A NEAR record $2.5 BILLION crop will inject economic vitality into Australia’s cotton industry to be spread throughout regional communities, says Cotton Australia CEO Adam Kay.
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Mr Kay said the industry was anticipating its second biggest crop this season, surpassing 4.4 million bales on the back of 460,000 hectares planted in favourable conditions, with farm-gate returns boosted by solid prices.
The positive forecast was all on the back of a mild, wet spring but the cool, wet conditions made for a tougher start to this season than the previous few years.
He said most of the general crop was planted in late October and early November.
“Certainly it was a little delayed in southern NSW due to wet-cool conditions but at the end of the day, southern NSW did see a pretty big plant which was about 12,000ha in the Lachlan and about 45,000ha in the Murrumbidgee/Murray,” he said.
“Southern NSW has become a pretty major cotton production area.
“Harvest of the main crop will be in April and May.”
