Earlier this month, over 300 growers and cotton industry members travelled to Dirranbandi, Western Queensland for the largest ever Bayer Cotton Grower of the Year Field Day.
Each year, the previous Grower of the Year hosts this major event, offering fellow growers a firsthand look at the farming practices and innovations that earned them the title. The field day provides a unique opportunity to exchange knowledge and share strategies for improving on-farm efficiency and productivity.
This year’s host, Scott Balsillie, farm manager for Eastern Australia Agriculture in Dirranbandi, focused on enhancing water use efficiency. By converting from siphon irrigation to bankless channels, he has achieved significant savings in water and labour, improved machine efficiencies, and increased yields—demonstrating the impact of innovation in cotton farming.
The field day is an important feature of the industry’s calendar and felt particularly promising this year with a number of young and next generation farmers attending. It is also a valuable opportunity to connect growers with the brands and retailers utilising their product.
Cotton to Market Lead Brooke Summers delivered a talk to growers concerning the global market trends affecting brands and retailers, that will inevitably have a flow on affect to primary industries.
“The regulatory and business environments that our customers are operating in has seen additional burden around data, transparency, traceability, reporting and certifications.” Summers said.
“These are being pushed down the supply chain right here to farm level.”
Summers highlighted the unique strengths of the Australian cotton industry, noting its relatively small but agile position in the market. She also recognised the decades of commitment from farmers and researchers, whose investments in efficiency, data-driven innovation, and sustainability have provided the local industry with a head start on these market shifts.
This year’s event not only showcased innovative on-farm practices but also highlighted the importance of staying ahead of industry trends to ensure Australian cotton remains competitive on the world stage.
March 2025