Official government data has revealed Australian cotton’s contribution to rural and regional communities, with cotton generating over 10% of gross crop value in 24 Local Government Areas (LGA’s) in the 2020/21 season.
The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resources Economics and Sciences (ABARES) is forecasting a 22/23 gross value of cotton production at around $3.4 billion.
ABARES expects that exports will reach a value of $5.1 billion due to prior shipping delays for the 2022 crop.
Cotton Australia CEO Adam Kay said the 2021 Census Data, collated only recently, said the revenue has an extended impact on local communities.
"Last year we recorded a record crop of 5.6 million bales, with 5 million bales forecast this year. Those 10 million-plus bales equate to approximately $7 billion injected into the Australian economy with much of it spent locally."
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 2021 Agricultural Census also revealed that cotton was grown in 65 local government areas with more than 75 per cent of cotton grower business expenses spent locally.
In 38 of those LGA’s cotton contributed over $1 million to the local economies with 25 of those in New South Wales, 9 in Queensland, 1 in West Australia and 3 in the Northern Territory.
The ABS publication, Value of Agricultural Commodities Produced – Australia 2020/21, also shows the gross value of cotton lint, irrigated and non-irrigated, at $1.465 billion.
Results from the 2021 Population Census show that cotton growers support higher Indigenous employment with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment on cotton farms and gins at 6.9% while the 2022 Indigenous Employment Index Average Indigenous employment rate was 2.2% for surveyed companies (2), and a parity target figure of 3.3%.
Kay said cotton farmers would hope to boost the employment figures even higher if only they could access more workers for their farms.
“We are working with the federal government to solve the shortage of agricultural workers and we look forward to filling vacancies as soon as possible.”