Sugar mill strikes put Australia’s cane harvest at risk

Industrial disputes at factories that produce more than half of Australia’s sugar could cause cane to be left unharvested if they are not resolved soon, threatening production and exports, people in the industry said. Strikes over pay at eight mills owned by Singapore’s Wilmar International that produce over 2 million metric tons – worth around $1 billion – of sugar a year have delayed the start of cane crushing operations by between two and 13 days, the company’s Australian subsidiary said. A ninth mill, owned by Chinese conglomerate COFCO, said it had also delayed its start due to strikes and adverse weather. Australia is the world’s fourth-largest sugar exporter, shipping around 3.5 million tons a year to markets mostly in Asia. A small reduction in Australian production would tighten supply in Asia but likely have little impact on global prices. But the hold-ups are worrying growers who lined up labour to deliver cane but do not yet threaten overall sugar production in a ...