Growers David and Pauline Scott on their myBMP journey
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Cotton Matters
Channel Seven’s Sunrise will broadcast its weather segments live from the Darling Downs tomorrow.
Long-time Seven presenter James Tobin and crew will be heading to Steve and Bridget McVeigh’s farm ready to broadcast live on the 4th of October, from 7am. The broadcast is timed to highlight World Cotton Day and to promote the ongoing efforts to enhance the sustainability of the Australian cotton industry.
Latest News
Planting is underway across most of Australia’s cotton growing regions with some crops already out of the ground in warmer climates while some growers in southern regions are awaiting warmer weather before starting their 2025/26 season.
The Darling Downs Cotton Grower 2025 Awards Night was recently held bringing together the region’s cotton community to celebrate industry achievements. Pastoral Properties managed by Rhys Herbert and Trish Carroll, was named Cotton Grower of the Year, while Mitch and Mariah Brimblecombe from Moira Farming received the High Achiever of the Year award.
Cotton Australia’s Cotton to Market program has been working with brands and retailers for over a decade to promote Australian cotton and share the stories of its farmers, research, and innovation. Demand for the fibre continues to grow, with a 54% rise in licensed products this year and new brands including Clevamama, AS Colour and Taking Shape joining the program.
Nic and Felicity Clapham, cotton growers on the Darling Downs, knew water efficiency was their greatest business risk. Through the Farm Business Resilience Program (FBRP), they developed a tailored Farm Business Resilience Plan to address the challenge.
With support from QRIDA’s Drought Preparedness Grant, the Claphams invested in a lateral irrigator to reduce energy use, make better use of rainfall, and improve the farm’s drought resilience.
Bayer’s Cotton Research Facility in Toowoomba plays an important role in developing new solutions for sustainable cotton production. At the recent Cotton Collective event, delegates toured the Bayer Toowoomba lab to see science in action and hear more about resistance management.
The Fair Work Act 2009 has been updated under the Closing Loopholes reforms to include the “right to disconnect,” giving employees the ability to ignore unreasonable work-related contact outside their ordinary hours.
Cotton Australia’s Education Manager Jenny Hughes has opened up the possibilities of a career in the Australian cotton industry for science students at Sydney University.
News in brief
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Simon Blyth has been awarded a 2026 Nuffield Scholarship, supported by Cotton Australia, CRDC and AgriFutures. He will explore how technologies like the Internet of Things, AI, automation and robotics can improve farming systems, with a focus on cotton. His study will look at global examples of smart irrigation, autonomous crop inspections, spray drift control and robotics, aiming to find practical ways growers can manage labour, water and inputs more effectively. |
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Cotton Australia’s Cotton to Market Lead, Brooke Summers, recently attended the Kmart and Target Annual Partner Conference, where more than 100 global manufacturers gathered, including suppliers of 100% Australian cotton products. The event highlighted the retailers’ future focus on natural fibres with Australian cotton named a fibre of choice across both brands. Target currently leads as the retailer with the most licensed products carrying the Australian Cotton Mark. |
myBMP
Darling Downs farmers David and Pauline Scott, with long-term employee Nathan Tappenden, have achieved positive changes through their myBMP certification. One of the most notable is a new chemical storage facility, which has made the farm safer and more efficient.
