THE HISTORICAL USE of rotary vacuum filters in the Australian sugar industry to recover sugar from the clarifier mud has dictated that some bagacillo is allowed to flow through juice screens and subsequently into the clarifier mud stream to improve the porosity of the mud cake that develops on the rotary vacuum filter screen and hence improve washing efficiency and juice drainage. In some cases, particularly at times of high soil loading in the cane supply, additional bagacillo is added at the mud mingler. This bagacillo is usually removed from bagasse by the use of a pneumatic separator and often results in the addition of larger pieces of bagasse to the clarifier mud. There are alternatives to rotary vacuum filters that produce lower moisture mud cake. For example, decanter centrifuges are used in some Indian sugar factories to reclaim the pol content and reduce the moisture content of clarifier mud. The need for low energy use in such factories puts a monetary value on the bagacillo, which, if retained in the bagasse, provides additional fuel for the boiler station. Another alternative are vacuum belt press filters, many of which have been installed in Central and South America. One vacuum belt press filter is in operation at Pioneer Sugar Mill working in parallel with rotary vacuum filters. These alternative mud processing technologies are claimed not to require fibre for adequate performance. The absence of fibre in the mud feed reduces the amount of filter cake produced and hence potential sugar losses may also be reduced. Fibre reduces the dewatering capability due to its hygroscopic properties, which leads to production of higher moisture mud cake. Furthermore bagacillo can reduce the throughput of decanter centrifuges and cause blockages. Any fibre not retained in the mud cake can cause detrimental effects in subsequent processing operations and final sugar quality. This paper discusses, for a typical Australian sugar factory, the effects of bagacillo on the clarification performance, on the adoption of alternative technologies, on the quantity and composition of filter cake and resultant sugar losses in the mill mud, transport costs to the field, and on sugar quality.