What Tully Sugar does

Tully Sugar Limited is an Australian sugar milling company that operates the largest single sugar mill in the country, located at 1 Hort Street, Tully in Far North Queensland. Its principal activity is milling sugar cane supplied by approximately 325 independent growers (more than 2 million tonnes of cane annually) into Premium Grade raw sugar with a Pol (sucrose content) of 98.80-99.05%, averaging 277,000 tonnes of output per year since 2009 and peaking at 366,000 tonnes in 2018. Operations are supported by heavy fixed infrastructure: a 700-tonne-per-hour crushing rate, over 200km of 60lb cane railway plus 80km of sidings, 15 diesel locomotives, and approximately 1,650 paired cane bin units.

The business runs an integrated multi-product model. Raw sugar is exported exclusively through the Mourilyan Bulk Sugar Terminal to South Korean, Indonesian, and Chinese (COFCO) refineries. By-products include 65,000+ tonnes of molasses per year (50% sold to domestic graziers, 50% exported via Australian Molasses Trading), mill mud and ash distributed as organic soil conditioner, and bagasse combusted in on-site boilers to make the mill 99.5% energy self-sufficient, with 10MW of green power exported to the Queensland grid since 1997. Ancillary revenue includes guided mill tours sold through the Tully Visitor & Information Centre during crushing season.

Tully Sugar has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chinese state-owned agribusiness COFCO since 2011, leveraging COFCO's global raw sugar trading scale (approximately 6MMT annually and roughly 50% of Chinese sugar import volume) for international distribution. The company is licensed as a Registered Training Organisation (Provider Number 31821) and holds Smartcane BMP accreditation across its farms through October 2024. Governance is exercised by a board that pairs COFCO-nominated executives with non-executive grower directors, and the senior leadership team was substantially refreshed during 2025-2026 with a new Chairman, CEO, CFO, and Company Secretary.

Name

Tully Sugar

Legal name

Tully Sugar Limited

Website

https://tullysugar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1925

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tully Sugar Limited operates the largest single sugar mill in Australia, milling cane from approximately 325 growers into roughly 277,000 tonnes per year of Premium Grade raw sugar for export to South Korea, Indonesia, and China via parent COFCO, with by-product molasses, bagasse-derived green energy, and mill mud sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sugar Milling

NAICS

Cane Sugar Manufacturing (311314)

SIC

Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060)

akta.pro primary industry

Cane Sugar (Raw & Refined) (AFAJAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fermentation Substrates & Sugars (Molasses, Glucose Syrups, Lactose, Malt Extract) (AFAJAJAI), Sugar & Sweeteners Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAB)

Keywords

• Raw sugar milling
• Sugar cane processing
• Molasses production
• Bagasse renewable energy
• Sugar export logistics

Headquarters

HQ city

Tully

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Raw Sugar Export: Primary revenue stream from milling sugar cane to produce raw sugar. All raw sugar produced is exported. Average annual production of 277,000 tonnes of raw sugar since 2009, with peak production of 366,000 tonnes in 2018. Exports through Mourilyan Bulk Sugar Terminal to customers in South Korea and Indonesia.
2. Molasses Sales: By-product of sugar extraction. Produces over 65,000 tonnes of final molasses annually. Approximately 50% sold on domestic market to graziers for stock feed. Balance exported via Mourilyan Port through Australian Molasses Trading.
3. Renewable Energy Export: Exports 10MW of green power to Queensland Electricity grid when operating. The bagasse (cane fibre) is used as renewable fuel to fire steam boilers, making the mill fully energy self-sufficient during crushing mode. Energy exports since 1997.
4. Mill Mud and Ash Sales: By-products from sugar processing distributed over farms as organic soil conditioner and source of plant nutrients within the industry.
5. Mill Tours: Tourism offering allowing visitors to inspect mill operations. Tours organized through Tully Visitor & Information Centre during crushing season. Pricing: Adults $35, Children $20, Family $90.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Tully Sugar Limited mills sugar cane sourced from approximately 325 independent growers to produce Brand 1 raw sugar (Pol 98.80-99.05%) for export, alongside by-products including molasses (cattle feed and export), mill mud and ash (organic soil conditioner) and bagasse-fired renewable energy (10MW grid export). The company offers Grower Economic Interest (GEI) sugar marketing services to growers and operates guided mill tours as a supplementary service during crushing season.

