THE ECONOMICS OF TRASH REDUCTION IN THE MOSSMAN DISTRICT

From 1998 to 2000, Mossman Central Mill and the Sugar Research Institute conducted experiments to determine the effect of extraneous matter on factory throughput and performance with the aim of determining the net benefits of reducing the extraneous matter of the cane supply. Following on from these experiments, a financial analysis was conducted to determine the costs and benefits of reducing the trash content of the cane supply during the harvesting operation. The financial analysis showed that cleaning the cane supply increased the net income from the sugar production process by about $0.50 a tonne of cane but required an extra harvesting cost of similar magnitude.