Murrumbidgee Valley cotton harvest booms in 2024
The 2024 cotton harvest in the Murrumbidgee Valley is proving to be a bountiful one, bouncing back from the challenges of the previous season. Early concerns surrounding cold snaps, erratic rainfall and storm damage have given way to optimism, with many growers reporting above-average yields.
Favourable weather conditions throughout the crucial growing period have contributed significantly to the positive outlook, according to Australian Food and Fibres Grower Services Representative Yoland Miller.
“It is back to a more regular growing and ginning season,” Ms Miller said.
“We are seeing on average yields of 10 tonne per hectare, with some growers getting 11 and 12.”
This year’s harvest also sees a return to more typical planting areas, particularly in the southern and Macquarie valleys. Extensive rainfall and flooding in 2023 had led to reduced plantings in these regions, but the return to normalcy is a welcome sign for local growers and the broader industry.
This article appeared in The Riverine Grazier, 15 May 2024.