SINGING, dancing, animations and quirky children’s segments hosted by idiosyncratic presenters are not something that you usually associate with the sugarcane industry.
But that’s just what Canegrowers is expecting when they launched their ‘Canetube’ competition last week.
2012 is Year of the Farmer, and the gauntlet has been laid down to tell the story of our farmers and regional Australia. Instead of making their own movie, peak group Canegrowers has thrown down the challenge to the public.
“This is a sure-fire way of yielding some random and quirky takes on the sugarcane industry, which has come a long way with the help of better research and technology now on offer” said Matt Kealley, Environment Manager for Canegrowers.
“The idea came from a fun video clip promoting good farming practices and a commitment to protecting the environment and good quality foods produced by organic dairy company Yeo Valley, in the UK. The YouTube video went viral, attracting millions of viewers worldwide.
“While we loved the idea - the UK clip cost a bucketload to make. We had seen some of the great clips people have made and uploaded to YouTube over the years, and thought if we put some decent prize money on the line, some of those people might have a go at making low-budget, fun, quirky and educational YouTube clips for the sugarcane industry.
The total prize pool is $20,000 - 1st prize is $8,500, 2nd prize $3,500, school prize $3,500, people's choice $2,500, most viewed each month $200, and the most viewed overall $1,000.
Canegrowers said they are aiming to collate a mass of short, entertaining video segments showcasing advances made by Aussie sugarcane growers using the latest technology and practices - and how the sugarcane industry forms an important place in the strength of our nation.
“So much has changed in the way sugarcane growers farm – particularly over the past 20 years – but farmers are notoriously quiet achievers and as a result the information about the world-class adoption of practices and technology on farm have not filtered out beyond the farm gate,” says Matt Kealley of Canegrowers.
“We are expecting musicians, animators, multi-media students – both at school and university level – artists, photographers, community groups, and let’s not forget a few farmers who will dare to show their creative streak to showcase the world-class Aussie sugar industry,” he says.
The clips must be rated G, under 2 minutes, a positive piece featuring farming relevant content including the good practices being supported by the Australian Government’s Reef Rescue program. Video entries can take any style – it could be a music video, a comedy skit, a cartoon, a documentary, to name just a few ideas.
“By attaching some serious prize money, we are hoping to attract some novel entries so we can tell the story of sugarcane farming in a fun way.”
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