Innovative Research Has Transformed The Cotton Industry in Australia

Innovative research has transformed the cotton industry in Australia, which now uses less land and water than in the past, according to the Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC), one of fifteen Rural Research and Development Corporations set up by the Australian Government.

Participating in a radio programme on ABC Rural, Dr. Mary Corbett, chair of the CRDC said the use of water for growing cotton has been reduced by 40 percent, and today farmers are growing on just 30 percent of the land they used to grow cotton earlier.

Moreover, the use of insecticides has been reduced by 95 percent over the last 15 years, making the Australian cotton industry more sustainable.

According to Dr. Corbett, Australian cotton farmers now grow the highest yields in world.

She said the Australian cotton industry has now reached a point where they are looking for other methodologies and new transformations, to continue to expand the sustainability and the competitiveness of the industry on a global scale.

Lyndon Mulligan, chairman of Cotton Australia, who also participated in the programme, said the modern cotton industry is unrecognizable compared to what it was about 40 years ago.

CRDC is based in Narrabri, the centre of one of Australia’s major cotton growing regions and the location of the major cotton research facility, the Australian Cotton Research Institute. The purpose of CRDC is to support the performance of the cotton industry by helping it to increase both productivity and profitability of Australian growers.

In 2014-15, Australia’s 1,250 cotton growers and the Australian Government will co-invest Au$ 24 million through CRDC into research, development and extension (RD&E) for a more profitable, sustainable and dynamic cotton industry.