New technologies help Aussie cotton farmers reduce costs (Australia)

From April 30 to May 4, 2012 the ITMF Spinners Committee visited the cotton growing area of New South Wales in Australia in their annual effort to foster an interchange of ideas between breeders, farmers, ginners, traders and spinners thus supporting the development of quality cotton fibers based on modern spinning requirements, to exchange information relating to harvesting, handling, ginning and contracting of cotton and to promote the mechanical high-volume instrument (HVI) testing and classing of raw cotton.

“The Committee was impressed by the overall research and development efforts conducted along the entire Australian cotton value chain”. Among other things the Committee noted that “Genetically Modified-cotton (GM-cotton) has enabled Australian cotton growers to become more productive and efficient, constantly increasing yields per hectare since the introduction of GM-cotton in 1996”.

Of special interest to the Committee was the observation of considerable investments in new harvesting technologies (e.g. round module pickers) that are reducing labor costs significantly.

The Committee expressed the view that the Australian cotton industry’s application “of Best Management Practices (BMP) for cotton could serve as an example for other cotton producers where such concepts are not yet being pursued”.