Australian cotton isn’t just grown to high standards - its quality is engineered into every stage of the process. From careful varietal selection and precise planting to attentive on-farm management and timing of harvest, every step is designed to protect fibre integrity.
In the latest episode of Australian Cotton Stories, we hear from brands, manufacturers, and fibre experts about how Australia’s innovation, rigorous testing, and attention to detail deliver cotton that mills and brands around the world rely on for consistency and performance.
Dr Stuart Gordon, Senior Principal Research Scientist in CSIRO Agriculture and Food's Systems Program, explains why this quality is so valued in the textile supply chain:
“It’s very good for spinning mills, because of its consistency.”
Every bale is individually classed and tested, with low contamination levels, ensuring manufacturers can optimise spinning settings, reduce waste, and achieve predictable outcomes.
“If you are a brand and you want very consistent quality, you need a yarn that is not going to shed. You need the yarn to be strong, and you’re only going to get that out of the premium upland growths these days. One of those growths is Australian Cotton.”
We also meet Michael Smith of Bruck Textiles, speaking about Australian combat uniforms, who highlights the importance of fibre being fit for purpose:
“Yarn quality is essential for producing a quality textile, particularly in combat uniforms - they need those uniforms to be durable. So, they’ve got some of the hardest wearing fabrics that they could possibly get for a combat uniform.”
The Australian cotton industry has contributed greatly over the years to innovations in High Volume Instrument (HVI) testing, which covers attributes such as colour, length, micronaire, contamination, and strength - information that spinning mills can then use to optimise their raw material selection and blending, necessary for producing a consistent level of yarn quality.
This industry-wide commitment to quality gives brands confidence that the products they create will perform as expected while upholding high sustainability standards.
Cotton Australia thanks everyone who followed our series this year. Australian Cotton Stories will return in the new year with fresh topics including sustainability, data, farming families, and more. Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube so you don’t miss an episode.
Australian Cotton Stories is produced by Cotton Australia
Directed by Sam Weight
December 2025