Australian Cotton Survives Dryness

Avatar for Matt Hopkins By Scott C. Lucas|19 May 2006

Cotton lint production is Australia is forecast to be up 35,000 metric tons (MT) in 2006/07 to 645,000 MT despite drier than average conditions in key growing areas. Southern New South Wales remains the driest region. Northern New South Waes and parts of Southern Queensland have also experienced dry conditions recently, but excellent rain earlier in the year have allowed these regions to retain relatively good soil moisture profiles, according the US Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agriculture Service (USDA-FAS).

The total area sown to cotton in 2006/07 is estimated at 360,000 hectares (Ha), an increase of 25,000 Ha over 2005/06.