The Chair of the Cotton Australian (CA) Board Nigel Burnett has joined CA’s Senior Policy Manager for Northern Australia on a whistle-stop tour, meeting with growers, industry support services and government departments.

Travelling over 1000 kilometres in four days, the pair braved Territory build-up conditions over 39 degrees and a couple of big storms to hold meetings with key industry stakeholders in a round of engagements peppered with sightings of donkeys (at least 50), jabirus, buffalo, dingo, pigs and barra – while the elusive crocodile evaded their gaze.

Highlights for both were visiting myBMP grower Tony Hayne at Douglas Station, Dry River, Scott Creek, seeing the very happy Brahman Hippos feeding on cotton seed and silage near Katherine, and visiting both the Katherine and Kununurra cotton gins.

Also significant was seeing the development happening at Knox Plain (Greentree Farming – Ron Greentree) in Ord Stage 2 near the NT/WA border where 600ha of cotton is planned for this season.

Nuffield scholar, Fritz Bolton revealed to Nigel and Simone his soil profile and the different methods practiced for fertilising and ground preparations.

The pair sat in on the CGA meeting in Katherine and hosted 2 social evenings: one in Katherine and the other in Kununurra, giving the Chair an opportunity to meet most growers across the regions, given the vast distances between them and their cotton fields.