Ruqayyah Snyder
Australia is one of the world's largest exporters of raw cotton, with more than 90% of its production exported to countries like China, Indonesia, Thailand, and South Korea. The country's cotton industry employs over 7,000 people and generates over $3 billion per year in export earnings. While Australia is a relatively minor producer on a global scale, it is the third-to-sixth largest exporter depending on the season. The primary cotton-growing regions in Australia are New South Wales and Queensland, with approximately 66% of the country's cotton produced in NSW and 33% in Queensland.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of farms | Up to 1,500 |
| Communities | 249+ |
| Major production areas | Central and southern Queensland, northern, central and southern NSW, northern Victoria, northern WA, and the Northern Territory |
| Minor production areas | Central Highlands, Border Rivers, Mungindi, and Murray Valley of NSW |
| Growing season | Approximately 6 months, from September/October to March/April |
| Water efficiency | 240% increase since the 1970s; recognised as the most water-use efficient in the world |
| Environmental impact | 85% reduction in pesticide use during 2000-2010; 97% decrease in insecticide use since 1992 |
| Employment | Over 7,000 people |
| Export earnings | Over $3 billion per year |
| Global exports ranking | Third to sixth-largest exporter |
| Production volume | Enough cotton to clothe 500 million people annually |
| Bale weight | 227 kilograms |
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What You'll Learn
Cotton production areas in Australia
Australia is one of the world's largest exporters of raw cotton, sending more than 90% of its production abroad, mainly to Asian markets. The country is a relatively minor cotton producer on a global scale, but it is the third-to-sixth largest exporter depending on the season. The Australian cotton industry provides employment for over 7,000 people and generates over $3 billion per year in export earnings. In an average year, the country's growers produce enough cotton to clothe 500 million people.
Cotton is primarily grown in New South Wales and Queensland, with approximately 90% of cotton businesses being family farms. The major production area in New South Wales stretches south from the Macintyre River on the Queensland border and covers the Gwydir, Namoi and Macquarie valleys. It is also grown along several other rivers in the state, including the Barwon, Darling, Lachlan, and Murrumbidgee. In Queensland, cotton is grown mostly in the south in the Darling Downs, St George, Dirranbandi and Macintyre Valley regions. Smaller amounts are also grown near Emerald, Theodore and Biloela in Central Queensland.
Cotton is grown in more than 249 regional Australian communities, with up to 1,500 cotton farms across the country. The number of farms cultivating cotton varies each year, depending on water availability and farmers' crop choices. The industry is highly vulnerable to weather conditions, with favourable weather enhancing cottonseed volumes and industry revenue. The Australian cotton industry is recognised as one of the most water-efficient in the world, with water-use efficiency increasing by about 240% since the 1970s.
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Australia's cotton exports
Australia is one of the world's largest exporters of raw cotton, selling to many Asian countries. In a good season, Australia is the third-largest exporter of cotton in the world. The country's cotton industry generates over $3 billion per year in export earnings, with exports totalling $4.2 billion in 2022-23. Australia's largest cotton export destination is Vietnam, which accounted for 40% of export share by value and volume in 2023. Other major buyers include China, Indonesia, Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Pakistan, and Italy.
Cotton is grown in more than 249 regional Australian communities, with up to 1,500 cotton farms across the country. The major cotton-producing areas are in New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland. In NSW, the main production areas stretch south from the Macintyre River on the Queensland border and cover the Gwydir, Namoi, and Macquarie valleys. Cotton is also grown along several rivers in the west and south of the state, including the Barwon, Darling, Lachlan, and Murrumbidgee rivers. Approximately 66% of Australia's cotton is grown in NSW. In Queensland, cotton is mostly grown in the south in the Darling Downs, St George, Dirranbandi, and Macintyre Valley regions. The remainder is grown in central Queensland, near Emerald, Theodore, and Biloela. About 33% of Australia's cotton is grown in Queensland. Smaller amounts of cotton are also grown in northern Victoria, northern Western Australia, and the Northern Territory.
The Australian cotton industry employs more than 7,000 people and is highly water-efficient. Water-use efficiency has increased by approximately 240% since the 1970s, and Australian cotton growers are now recognised as the most water-use efficient in the world, three times more efficient than the global average. The industry has also significantly improved its water productivity, with the water used to produce one bale of cotton in 2021 less than half of that used in 1997.
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Water efficiency in Australian cotton production
Cotton is grown in over 249 regional Australian communities, with the major cotton-producing areas being the Central Highlands, Darling Downs, Border Rivers, St George, Mungindi, and Dirranbandi regions of Queensland, and the Gwydir, Namoi, Macquarie, Murrumbidgee, Murray, and Lachlan valleys of New South Wales. Smaller amounts of cotton are also grown in northern Victoria, northern Queensland, northern Western Australia, and the Northern Territory. Australia is a relatively minor cotton producer on a global scale, but it is the third-largest exporter, with more than 90% of its production exported, mainly to Asian markets.
The Australian cotton industry employs over 7,000 people and generates over $3 billion per year in export earnings. It is also a major commodity, representing 30-60% of the gross value of total agricultural production in the regions where it is grown. Australia's cotton industry is recognised as one of the most water-efficient in the world. Water-use efficiency has increased by approximately 240% since the 1970s, and water-use productivity by Australian cotton growers has improved by 48-52% since 1997. The industry's Whole Farm Irrigation Efficiency has improved significantly and is now at 81%, compared to 57% in the late 1990s, indicating that more water is being used by the crop instead of being lost on the farm.
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) breeds cotton varieties suitable for Australian conditions, and growers select the most efficient variety for their region and farm. Each cotton crop's water needs are met through a combination of rainfall and irrigation from ground and surface water sources. In 2018-19, about 32% of the cotton crop area was rain-grown. Growers have adopted efficient irrigation systems, with a shift towards overhead irrigation, good field design, and the identification of field soil variation to improve water delivery.
Despite these improvements, environmental groups remain sceptical, arguing that cotton is a "'thirsty' crop that should not be grown on the driest continent." They point to the industry's use of flood irrigation and the large amounts of water harvested through floodplain harvesting. However, the industry maintains that it follows environmentally sustainable practices and that significant investments have been made to improve water efficiency.
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The Australian cotton industry
Cotton is grown in over 249 regional Australian communities, with around 1,500 cotton farms spread across the country. The major cotton-producing areas are in Queensland and New South Wales, with around 66% of Australia's cotton grown in the latter and 33% in the former. Within Queensland, the main production areas are the Central Highlands, Darling Downs, Border Rivers, St George, Mungindi, and Dirranbandi regions. In New South Wales, cotton is grown in the Gwydir, Namoi, Macquarie, Murrumbidgee, Murray, and Lachlan valleys. Smaller amounts of cotton are also grown in northern Victoria, northern Queensland, northern Western Australia, and the Northern Territory.
Australia is a relatively minor cotton producer on a global scale, but it is the world's third-to-sixth largest exporter, depending on the season. In a typical year, Australian cotton growers produce enough cotton to clothe 500 million people, and the industry generates over $3 billion per year in export earnings. The main buyers of Australian cotton are Vietnam, China, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Turkey, and Thailand.
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Cotton growing process in Australia
Cotton is grown in more than 249 regional Australian communities, with the main production areas being central and southern Queensland, northern, central and southern NSW, northern Victoria and small areas of northern Queensland, northern Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Approximately 66% of Australia's cotton is grown in NSW and 33% in Queensland.
Australia's cotton-growing season lasts approximately six months, starting in September/October (planting) and ending in March/April (picking). Before planting, fields are prepared, weeds are controlled, and nutrients are added if necessary. Most growers leave their cotton stubble standing in the field and mulch it back into the soil to add valuable nutrients. Soil moisture is also checked and pre-watering is undertaken if necessary. Growers check the soil temperature regularly before planting to ensure it is warm enough for seed germination and crop establishment. Cotton seeds emerge from the ground five to 14 days after planting, depending on soil temperature and moisture. Refuge crops are also established at this time to help slow down resistance to Bt proteins from evolving in the pest population by producing susceptible Helicoverpa moths that have not been exposed to the Bt toxins.
The plants briefly grow pink and cream-coloured flowers that, once pollinated, drop off and are replaced with fruit, better known as cotton bolls. Inside the cotton boll is fluffy, white lint as well as cotton seeds. Once the plant has been defoliated and the bolls have cracked open to reveal the lint, the cotton is ready to be picked. In Australia, cotton is picked with large mechanical harvesters and gathered into large, round, wrapped modules.
The modules are then sent off to a cotton gin for processing. During the ginning process, the lint is separated from the seeds and is then pressed into rectangular bales. Each bale weighs 227 kilograms. It is then shipped overseas to be spun, dyed, knitted and woven into fabrics. After ginning, the cotton lint is tightly pressed into bales. Once the cotton bales are ginned, pressed and containerised, they are loaded onto trucks and trains and sent to ports for shipping, mostly to overseas markets.
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Frequently asked questions
Cotton is primarily grown in New South Wales and Queensland. The major production area in NSW stretches south from the Macintyre River on the Queensland border and covers the Gwydir, Namoi and Macquarie valleys. In Queensland, cotton is grown mostly in the south in the Darling Downs, St George, Dirranbandi and Macintyre Valley regions. Smaller amounts of cotton are grown in northern Victoria, in northern Queensland, northern Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
Australia is a relatively minor producer on a global scale, but it is the world's third-to-sixth largest exporter depending on the season. In an average year, Australia’s cotton growers produce enough cotton to clothe 500 million people.
Australia has faced serious droughts in recent years, which has led to a decline in Better Cotton production. Farmers are careful to only use the amount of water allocated to them to irrigate their crops. To combat water scarcity, some farmers are using precision technology to optimise water use and irrigation.
