Will Sandford from Deniliquin begins harvest as cotton prices climb

The popularity of growing cotton in the southern Riverina is increasing, and high prices are encouraging more investment.

As cotton picking kicked off on Will Sandford’s Deniliquin property on Saturday, he was grateful for his decision to get into the industry five years ago.

“Cotton prices are huge money at the moment.

“It’s definitely a crop that we see has a lot more potential for in the south,” he said.

“We had a colder start to the season which was a little worrying at the start.

“But it’s been quite a good summer since and the plants have really packed on a lot of fruit, a lot of large boll numbers, and it’s shaping up to be a good season in the end.”

For Mr Sandford’s property, where the third generation farmer has planted 225 hectares of cotton this year, 10 to 12 bales a hectare is an average yield – lower than averages in the north of the state, but still something he is “very happy” with.

Mr Sandford and his family aren’t the only farmers in the southern Riverina transitioning to growing cotton. In the Deniliquin area, there were now seven farmers growing cotton, up from two a few years ago, he said.

CottonInfo Regional Extension Officer Kieran O’Keefe said early indications suggested good yields in the Riverina this year.

“I’m hearing anything from 11.5 to 14 bales (a hectare), which is really good results.

Both the season and prices were “extraordinary” this year, he said.

As of Friday, prices were at AU$950 a bale, their highest price since 2011, and a sharp increase on the same time last year, when they were at about $600, he said.