Product overview

Tully Sugar Limited operates as a sugar milling company producing raw sugar for export. The company operates on a multi-product model comprising its core product (raw sugar), supported by three main by-products from the sugar extraction process (molasses, bagasse, and mill mud/ash), plus renewable energy generation. Raw sugar is exported through Mourilyan Bulk Sugar Terminal, molasses is sold domestically and internationally, bagasse fuels the mill's energy self-sufficiency with 10MW exported to the grid, and mill mud/ash serves as agricultural fertilizer. The company also offers mill tours as a supplementary service offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Raw Sugar Premium Grade Brand 1 raw sugar with Pol of 98.80-99.05%, produced at an average rate of 277,000 tonnes per year since 2009 (peak of 366,000 tonnes in 2018), exported to international sugar refineries in South Korea, Indonesia and China.
• Molasses Final molasses produced as a by-product of sugar extraction, more than 65,000 tonnes annually; approximately 50% sold domestically to Australian cattle graziers for stock feed and the balance exported via Mourilyan Port through Australian Molasses Trading.
• Bagasse (renewable fuel and Bagasse Renewable Energy Export) Cane-fibre residue combusted in boilers as renewable fuel to drive steam turbines, making the mill 99.5% energy self-sufficient during crushing mode and exporting 10MW of green power to the Queensland Electricity grid.
• Mill Mud and Ash Organic soil conditioner and source of plant nutrients produced from the sugar clarification and filtration process (mill mud) and combustion of bagasse (ash), distributed over farms in the Tully region as fertiliser.
• Tully Sugar Mill Tours Guided tours of the operating sugar mill for tourists, offered during crushing season (June-November) via the Tully Visitor & Information Centre. Tully Sugar Mill is one of the very few sugar mills in Australia that continues to allow tourists to inspect operations.
• Grower Economic Interest (GEI) Sugar Marketing Services Sugar marketing service offered to the approximately 325 supplying cane growers, providing pricing, physical sale, financing and advances as their GEI Sugar Marketer; managed through China Foods Trading (a COFCO company) for international customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average annual production of 277,000 tonnes of raw sugar since 2009, peak of 366,000 tonnes in 2018
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• China Foods Trading (COFCO Company)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerChina Foods Trading (COFCO company) manages the marketing and shipping of raw sugar to export customers. Under Tully Sugar Marketing, TSL shipped its first cargo in 2017 and has established a reputation as a reliable supplier of premium quality raw sugar in South East Asia.
• Sugar Research Australia (SRA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSRA conducts variety breeding and research. Tully Sugar participates in variety trials and CCS curve trend analysis in partnership with SRA. Local Tully Variety Management Group (TVMG) works with SRA to trial and recommend new varieties for commercialization.
• Tully Cane Productivity Services Limited (TCPSL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTCPSL operates clean seed plots to provide clean seed for propagation. TSL works closely with TCPSL on variety management and productivity services. TCPSL Manager Peter Sutherland leads local refinement of propagation processes including single eye setts (OES) and tissue culture.
• Australian Molasses TradingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMolasses exports are handled via Mourilyan Port through Australian Molasses Trading company. Approximately 50% of molasses produced is exported through this channel.
• Terrain NRM (Natural Resource Management)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTully Sugar is participating in the Major Integrated Project (MIP) centred on the Tully and South Johnstone catchments. MIP runs for three years with up to $19 million allocated. TSL has made 12 hectares of land at Syndicate farm available for wetland development. Focus areas: water quality monitoring, farm advisory services, and system repair processes.
• Canegrowers (Smartcane BMP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSmartcane BMP is a Best Management Practice system founded by Canegrowers Ltd and supported by Queensland government. Tully Sugar's farms are accredited along with many in the Tully region. Smartcane BMP aims at improving productivity and sustainability of cane farming with seven modules including irrigation, pest control and soil management.
• Cane Growers Organisations (QSL/Industry)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTully Sugar left QSL single desk marketing arrangement and signed a cane supply contract with growers in December 2016. Grower Choice legislation allows growers to choose their sugar marketer. Majority of growers chose Tully Sugar and COFCO.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MSF Sugar: Operates sugar mills in Queensland (including former Mackay Sugar assets). Direct competitor in Australian raw cane sugar milling, supplying bulk export terminals in similar geographies with comparable grower-driven supply chains.
• Bundaberg Sugar: Queensland-based raw sugar miller with integrated sugar production and grower relationships. Direct peer producing comparable raw sugar grades for export, and notably also under Chinese-aligned ownership (Sino-Agri).
• Wilmar Sugar Australia: Operates multiple sugar mills across Queensland and is Australia's largest sugar producer. Directly comparable to Tully Sugar as a Queensland cane sugar miller exporting raw sugar, with overlapping grower base geography and similar product mix.
• Isis Central Sugar Mill: Grower-owned sugar mill in the Bundaberg region of Queensland producing raw sugar for export. Closely comparable cooperative-style grower supply model and similar Premium Grade raw sugar product profile.
• Sunshine Sugar: Operates three sugar mills (Condong, Broadwater, Harwood) in NSW. Comparable cane sugar miller in the Australian market, with similar grower supply model and bulk raw sugar export orientation.

Broad incumbents

• Bunge Limited: Global agribusiness and sugar trader/miller with Australian milling exposure (via acquired MSF assets in some periods). Broad incumbent with comparable raw sugar origination and international trading reach.
• Wilmar International: Asia-headquartered agribusiness giant with global sugar milling, refining, and trading operations. Broad incumbent in the same raw-sugar value chain as Tully Sugar, with overlapping refining and origination footprint.

Others

• Sucrogen (CSR Sugar heritage): Australian sugar milling and refining heritage brand historically associated with CSR Limited. Adjacent/legacy comparator reflecting the consolidated ownership structure of Australian sugar milling that Tully Sugar now participates in under COFCO.
• COFCO International: The global trading and agribusiness arm of Tully Sugar's parent company. Not a direct competitor but a key offtake partner and marketing channel that handles Tully Sugar's export flows into Asia.
• Queensland Sugar Limited (QSL): Australia's former single-desk raw sugar marketer. Historical comparator for Tully Sugar's marketing arrangements; Tully Sugar left QSL in 2016 to market directly via COFCO, making QSL an adjacent channel rather than a competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/tullysugarlimited
• Instagraminstagram.com/tullysugarlimited
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tully-sugar-limited

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tully Sugar