Latest news with #CraigWood
ABC News
2 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Growers paid to experiment with sugarcane on land traditionally used for peanuts, grains
Fourth-generation peanut farmer Ben Rackemann was hesitant when his father suggested growing sugarcane at a time when farmers across Queensland were abandoning it. But when the local mill offered to pay him to plant it, he took the chance to trial a new crop on his Coalstoun Lakes property, 300 kilometres north of Brisbane. Just over a year later, it is hard to deny its success as test results show the high-quality potential of the stalks now towering over him. As the industry faces pressure from shrinking plantings and waning investment, he is among the few not giving up on sugar. Mr Rackemann's cane crop is one of the first for the small community, which will be crushed at the Isis Central Sugar Mill, 70 kilometres away. In 2024, the mill offered farmers $500 per hectare to plant on land not used for cane in the past three years. Chief executive Craig Wood said supply had increased as other nearby mills closed, but the future remained uncertain. "There's been a major change since 2001 … with the advent of macadamias and so forth," he said. "We have been down to a very low ebb, but now we're starting to see a little bit extra [planted]. Mr Rackemann is trialling five varieties on irrigated and dry land across 46 hectares, which will be ready for harvest next year. "We're still learning … but it's exceeded all expectations," he said. "We just got estimates in terms of yield, and I'm pretty happy." He said the irrigated cane yielded about 110 to 120 tonnes per hectare, while the dry land was close to the mill's 10-year average of between 80 and 90 tonnes per hectare. It did not take long for farmers in the small community to notice the new crop and its potential. The Rackemanns' neighbour Kerry Dove planted his sugarcane trial block almost a year ago, hoping for a reliable alternative to his usual rotation crops. The invasive fall armyworm made his previous corn and sorghum crops unviable, and unusually heavy rain halved his latest peanut crop. "We're hoping that this will work … we'll just wait and see the tonnes per hectare we get and the dollars per hectare we make," Mr Dove said. If successful, he could plant a further 30 hectares. "In the next couple of years, there will be more trials and a little bit more confidence may build in the area." Grower representative group Canegrowers chief executive Dan Galligan said over the past 20 years, tough weather conditions and poor mill performance had contributed to many leaving the industry. But he said diversification projects, like using cane for biofuels, had helped slow the trend. "We're seeing places expand out of what might have been horticultural crops back into cane," Mr Galligan said. While planting incentives were commonly used to increase cane supply, Mr Galligan said the trial at Coalstoun Lakes was unique. Isis mill's productivity services officer Anthony LaRocca has been tasked with making the crop work, 150 kilometres from the coast, where frost, lack of water, and volcanic rock present new challenges. He worked with farmers to determine planting windows and appropriate cane varieties, and to manage their expectations. "That region is different from what is a common cane-growing area, so we didn't want to elevate their expectations beyond what we thought was capable," he said. Mr LaRocca said the trial was also providing new insight into soil and moisture conservation methods. "They've been successful farmers for a long time," he said. "I don't want to go up there and tell them: 'This is the rule book' … we've adapted to suit their conditions." It is not the first time the mill has tried to grow sugarcane in new areas. In 2017, plots were planted in Gayndah in the North Burnett, about 40 kilometres inland from Coalstoun Lakes. While deemed a success, access to water and transport that relied on the re-establishment of an old rail corridor ultimately proved insurmountable. Next year, the first official harvest will use a mix of hired specialist equipment and modified machinery before the sugarcane is trucked to the mill. "We've got a lot of learning to do between now and that point, but we'll just take it a year at a time and see how it ends up," Mr Rackemann said.
The Mainichi
26-06-2025
- The Mainichi
World's 1st triple-amputee sailor across Pacific arrives in Japan
HIROSHIMA (Kyodo) -- A British Army veteran who lost both legs and his left hand in Afghanistan made history Tuesday morning by becoming the first triple amputee to sail solo across the Pacific, reaching his destination in western Japan. Craig Wood, 34, who departed Mexico in March, sailed around 13,000 kilometers on a 12.5-meter custom-built aluminum catamaran for 90 days before arriving at Hiroshima Port. "I genuinely hope this monumental achievement shows others, especially those living with limb loss, that you are capable of far more than you think. There are no limits," Wood said in an Instagram post Wednesday. He suffered the life-changing injuries in 2009 at age 18 in a blast in Afghanistan while on routine patrol, just a year after joining the Army. A lifelong sailing enthusiast, he embarked on the voyage to challenge perceptions of disability, using prosthetic limbs to navigate the catamaran solo. He had planned to arrive in Osaka Prefecture but changed course due to engine trouble. Speaking to Kyodo News on Wednesday, Wood said he plans to visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, which documents the U.S. atomic bombing of the city in the closing days of World War II. Describing himself as "living the result of the war" in Afghanistan, Wood said, "I feel really sad about the victims (of the atomic bombing). I would like to pray for them."
