Members of the Cotton Australia Board recently attended a series of events to explore opportunities in agtech, green hydrogen, and innovation that could impact cotton growers. On the agenda was a visit to Orica’s ammonia plant near Newcastle, the Queensland AgTech Summit, and the EvokeAg conference in Brisbane.

Orica Ammonia Plant Visit

During their visit to Orica’s ammonia plant—the last remaining nitrogen manufacturing facility on the east coast—board members saw how ammonia is produced and learned about challenges affecting supply. The plant produces about 330,000 tonnes of ammonia each year, with around 10% used in agriculture and the rest in mining.

One of the biggest challenges is the rising cost of gas, which accounts for 70% of ammonia production costs. Prices have increased from $6 per gigajoule during COVID-19 to between $12 and $18 in the past year, affecting fertiliser affordability for growers.

Orica is investigating green hydrogen as an alternative to reduce reliance on gas. A site has been identified, and if viable, hydrogen could be integrated into production to stabilise costs. The company is also looking at ways to expand ammonia supply for agriculture in New South Wales and Queensland with a different distribution model. For growers, this could mean more stable fertiliser supply.

Having local manufacturing of nitrogen reduces reliance on imports. Relying on imports could create food and fibre security issues in the event of disputes with supplying countries.

Queensland AgTech Summit

At the Queensland AgTech Summit, Cotton Australia Chair Nigel Burnett joined a panel discussion on the FarmTechConnect Central Queensland pilot—a program designed to help more farmers use agtech by addressing connectivity challenges. Alongside other producers and representatives from the Department of Primary Industries, Nigel spoke about his experiences implementing agtech on farm.

EvokeAg Conference

Nigel Burnett and Deputy Chair Liz Stott also attended the EvokeAg conference in Brisbane. The AgriFutures event brought together industry leaders from agriculture, food manufacturing, research, investment, and policy, focusing on fostering connections and encouraging innovation across the sector.

For cotton growers, the conference highlighted the latest trends in agtech such as advanced automation and AI that could shape farming practices in the future.