Cotton news
News from Australia

CottonInfo’s cotton nutrition tour hit the road last month, taking 10 leading CRDC-funded nutrition researchers out to five cotton growing valleys. The tour hosted field days at Gunnedah, Warren, Griffith, Emerald and Moree, taking the latest developments in nutrition researchers to more than 300 cotton growers and consultants.

Australia’s CottonInfo team has launched a new app designed to help cotton growers identify the common bird species found on cotton farms, and understand how to manage their habitats. An exciting feature of the app is a monitoring tool, which will help growers monitor the diversity and abundance of birds that can be found on their farms and in surrounding landscapes.

A great example of government support and encouragement for the sustainability of the Australian cotton industry is a recent offer of low interest loans to growers to improve water and energy efficiency. The Queensland Government is offering Sustainability Loans to Queensland cotton growers to make changes on-farm, such as improving farm irrigation layout, build water storages, add solar power plants or improve pumping systems.

Harvest is underway for the 2015-16 season, with picking started in Central Queensland. Cotton Australia’s Regional Manager for Central Highlands, Renee Anderson, was on farm this week as the Kiely family (pictured) from ‘Deneliza Downs’ began to bring in the crop. Yields are looking to be very high again this season, showcasing the efficiency of the industry.

The Queensland Farmers’ Federation (QFF) – of which Cotton Australia is a member – and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency hosted a Farming Energy Technology Forum for Australia’s cotton growers on February 16, 2016. The event focussed on renewable energy technologies for processing heat and biogas applications on farms and for irrigation systems.

Australia’s 2014 Cotton Growing Practices survey gathers valuable information about cotton farming practices. This provides a greater understanding of the industry’s current practices and performance in relation to a number of key areas for the 2013-14 cotton crop, and allows trends to be monitored over time.

The Australian cotton industry’s myBMP (Best Management Practices) program has been showcased in a report that maps human rights issues in supply chains. The report – Human rights in supply chains: Promoting positive practice – is a joint collaboration between the Australian Human Rights Commission, Australian Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility and the United Nations Global Compact Network Australia.

Japan’s Cotton LEADS℠ partners recently attended a special engagement event in Tokyo to get an update on continual improvement practices in the U.S. and Australia, and engage with leaders from both industries. Throughout the year, the Cotton LEADS℠ program has hosted a variety of events to educate and increase awareness of responsibly-produced cotton throughout the supply chain and among the program’s 350+ partners.