Industrial Cluster: Market Expectation Of Cotton And Other Crops In Australia In The Future

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Cotton Australia said the industry expects a good harvest of cotton, despite the impact of persistent rainfall on farms in most parts of New South Wales and Queensland and delays in picking and planting in some cases.

After two years of severe drought, cotton farmers celebrated good rainfall, which made the cotton yield reach 5.5 million bales last year. However, the continuous rainfall brought trouble to farmers.

At the end of last week, NSW emergency services reported that every inland river catchment from the Queensland border to the Victoria border was full or flooded, and issued 99 active alarms and 9 major flood warnings, the cotton Australia Association said in a press release.

Adam Kay, chief executive of the cotton association of Australia, said he was with all farmers who had suffered losses and damage as a result of the floods. "We are hearing reports of major infrastructure damage caused by floods and we are informing government stakeholders."

Severe flooding occurred in some cotton growing areas, including Narrabri and Moree, but at this stage, the main damage appears to be winter crops such as wheat and barley.

"The longer planting window in northern New South Wales means that growers can plant crops by late November to maintain good yields for the next year. We are confident that this can be achieved if rainfall stops long enough to allow crops to enter the field."

Unfortunately, the situation is quite different from the southern Macquarie Valley to the Victoria border, where planting windows are closed early, and the data show that the later crops are planted, the lower the yield.

"Overall, at this stage, production is expected to decrease by about 10% in 2023, and global demand for our cotton is expected to continue to be strong due to the early sale of about one third of the crop." We can sell every bale of cotton, so we hope things will improve quickly. "

As further evidence that farmers are facing different conditions, cotton growers in Northern Territory and far north Queensland are not as affected by the floods as they are in the south, and are expected to plant in December and pick in the middle of next year. Further south, many farmers have already planted their seeds in their fields.

In some areas of Southern Queensland, the last batch of cotton in 2022, which is being harvested, was delayed by floods. In the central highlands and callide Dawson, Queensland, cotton planted in August has grown well despite some hail damage.

Kay said farmers with expertise and adaptability will get good harvests. "We have to be able to overcome the challenges of weather, sustainability and supply for every plant, but we have to be consistent with the quality of science and practice."