Our Services
Herbert Cane Productivity Services Limited (HCPSL) is a non-for-profit organization established to provide agricultural technical services and support to the Herbert Sugarcane industry. The key focus of the company is to drive productivity and sustainability outcomes for the local industry.
Cane farmers from the Herbert cane growing region and the local miller (Wilmar) can be members of the company. The HCPSL Board is represented by its membership, with 3 grower and 3 miller members holding positions on the company board.
The HCPSL team consists of 2 technical service groups:
Core funded: Grower Services Team
Funded through a ‘Membership’ fee:
Services includes access to;
- HCPSL approved seed distribution program.
- Hot water treatment facilities.
- Tissue Culture ordering program.
- Seed inspections, including an RSD testing program.
- General agronomic advice (crop nutrition, pest & disease management, variety management, etc).
- HCPSL GPS base station network.
- Laser levelling and dumpy level surveys.
- Coordinated pest management programs (feral pigs, rats, etc).
- Coordinated biosecurity surveillance and programs (pest & disease surveys, machinery inspections etc).
- Group extension activities (workshops, field days, etc).
HCPSL also supports variety development activities with SRA and Wilmar plant breeding programs, as well as farm lease arrangements in the Central Herbert, Lower Herbert and Stone River areas to facilitate the distribution of approved seed cane to members.
Externally funded: Technical Services Team
Funded through a ‘User Pays’ fee.
Services include;
- Soil testing (nutrients and pathogens, including Pachymetra and nematodes).
- Leaf testing (nutrients).
- Irrigation water testing.
- Electromagnetic (EM) soil mapping.
- Precision Ag. application mapping.
- Drone services (mapping etc).
- Grower accreditation and training workshops (FarmChem).
- Specialised agronomic advice (tailored farm management advice, Reef compliance audits, etc).
- Tailored whole farm nutrient management plans, including N&P budgets (NMP).
- Tailored integrated weed management pland (IWMP).
HCPSL also supports and conducts third party funded projects that provide benefits to the industry.