Sowing of Australia’s 2026-27 cotton crop is under way, with a number of growing regions getting off to an early start ahead of a season the Bureau of Meteorology expects to be drier than usual.
The national cotton crop is set to be markedly smaller than last year’s, as lower water allocations and persistently dry weather restrict sowing options in many cotton-producing areas.
Adam Kay, Chief Executive of Cotton Australia, put the present forecast at roughly 2.7 million bales, compared with 4.5 million bales a year earlier, with an estimated value of about Au $2.1 billion.
Planting got going in Queensland’s Central Highlands in early August. Growers around St George and in the Brisbane Valley began within recent weeks, alongside a small number of early movers in northern and southern New South Wales who made the most of favourable conditions.
A Cotton Australia press release quoted Kay as saying that around 265,000 green hectares are expected to be sown this year, a lower figure than in recent seasons.
Cotton prices remain comparatively firm, he noted, but water availability is the principal factor behind planting choices.
He explained that allocations are down in most valleys after a dry winter and limited storage inflows, which has left growers generally more cautious, with many reducing their cotton area.
A significantly smaller crop is anticipated in the Macintyre Valley, while producers across the Darling Downs, Gwydir, St George/Dirranbandi/Mungindi, Macquarie and Southern valleys also face tighter allocations than last season.
Dryland cropping will bear the brunt, with total area likely to be minimal in many regions unless substantial rainfall arrives during the sowing window.
Even so, conditions for planting have mostly been good wherever water is available.
Image courtesy: NPR
