It's been a while since my last post, I have been busy however that has not really been the issue, I have been wondering why I am doing what I am doing and is there a future here for me in Dalbeg?Couple of years ago was not even a question that entered my mind, now I am not so sure, with all the outside influences on me and my future, my wife tells me I think to much so maybe she is right. On the farming system front we have harvested our second crop cycle from the new system ,so we have gone full circle. We are very pleased with the result not only has it been a low input plant crop, it has also yielded a very respectable 160 tph at mill average sugar content, have not done the final numbers yet but are very confident on making good dollars per hectare return. I have attached some picture of the crop as young plant and at time of harvest. Am also including a picture of this years plant cane back into the existing bed that is having it's "FIRST" irrigation since July 2013, just goes to show the value of controlling compaction, residue retention, and minimum tillage ( did'nt get to plant Legumes)the farm adjacent to ours has had multiple irrigations already.Our chopper drum will be trialled against industry standard in the coming weeks, my initial observations have been positive with the chopper drums and the primary extractor housing much drier that the old set up, my assumption is that it is because there is lees juice loss during the cutting action, time will tell. Still getting a steady stream of visitors coming to look at what we are doing even some from another major milling company, I wonder what they think when they drive away, oh to be a fly on the wall.
