Cotton Matters - 11th March 2022
Nominate now: 2022 Australian Cotton Industry Awards
Growers and researchers are encouraged to nominate now for the 2022 Australian Cotton Industry Awards.
The awards, which acknowledge the resilience of the industry and innovation throughout the cotton supply chain, were put on hold in 2020; and while nominations were received and judging took place in 2021, COVID prevented growers from coming together and the awards ceremony was again put on hold.
With event opportunities again on the rise, Cotton Australia has called for new nominations for 2022, with the recipients to be announced at the Cotton Conference on the Gold Coast in August.
Nominations are now open in the following categories for 2022:
- Bayer Grower of the Year
- AgriRisk High Achiever of the Year
- ADAMA Chris Lehmann Young Cotton Achiever of the Year
- Cotton Seed Distributors Researcher of the Year
- IPF Service to Industry Award
Individuals and teams can nominate others, or themselves, for the 2022 Australian Cotton Industry Awards through the online nomination form at www.cottonaustralia.com.au/awards-nominations.
Nominations close at 5pm on Friday 25th March 2022.
2022 Australian Cotton Conference launched
After a few years of disruptions due to the pandemic, the Australian Cotton Conference is back
in 2022 with a program expected to engage, challenge, and unite this important agricultural
industry at time of great opportunity and change.
To be held in person on Queensland’s Gold Coast from 16th – 18th August 2022, the program will centre around the theme “Here for Good”, and will explore cutting edge cotton science, contributions to the economy and regional communities and resilience in the face of many recent challenges.
Full Cotton Australia levy paying growers can access a discount when they register for the conference. During the registration process, you will be asked to supply a Grower Number – this is any number assigned to the grower by their ginner or merchant.
International Women’s Day: celebrating women in our industry
Earlier this week, Cotton Australia joined in global celebrations for International Women’s Day.
We acknowledge the impact women make in our society, and we particularly recognise all women working in, and connected with, the Australian cotton industry.
To help celebrate the day, Cotton Australia prepared a series of social media posts and stories about women in our industry, to highlight the significant role they play in making Australian cotton a world-leading agricultural sector.
We need your help: Sydney Royal Easter Show
Cotton Australia is excited to once again have a stand at the Sydney Royal Easter Show.
Being at the show is a valuable opportunity for us to inform city people about our industry… but we need your help.
We are on the lookout for volunteers to spend time with us on the stand. Your presence will have a huge impact on our shared mission of advocating for our cotton industry and debunking common myths.
Past volunteers, such as growers Sam Heagney and Nigel Corish, valued their time on our stand, and both were surprised at how little city people know about our industry.
We know it is a busy time of year, but we ask you to please consider helping out your industry by volunteering for 1-2 days on our stand. You will discover for yourself just how rewarding giving some of your valuable time can be to some of the thousands of showgoers that will visit our exhibition.
The Royal Easter Show’s dates are from 8th – 19th April 2022.
To book your spot or find out more, please contact Jenny Hughes - [email protected].
Applications open for Diversity in Agriculture Leadership Program
To celebrate International Women’s Day, the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) is opening applications for its flagship Diversity in Agriculture Leadership Program.
Cotton Australia is a member of NFF and a partner in the program.
The program is designed to increase the representation of women in leadership positions in Australian agriculture and achieve the NFF’s goal to double the number of women in agriculture’s leadership ranks by 2030.
NFF President Fiona Simson said the organisation was proactively working towards narrowing the gender gap and the Diversity in Agriculture Leadership Program was instrumental in achieving this.
Applications close on April 17th 2022.
International Cotton Advisory Committee global cotton update
The International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) has released its latest update on the global cotton industry.
Key points from the update include:
- Global cotton consumption for the 2021/2022 season has fully rebounded and is holding steady at 25.67 million tonnes. Global production is currently sitting at 26.11 million tonnes which is sufficient to accommodate continued increases in consumption if mills continue to increase demand.
- The international reference price for cotton (Cotlook A-Index) continues to be at a level not seen since the 2010/2011 season.
- The ICAC Secretariat’s current price forecast of the season-average A-Index for 2021/22 ranges from 101 cents to 120 cents, with a midpoint at 109 cents per pound.
- Cotton exports from the United States has decreased drastically from previous years.
- The other potential disruptor for the global cotton industry is the conflict in Eastern and Central Europe. Ukraine is not a player in the cotton industry; however, they are a major power producer (coal, natural gas and petroleum). There have already been sharp increases in the price of oil and gas.
QLD growers: rotamarker rebate on offer to improve farm safety
Queensland farmers can now access round two of rebates for the installation of overhead warning markers which indicate powerlines, making their rural workplaces safer.
The Queensland Farmers’ Federation (QFF), which Cotton Australia is a member of, has again partnered with Ergon Energy Network and Energex to offer farmers belonging to any of QFF’s 21 industry members a 50% co-contribution to install up to 10 Rotamarkers on their properties.
Be on alert: cyber scams and fraud
Cotton Australia has heard from growers about alleged frauds and cyber scams impacting people in rural areas in recent months.
Cotton Australia encourages all growers to be on alert when purchasing anything online, particularly machinery or expensive investments.
If you have been a victim of a fraud or cyber scam, you can contact the police or the Australian Cyber Security Centre.
Farm Business Resilience funding update
Cotton Australia is partnering with the Queensland Farmers’ Federation (QFF) to deliver the recently announced joint federal-state funded Farm Business Resilience Program.
In summary, Australian governments are seeking to move away from transactional drought assistance programmes (such as subsidies for transport of fodder) to a model that assists farmers to increase their business’s resilience to all the variables that markets, climate and other factors throw ate them.
Key to this is farmers thinking carefully about their businesses, the risks they face, and mitigation factors they can implement, and documenting it is a Farm Business Resilience Plan.
In Queensland, farmers who successfully complete a Farm Business Resilience Plan can apply for a grant of up to $50,000 to assist in implementing actions that were identified in the plan.
Cotton Australia can provide practical assistance in helping to better understand the planning process, and the actual production of a plan.
The Commonwealth and Queensland Governments can help fund the cost of professional advice used to develop the plan, and the implementation of the plans.
The exact nature of the Cotton Australia project is being finalised, but if you would like to register your interest in this exciting program, please email Michael Murray on [email protected] or phone 0427 707 868.
These links provide more information regarding the government assistance:
- Drought Preparedness Grant – up to $50,000
- Farm Management Grant to help prepare a Farm Business Resilience Plan
