Cotton Australia has announced the finalists in the 2024 Australian Bayer Cotton Grower of the Year award and the AgriRisk High Achiever of the year award, with the results to be announced at the Cotton Conference on the Gold Coast in August.

There were six finalists from as far north as Dalby on Queensland’s Darling Downs and as far south as Coleambally in the NSW Riverina, highlighting a diverse range of farming systems and operations. The six finalists have been divided into two categories: Bayer Grower of the Year and AgriRisk High Achiever of the Year.

Bayer Grower of the Year Finalists:

• Kurt, Luke and Ross Von Pein – Pallathorpe, Macalister QLD 4406

• Scott Balsillie – Eastern Australia Agriculture, Dirranbandi QLD 4486

• Lindsay George – Lawson Grains. Moree NSW 2400

AgriRisk High Achiever Finalists:

• Steve and Bridget McVeigh - Loch Eaton, Dalby Qld 4405

• David and Julie Bellato – Greenline Framing, Coleambally NSW, 2707

• Scott, Jo & George McCalman - "Kuranda", Gunnedah NSW 2380

Cotton Australia’s CEO Adam Kay said the high caliber of nominees made the judging process extremely difficult, with all growers showing knowledge and skills that will easily transfer so that other growers can benefit.“Each of the finalists have displayed a commitment to growing cotton and a readiness to trial new farming methods and adopt technology to continue to improve their crops and yields while focusing on soil health and other environmental outcomes.”

The farming methods adopted by each of the finalists clearly demonstrate the diversity between cotton growing regions and the differing methods used to achieve the best results.

Cotton Australia and last year’s Bayer Grower of the Year Johannes Roellgen and AgriRisk High Achiever Dan Skerman were joined by sponsor judges from Bayer and AgriRisk in interviewing all nominees before deciding on the final six. The judges then visited each finalist on their farms to witness first-hand their innovative and forward-thinking farming practices.

The award recipients will be announced during the Australian Cotton Conference which starts on the 6th of August on the Gold Coast. The CRDC Chris Lehmann Young Cotton Achiever of the Year Award, the Cotton Seed Distributors Researcher of the Year Award, and the Incitec Pivot Fertiliser Services to Industry Award will also be announced at the conference dinner on the evening of the 8th of August.

“The Awards dinner on the 8^th of August always sells out and this year our MC is popular comedian Peter Helliar so I urge people to get in now and order their tickets or risk missing out. The event, which includes a three-course meal and drinks, is the cotton industry’s night of nights and is not to be missed,” Mr Kay said.

See more information on the finalists.