| An average cane farm is 56 hectares and produces around 4,000 tonnes of cane per year.
Cane is planted between mid-August and October. Cane stalks are cut into 300mm long "setts" and planted 100mm below the soil surface in rows 1.5m apart. Fertiliser is added and weeds are controlled for the next three to four months.
The crop is harvested in the July to November crushing season, either one or two years after planting. Most New South Wales crops are harvested as two year old.
After harvest, a "ratoon" crop grows from the below ground parts of the previous crop. Two or three ratoon crops are grown from each planting. |
