Cotton Australia held its General Meeting in Sydney last week, bringing grower representatives together to discuss industry challenges, policy settings and priorities for the year ahead. Guest speakers included Andrew McConville, Chief Executive of the Murray–Darling Basin Authority, and Hamish McIntyre, President of the National Farmers’ Federation, who provided updates on Basin management, national agricultural policy and broader regional outlooks.

Grower feedback from Cotton Grower Associations (CGAs) shaped much of the discussion, helping guide Cotton Australia’s work program and areas of focus for the coming months.

What Growers Raised: Issues for Cotton Australia

Grower representatives from across the regions outlined the main issues affecting their regions and identified their priorities for Cotton Australia. Key themes included:

Program and Policy Priorities

• The need for Australian Cotton Roadmap to have a simple, clear value proposition and to less duplication across existing programs.
• Insight into the return on investment for sustainability reporting, human rights requirements and expectations from brands.
• More transparency around CRDC’s Data Platform, particularly relating to data privacy and administrative workload for growers.

On-Farm and Seasonal Challenges

• Concerns about seed quality and seedling vigour heading into the season.
• Ongoing pressure from low commodity prices and high input costs.
• A need for stronger advocacy on chemical regulation and access to new technology.

Water, Infrastructure and Regional Support

• Water-related issues, including buybacks, allocation settings and infrastructure charges.
• Requests for improved Regional Manager support in the St George, Dirranbandi and Mungindi region.
• Continued challenges with telecommunications, with both cost and reliability affecting day-to-day operations.

Governance and Skills

• More comprehensive corporate governance training, ideally with an option for certification.
• Strong demand for more training across machinery operation, chemical application, first aid and compliance.

Issues raised during the meeting will be progressed throughout the year and/or addressed at the next General Meeting.

Follow-Up on Issues from the June Meeting

Progress has been made on several items raised earlier in the year, noting ongoing work in the following areas.

Telecommunications Access

Starlink remains the only reliable option for many growers, but cost continues to be a challenge. Google’s upcoming satellite service may help create competition and drive down prices. Cotton Australia and the NFF continue to advocate for telecommunications to be recognised as essential infrastructure, ensuring rural and regional communities have access to affordable and reliable connectivity.

Governance Training

The first round of online corporate governance training has been completed. Some CGAs have asked for a more detailed program with formal certification, and Cotton Australia will explore future options.

Other issues raised at the June meeting were addressed through agenda items and discussions during the day or directly with the relevant CGAs. See the latest Current & Future Activities Document for an outline of achievements from June – November 2025.

Read the General Meeting Members Memo Summary

Still Time to Provide Feedback

Growers are encouraged to continue sharing their views on industry priorities and topics for future webinars.

Feedback can be provided via [email protected] or by contacting your Regional Manager.