Japan Today
25-06-2025
- Japan Today
World's 1st triple-amputee sailor across Pacific arrives in Japan
Craig Wood, a British Army veteran who became the world's first triple amputee to sail solo across the Pacific Ocean, is pictured in Hiroshima on Wednesday. A British Army veteran who lost both legs and his left hand in Afghanistan made history Tuesday morning by becoming the first triple amputee to sail solo across the Pacific, reaching his destination in western Japan. Craig Wood, 34, who departed Mexico in March, sailed around 13,000 kilometers on a 12.5-meter custom-built aluminum catamaran for 90 days before arriving at Hiroshima Port. "I genuinely hope this monumental achievement shows others, especially those living with limb loss, that you are capable of far more than you think. There are no limits," Wood said in an Instagram post Wednesday. He suffered the life-changing injuries in 2009 at age 18 in a blast in Afghanistan while on routine patrol, just a year after joining the Army. A lifelong sailing enthusiast, he embarked on the voyage to challenge perceptions of disability, using prosthetic limbs to navigate the catamaran solo. He had planned to arrive in Osaka Prefecture but changed course due to engine trouble. Speaking to Kyodo News on Wednesday, Wood said he plans to visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, which documents the U.S. atomic bombing of the city in the closing days of World War II. Describing himself as "living the result of the war" in Afghanistan, Wood said, "I feel really sad about the victims (of the atomic bombing). I would like to pray for them." © KYODO
Kyodo News
25-06-2025
- Kyodo News
World's 1st triple-amputee sailor across Pacific arrives in Japan
KYODO NEWS - 2 hours ago - 19:47 | All, Japan, World A British Army veteran who lost both legs and his left hand in Afghanistan made history Tuesday morning by becoming the first triple amputee to sail solo across the Pacific, reaching his destination in western Japan. Craig Wood, 34, who departed Mexico in March, sailed around 13,000 kilometers on a 12.5-meter custom-built aluminum catamaran for 90 days before arriving at Hiroshima Port. "I genuinely hope this monumental achievement shows others, especially those living with limb loss, that you are capable of far more than you think. There are no limits," Wood said in an Instagram post Wednesday. He suffered the life-changing injuries in 2009 at age 18 in a blast in Afghanistan while on routine patrol, just a year after joining the Army. A lifelong sailing enthusiast, he embarked on the voyage to challenge perceptions of disability, using prosthetic limbs to navigate the catamaran solo. He had planned to arrive in Osaka Prefecture but changed course due to engine trouble. Speaking to Kyodo News on Wednesday, Wood said he plans to visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, which documents the U.S. atomic bombing of the city in the closing days of World War II. Describing himself as "living the result of the war" in Afghanistan, Wood said, "I feel really sad about the victims (of the atomic bombing). I would like to pray for them." Related coverage: Tokyo marks 80th anniversary of U.S. air raid in WWII A-bomb survivor's son repeats call for elimination of nukes at U.N.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Yahoo
Briton becomes first triple amputee to sail solo and unsupported across the Pacific
A veteran who lost both legs and his left arm serving in Afghanistan has made history after becoming the world's first triple amputee to sail solo, non-stop and unsupported across the Pacific. Craig Wood, from Doncaster in South Yorkshire, was 18 years old when he suffered life-changing injuries from a roadside bomb in Sangin, southern Afghanistan, in 2009. Mr Wood, now 33, has sailed 7506 nautical miles across the Pacific Ocean in 90 days to raise funds for the charities who helped his recovery. The father-of-two set off from Puerto Vallarta in Mexico on March 25 and arrived in Hiroshima in Japan on Tuesday morning. 'I'm exhausted – but so proud to complete an expedition that many thought impossible,' Mr Wood told the PA news agency from the finish line in Hiroshima. 'It has tested me and my boat, Sirius II, almost to the limit, but I tried to stay in the moment, focus on my goal and the thought of seeing my wife and children at the end spurred me on. 'We are expecting our third child so I am so excited to get back to them all and start this new chapter together.' Mr Wood, who completed his expedition in a 41-foot custom-built aluminium catamaran called Sirius II, experienced a number of issues with his boat throughout the journey. This included one of the engines seizing up three weeks into his sail and the boom, which is a horizontal bar that extends along the bottom edge of a sail, coming off. 'It's been anything but straight forward,' added Mr Wood. 'Recently I broke my prosthetic arm leaving me one-handed which is nothing I haven't had to deal with previously, but it has made things a bit more difficult while sailing. 'However, I've actually found the whole thing to be a spiritual experience that has made me even more appreciative of the life I have been able to create for myself after everything that happened to me. 'It's still my hope that by achieving this world record I can change the perception of disability, and show how sailing can transform the lives of those affected by trauma. 'It's also been a chance for me to raise awareness and money for the two amazing charities who were there for me during my rehabilitation and recovery.' The former rifleman said he witnessed a number of beautiful moments during his expedition including seeing a lunar bow and encountering Risso's dolphins. 'I witnessed a lunar bow, which is a rainbow that's shown by the full moon,' he said. 'Just as the sun sets, and you have the light of the full moon that casts a rainbow on a cloud in front of you. 'I had all these amazing experiences that were truly mine and new.' Mr Wood lost both legs and his left hand in an IED (improvised explosive device) bomb blast in Sangin. He also suffered two collapsed lungs, lost 27 pints of blood and his face was ravaged by shrapnel. It took eight months for him to learn to walk again and four-and-a-half years of rehabilitation work at the dedicated Headley Court facility in Surrey to improve his quality of life. He also underwent 20 operations over four years. Mr Wood credits 'radical acceptance' as an important part of his recovery. 'You can either focus on the past that's not the new you, or focus on how the new you can become the best you that there is,' he said. 'Surround yourself with people who want that new you to be the best you and you'll go very far. 'I believe attacking it face on and head on, you'll come out the victor.' To learn more about Mr Wood's challenge you can visit his fundraising page:
