Cotton Australia Board member, Barb Grey, and Cotton Australia CEO, Adam Kay, inspecting the Auscott Narrabri crop as it's harvested. PHOTO: CONTRIBUTED
The stars are aligning for the 2015/16 Australian cotton crop, with the total figure expected to be much higher than the previous season.
The estimated national crop for the 2015/16 season is 270,000 hectares (ha), while 196,698 ha was the total in 2014/15.
From the 2015/16 total hectare estimate, 160,000 ha is expected from NSW and in the Macquarie Valley growing region alone, about 10,000 ha is expected.
Cotton Australia CEO Adam Kay said if Burrendgong Dam was full Macquarie Valley growers could have possibly planted 50,000 ha, but due to the current water situation they could only get that in.
"Prices are looking good, at $500 per bale which is good," he said.
"But the water wasn't there for growers."
Mr Kay said growers would be hoping for rain so that Burrendong could fill up, so they'll already be looking towards next year.
Mr Kay said the 2015/16 Australian national cotton crop was expected to hit 2.4 million bales, up from 2.2 million bales in the 2014/15 season.
"The 2.4 millions bales will be worth around 1.4 billion to the Australian economy," he said.
Mr Kay said crops were looking good in all of the major growing regions, although there were some herbicide issues.
"The only issue growers have had was phenoxy herbicide drift from people spraying fallows," he said.
"It impacted on some crops. We're trying to warn people on the dangers of poor spraying techniques.
"It knocked a few crops around, it really hurt some growers and we're concerned there may be further damage."
Mr Kay said areas within the Macquarie Valley were impacted by the spraying, including the cotton growing region of Warren.
"In the whole of Australia's total growing regions about 60,000 ha was damaged," he said.
"That is over 20 per cent of the whole industry impacted."
Mr Kay said he expected picking to commence in April.
"It starts earlier in Queensland, about February - in the hotter areas, but in the Macquarie valley it should be about early to mid-April," he said.
