Access to Water – and Aid – Are Top Priorities
February 23, 2012 The challenges faced by the Australian cotton industry are often as big as the Land Down Under itself.
The volatile pressures on Aussie cotton growers come not only from the international marketplace, with the rollercoaster ride of peaking and plunging cotton prices, but also from the extreme nature of the Australian farming environment.
At the start of 2011, as the Australian cotton industry began to cautiously look forward to a period of resurgence and recovery after eight years of drought, those hopes were dashed for many growers who were adversely affected by catastrophic flooding. For some cotton growers in Queensland, it was the second misfortune in two years.
Charting a course to manage the Australian cotton industry in these challenging conditions requires bold and imaginative solutions, which have become the hallmarks of Cotton Australia.
One of the key features of the Australian cotton industry has been our capacity to adapt and bounce back. In 2012, that reputation will once again be on display.
The biggest challenge for Cotton Australia now is managing our industry as we gear up to face a potential record crop, with the indicators – including significantly increased plantings in southern New South Wales – pointing toward a bumper season.
While there is still a long way to go before harvesting, which generally begins around April, the industry has been preparing to tackle some of the issues faced by a massive upswing in production.
Getting Help to Those Who Need It
After the floods of the last two seasons, Cotton Australia was determined to develop a flood-assistance package, designed to support flood-affected growers with a history in the cotton industry. We wanted to provide them with the financial support they would need to plant a crop this season.
This idea became a reality with the creation of the Cotton Industry Flood Assistance Fund, using funds donated by growers and industry stakeholders, and managed by an independent board that was able to assess applications and allocate assistance to those who needed it most. A key feature of this process was a “low-document” approach, allowing growers to apply for assistance without being burdened by excessive paperwork. It took time to obtain the appropriate government approvals and clearances, but all growers who the Fund Board determined were eligible ultimately received a cash payment in the days leading up to Christmas.
Farming in the driest continent on Earth means the vast majority of Australian cotton growers rely on irrigation to sustain their crops through the long, dry, southern summer. The certainty of access to water remains a challenge as the Australian government continues a process of water reform named after the major rivers in eastern Australia, The Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
Cotton Australia advocates that the final result of this sweeping reform process will achieve a “triple bottom line” that gives equal weight to the demands of the environment, communities, and irrigated agriculture.
In 2012, Cotton Australia’s considerable lobbying efforts will remain focused on protecting the future viability of irrigated agriculture and the communities that rely on the cotton industry. With a solid track record of adapting to meet changing and often challenging conditions, Cotton Australia remains well positioned to deal with the demands of managing and leading our industry as we face whatever the future may bring.
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