Keira Wright, Bloomberg News

(Bloomberg) -- The outlook for Australia’s cotton crop has improved following a deluge of rain across growing regions last year that prompted some farmers to boost their planting, according to the nation’s industry group.

Cotton Australia expects production to be at 4.5 million barrels for 2023-24, the top of its previously estimated range, according to Chief Executive Officer Adam Kay. The group warned in October — prior to rains — that the outlook was mixed due to the onset of El Niño, which typically brings drier conditions.

Vast parts of eastern Australia has been inundated by heavy rains and flooding since at least October, including a tropical cyclone that damaged sugar crops in Queensland. The wet weather has benefited so-called dryland cotton producers, which rely on rain and stored soil moisture to support plant growth.

Cotton is primarily grown in Queensland and New South Wales, and the harvest typically begins around March or April. In early October, Cotton Australia forecast output of 4 million to 4.5 million bales for 2023-24, compared with 5.5 million bales the previous season.