World Record Yields for the 2014-15 Australian Cotton Season
May 21, 2015

Excellent growing conditions and continued efficiencies in many Australian cotton growing valleys has led to record yields as this season’s harvest progresses.

Cotton Australia CEO, Adam Kay, says a national harvest of 2.2 million bales is expected for the 2014-15 season.

“A number of our growers are reporting record yields as high as 15-16 bales per hectare on the back of magnificent growing conditions in many cotton growing valleys,” Mr Kay says.

“We expect this season’s average Australian yield to be well above of the 2013-14 average of 9.95 bales per hectare, already the highest cotton yields in the world.”

“The southern valleys in NSW have experienced an exceedingly good season, with more than a quarter of our national crop grown south of the Macquarie River. These growers have access to more reliable irrigation entitlements from the Snowy Mountains,” Mr Kay said.

Harvest of the 200,000 hectare cotton crop planted in the 2014-15 season commenced in early February in the northernmost cotton valley, around Emerald, Biloela and Theodore in Central Queensland, and has continued into the New South Wales southern valleys. This season’s crop represents a 50% reduction compared to last season’s planted area, due primarily to reduced water availability.

Mr Kay says while the bulk of the crop has been high yielding, many growers would have liked to have planted more cotton this season.

“We recognise that some cotton growers are doing it tough this season due to reduced water availability, while other haves experienced unfortunately timed rain,” Mr Kay says.

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