The Australian cotton industry is a regional based market focused industry generating in excess of $1 billion of export revenue. Cotton is produced in regional NSW and Queensland by up to 1,000 growers and employs up to 14,000 people depending on variable seasonal and market conditions. The productivity and sustainability of the cotton industry has improved significantly over the past 20 years through technology development and improved management practices.

The future of the industry is influenced by a number of critical uncertainties including climate variability, water availability, competitiveness with food, product differentiation, grower dedication and industry profitability. This means that while the cotton industry will continue, the size of the industry will vary year to year and growth is reliant on productivity gains, improved sustainability and market development.

The response to these challenges is to develop a vision outlining the preferred future which the industry can work collaboratively to: Australia cotton, carefully grown, naturally world’s best with the attributes of differentiated, responsible, tough, successful, respected and capable.

A central component of the industry’s success is a capable and effective network of RD&E organisations working with industry. The network faces challenges from a tight fiscal outlook and the need to maintain cotton specific capability as well as drawing on a broad range of capabilities to deliver on an expanding suite of RD&E priorities.