A major aim of the Australian Cotton industry is to maintain its position as global leader in cotton quality and yield through sustained improvements in productivity and profitability in all areas of operation, while equipping the industry to handle emerging challenges. Critical to achieving this aim is the development of human capital that is capable and connected, and with the knowledge and skills necessary to drive the industry. In this respect, the industry has focused on building a skilled, educated and progressive workforce in all areas of its operations, requiring attention to workforce planning and management in all areas of cotton production.

It is recognised that while the processes involved in planning and managing workforce are similar across industries, they tend to be more complex for farmers, especially where farmers grow a mix of crops with or without livestock and undertake other farm-related operations. Workforce management on farms involves planning for and obtaining the variety of skills necessary to handle the diverse operations, taking into account the seasonal nature of work, cyclical variations in output emanating from climatic conditions and availability of water, changing skill requirements from continuous automation of operations, and competing demand for the needed skills from other industries.

In pursuit of the objective of building a skilled, educated and progressive workforce and taking into account the challenges that farmers face in sourcing and managing their workforce, this project investigated current and future trends in workforce needs and supply of labour on cotton farms. Specifically, it examined farmers' perceptions of future labour needs, the skills required to meet these needs, adeqacy and sources of skills supply to meet current and future needs, management of skills on farms, and strategies used to retain good performing employees.