Summer rains and warmer temperatures have been a boon for Australia’s cotton growers, new data shows
Australian cotton is forecast to reach its second largest yield on record this season, following favourable conditions across most of the nation’s cotton growing regions.
Figures from Cotton Australia suggest substantial levels of rain across the Australian summer are cause for optimism and could result in a possible crop of 5.2 million bales.
The positive outlook for the industry follows years of drought, which had hampered farmers’ ability to grow cotton. In fact, the drought-impacted yield of 2019–20 resulted in the worst crop haul in recent memory, producing just 590,000 bales.
Since 2019–20, good rain and warmer temperatures across most cotton growing regions has caused an uptick in cotton production, with 2.8 million bales recorded last year and the anticipated 5.2m bale forecast for the 2021–22 season.
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Summer rains are expected to lead to Australia’s second-largest cotton crop on record
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Cotton Australia chief executive Adam Kay says the results are positive, especially when considering the variability experienced by individual growers.
“It goes to show how diverse our cotton growing regions are with some farmers separated by thousands of kilometres,” he says.
“But what is clear is that most of Australia’s 1,500 growers are busy preparing for a good year and hoping they can find staff to help them through to harvest.”
Across cotton growing regions, yield per hectare continues to vary, with clear distinctions made between dryland and irrigated cotton.
Cotton Australia says growers are anticipating a yield of between 12 and 14 bales per hectare under irrigation, while the summer’s natural rainy conditions also bodes well for dryland areas.
Demand for cotton is also high, Kay adds.
“We are seeing cotton futures trading at more than $700 a bale and with strong global demand for quality cotton combined with low levels for sale in the US and China, the upward pressure on price is expected to continue,” he says.
“On current levels we should double the value of our cotton exports from around $2 billion last year to $4 billion this year. With the industry focused on developing new markets and with cotton growing emerging in North Queensland, the Northern Territory, and Western Australia, that export value should continue to grow.”