CRDC’s role is to invest in RD&E on behalf of cotton growers and the government, with the outcomes boosting the productivity and profitability of our industry. RD&E, and its resulting innovations, are a key driving force behind the Australian cotton industry’s continued success.

The 2021-22 year marked the fourth year under the CRDC Strategic RD&E Plan 2018–23. The strategic RD&E investments that CRDC made in 2021-22 under this plan are helping to continue to drive the Australian cotton industry towards a future of innovation, increased commercialisation and digital transformation.

In 2021-22, Australian cotton growers and the Australian Government co-invested $18.3 million through CRDC into cotton RD&E, across 213 projects and in collaboration with 97 research partners. The investments were made in the five key areas identified in the Strategic RD&E Plan: increasing productivity and profitability on Australian cotton farms; improving cotton farming sustainability and value chain competitiveness; building the adaptive capacity of the Australian cotton industry; strengthening partnerships and adoption; and driving RD&E impact.

In this report, we bring you an update on our progress towards our strategic goals – our investments, our innovations, and our intended impacts – four years into our Strategic RD&E Plan 2018–23.