Australia’s sugar producers facing mounting global pressures: Australian Sugar Manufacturers
Australian Sugar Manufacturers urged the government to prioritise food, fibre, and fuel manufacturing, citing its role in regional jobs and economic growth. CEO Ash Salardini warned that global subsidies threaten Australia’s sugar sector and stressed the need for co-investment and policy reforms to support biofuels, biogas, and renewable energy diversification.
The Australian Sugar Manufacturers (ASM) urged the Federal Government to prioritise food, fibre and fuel manufacturing in its economic reform agenda, highlighting the sector’s role in adding value to agricultural production and driving jobs and investment in regional Australia.
“Food and fibre manufacturing is by far the largest component of Australia’s manufacturing sector, and it’s overwhelmingly based in regional Australia,” said Ash Salardini, CEO of ASM. “If we’re serious about having a manufacturing base in this country, we must supercharge these industries and seize emerging opportunities in low-carbon liquid fuels and bioenergy.”
Like other trade-exposed manufacturers, Australia’s sugar producers are facing mounting global pressures, particularly depressed prices driven by heavy subsidies and protectionist policies in competing sugar- producing nations, ASM said in a press release.
He said, “Our competitors aren’t playing by the rules of free trade- they’re propping up their sugar industries with heavy subsidies and domestic protections. And the reality is, it’s only getting worse.”
“We can turn a blind eye and watch our competitiveness, and the 20,000 jobs supported by the sugar industry, slowly disappear. Or we can act now, with government co-investment to diversify and strengthen sugar manufacturing for the decades ahead”, CEO of ASM further added.
“Diversification into things like low carbon liquid fuels, biogas and the cogeneration of renewable electricity provides significant opportunities not only for the sugar industry, but in securing sovereign capabilities and economies of scope for the Australian economy.”
He stated that tThese diversification opportunities will not occur without significant government policy reforms and investments. The markets for biofuels and bioenergy are completely contingent on government policy.”
“Brazil, and to a lesser extent, India, are leading the world in sugar-based biofuels. This hasn’t happened through the invisible hand of the market, but through the very visible hand of government leadership and investment,” Ash Salardini concluded.
ASM believes the Federal Government’s Economic Reform Roundtable is the ideal moment to deliver an ambitious industry policy for food, fibre and fuel manufacturing. A policy that leverages Australia’s strengths in primary production and responds to the shifting realities of global trade.
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Source : Chinimandi
