. and  Mallawaarachchi, Thilak},
      title = {The economics of sugar mill waste management in the  Australian Sugar Industry: Mill mud case study},
      address = {2001-01},
      number = {412-2016-25841},
      pages = {13},
      year = {2001},
      abstract = {Sugar mills produce a range of by-products during the  process of sugar extraction. Mill
mud is one of the  by-products that is produced in significant volume. Often  mill mud is
mixed with mill ash from the firing of bagasse,  which together forms the bulk of mill
waste available for  disposal from raw sugar mills. The practice of spreading  mill mud
over nearby cane fields has been the primary means  of disposing mill mud for many
years. Mills generally  promote the practice by offering freight subsidies to  reduce the cost
burden on growers who use this practice as  a routine measure. The low level of nutrients
and high  moisture content makes mill mud a dilute source of  nutrients, and supply of mill
mud often exceeds the demand,  leading to stockpiling of mill mud at most mills.
Moreover,  the continued application of mill mud and ash at high  rates, without
appropriate recognition of the soil  condition and crop requirements, has raised a number
of  concerns in recent years. The risk of over-fertilization  and heavy metal contamination
of cane fields, and the  concerns relating to offsite impacts from spillage to  waterways,
have raised questions about the indiscriminate  use of mill mud in the industry. This study
examines the  issues relating to more responsible management of mill mud  and reports on
the cost-effectiveness of its application  across a wider range of farms more distant from
the mills  as a means to minimise environmental risks.},
      url = {http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/125868},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.125868},
}