Cotton news
News from Australia

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.

The 2015-16 cotton season is underway across Australia’s cotton-growing valleys, stretching from Emerald in Queensland’s Central Highlands district to the NSW Riverina and southern valleys. Warm Spring temperatures in a number of districts are providing the majority of cotton growers with ideal planting conditions. Cotton Australia CEO, Adam Kay, says growers are optimistic and expect high average yields to continue this season.

The cotton industries of Australia and the United States collaborated to promote the Cotton LEADS℠ program at the Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics trade show, October 13-15, 2015. The Intertextile show attracted over 4,500 exhibitors and 75,000 visitors from more than 30 countries, from all sectors of the textile supply chain – and many Cotton LEADS℠ Partners also exhibited during the show.