Rain at just the right time brings boost for Australian cotton growers
08/12/2023
With dry conditions earlier this year, Cotton Australia had said it expected a crop of under 4 million bales for 2023-2024. However, it has revised this upwards, with general manager, Michael Murray, now saying it will be between 4.1 million and 4.5 million bales.
For most of this decade so far, La Niña weather patterns (with higher levels of rainfall) have dominated and have been an important factor for farmers in Australia.
In 2023, however, there were drier conditions in the southern hemisphere winter and forecasts have predicted generally drier El Niño conditions over the summer months, although with “pockets of positive weather” (more rainfall) in some areas.
Cotton farmers had been “severely impacted” by dry conditions for several months and had feared many more months of El Niño conditions, Cotton Australia said at the start of December. But cotton-growing regions in Queensland and New South Wales received some rainfall in October, rising to good rainfall figures in November.
The rain came at just the right time, Mr Murray said, and growers planted more cotton than they had originally planned.
“We have enjoyed two excellent years,” he continued, “but growers have been concerned about the dry months in winter and spring when decisions were being made about the best crops to plant. That has changed over the last few weeks and many of those who rely on rain have received precious millimetres at just the right time.”
Two seasons ago, good rainfall helped Australia produce a cotton crop of around 5.6 million bales, followed by a crop of around 5.5 million bales last season. He said this had coincided with a decrease in production in other regions and a decline in stock levels across the world.
“This was positive for Australian cotton growers,” Michael Murray said, “who, last season, produced one of the highest-quality crops ever seen. Buyers of quality and sustainable cotton are looking to Australia, particularly where there is a geographic advantage for transport to the mill.”
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