Cotton is grown in more than 200 Australian communities and 40 rural and regional local government areas. Locations where cotton is grown include central and southern Queensland, northern, central and southern NSW, northern Victoria, and trial crops in small areas of northern Queensland, northern Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

Throughout these regions there are up to 1,500 cotton farms growing some of the finest quality and highest yielding cotton in the world.

When times are good, and there is plenty of water in the rivers, cotton helps these communities prosper. But when drought sets in and there is no water for cotton (or any other crop), these towns suffer and can take a long time to recover.

Approximately 90% of Australia’s cotton businesses are family farms, producing approximately 80% of the crop. These families have often lived and worked in their communities for generations.

Our growers provide jobs, their kids go to school and play sport in rural towns, and they shop locally for agricultural supplies and services.

Cotton growers spend, on average, 82% of expenses in their local area. The majority of cotton business expenses are spent within the immediate local areas of farm businesses, and adjacent regional centres (CRDC Grower Survey). Most cotton growers (nine out of 10, according to an industry survey) regularly contribute to community activities such as events, sponsorships and charities, or are involved in local groups or sports teams. ABS data supports this, showing volunteering rates of cotton growers are slightly above the regional average and well above the national average; cotton growers are more likely to be involved in their community than others living in the region, and farmers nationally.

An extensive system of production, harvesting and ginning provides jobs for mechanics, distributors of farm machinery, consultants and advisors, crop processors and other support services employees. Industries such as banking, transportation, warehousing and shipment merchandising also benefit from a viable Australian cotton industry.