Cotton Latest Developments
Latest Developments
- The 60th Plenary Meeting of the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) was held at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, from 16 – 21 September 2001.
Did You Know...
- Australia is the major producer of cotton in the Southern Hemisphere and the third largest exporter of raw cotton in the world.
- The Australian cotton industry relies heavily on exports, with over 90 per cent of production sold on the world market. In 2000-01, 833 770 tonnes of raw cotton, valued at $A1.95 billion, were exported. Principal export markets in 2000-01 were Indonesia, Japan and Thailand.
More information on the cotton industry…
Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC)
The Commonwealth Government provides assistance to the cotton industry through its contribution to research and development, matching research expenditure on a dollar-for-dollar basis, up to a maximum of 0.5 per cent of the gross value of production. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry administers this arrangement.
The Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC), which is the main industry body administering research, allocated total expenditure of $A13.4 million in grants to its research and development program in 2000/01, supported by a grower levy currently set at $1.75 per 227 kg bale of lint.
One of the cotton industry’s greatest successes is the plant-breeding program, which has produced high-yielding, top-quality cotton plant varieties. Since 1990 the CRDC has provided more than $8 million for the breeding program and the new varieties have allowed the industry to expand its production base to towns such as Dirranbandi, Bourke and Trangie.
Apart from the highly successful plant breeding program, a great deal of research effort is directed at pest management, having regard to environmental concerns and the need for management of pesticide resistance build-up. Research into fibre properties and further processing is also actively encouraged by the CRDC.
The cotton growing industry has benefited from the plant-breeding program, with Australian yields now among the highest in the world. Australia’s fibre quality is among the world's best, with growing costs around the middle of the range in international terms.
Research relating to the cotton industry is conducted mainly by CSIRO, the Queensland and New South Wales Departments responsible for agriculture and Universities. The major centre of research is the CSIRO field station near Narrabri, NSW.
The formation of a Cooperative Research Centre for Sustainable Cotton Production has added impetus to the industry's efforts to improve environmental management through increased financial resources and research coordination.
Australian Cotton Industry Council
During 1996/97, the Australian Cotton Industry Council (ACIC) was formed to better coordinate the activities of existing industry bodies and to provide a united industry voice. The Council consists of 12 member bodies representing all facets of the cotton industry including cotton farmers, researchers, processors, shippers, spinners and related equipment and service providers. The ACIC will also act as a reporting medium for sub-committees as appropriate.
Raw Cotton Marketing Advisory Committee (RCMAC)
The RCMAC served as a laboratory for the Australian industry's push into export markets in the early 1970's, and continues as a forum for information exchange between the ginners, domestic spinners, merchants and the Commonwealth Government. RCMAC is now a sub-committee of ACIC.
For further detail contact Field Crops Branch