The Gwydir Valley Cotton Growers Association (CGA) committee identified the need and the opportunities to extend our information and industry advocacy services to a broader audience of growers and the community. This included the need to educate new growers and re-educate growers returning to the industry following a hiatus. There was also the opportunity to enhance our industry awareness programme within the broader community.

The project enabled the Gwydir Valley CGA to formalise a partnership with the Gwydir Valley Irrigators Association staff and committee, which became the foundation and driver for the project’s implementation, allowing for broader collaboration between industry groups, growers, agribusiness and advisors and ensuring the project remain relevant due to the grower-led focus.

The project aimed to:

1. Engage with new growers and returning growers;

2. Establish conduits for extension material and information on the industry, focussing on improvements;

3. Improve collaboration with other industry projects in the region and form partnerships; and 4. Host industry awareness events.

Resulting in the:

Establishment and facilitation of five grower networks for information sharing and

communication with growers, agronomists and researchers;

Coordination of a ‘Considering Cotton’ workshop with NSW DPI for growers wanting to know the basic principles of growing cotton with more than 40 in attendance;

Organisation of the ‘Innovation in Irrigation’ field day, promoting innovative irrigation technologies in the Gwydir with a predominately grower audience of 90;

Planning and implementation of two ‘Evening with Cotton’ events that tour cotton farms and a working cotton gin with 100 non-cotton industry people attending;

Development of information packs for all events, including each grower group meeting (containing, myBMP information, cotton production guides, beneficial insects, local trial results, flood recovery ideas, how to grow a pair of jeans booklets etc.); and

Maintenance of the Gwydir Valley Cotton Growers Association website for media and promotional material for activities.

The project was highly successful with growers receiving relevant and up-to-date information on issues they considered important and the broader community having a greater understanding and appreciation of the cotton industry’s advancements and achievements.