Growers in the Walgett Cotton Growers Association(CGA) have shown ongoing interest in ensuring that they are at the forefront of new technologies and ideas. The growers have become very good at managing their resources and utilising them to the fullest extent possible and are always challenging themselves to continue on this path. They wish to further investigate alternative irrigation layouts, infrastructure and other changes to their farm operations that will provide positive economic, social and environmental outcomes for their farms and the region

In addition, having suffered variable seasons in recent times they also need to be able to see and talk to other growers that may be able to assist them with coping better with these wild fluctuations.

Due to the current dry conditions and little or no cotton this summer in the Walgett CGA, the CGA has determined that to maintain interest by growers in the region that a trip to the Southern Valleys will provide them with new ideas/ technologies, increase the networking between growers and grow their skills and knowledge.

A field trip was organised to take growers south. Our first get together with the growers in the south was at a growers meeting at Southern Cotton and we where able to meet many growers and get an understanding of the issues that they face in particular in regard to water, soils and pest and disease issues. Of particular interest was how they had progressed from rice to cotton and how that now fitted into their rotations. They are very adaptive growers and are willing to look at many options. This provided us with insights into how we may have to look even further afield to help manage and make changes to our operations in the north.