THE AUSTRALIAN COTTON INDUSTRY AT A GLANCE They are amongst the most efficient cotton farmers on the planet, and operate with the highest environmental and social standards. More than 90% of Australia's cotton farms are owned by Aussie families, which equates to about 80% of the crop being family owned.
The deal for a 49% stake in Cubbie Station is MIRA's first large-scale irrigated cotton acquisition. A Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets fund has completed the acquisition of a 49 percent stake in Cubbie Station, Australia's largest cotton farm.
The top two cotton producers, India and China, contribute approximately 45-50 percent of the world's production, while the top four producers comprise 70-75 percent of global cotton production.
Approximately 66% of Australia's cotton is grown in NSW and 33% in Queensland.
The major buyers of Australian cotton are currently China (68%), Indonesia, Thailand, South Korea, Bangladesh and Japan.
Cotton are the world's 51st most traded product. In 2021, the top exporters of Cotton were China ($12.1B), India ($10B), United States ($7.21B), Vietnam ($3.92B), and Brazil ($3.61B). In 2021, the top importers of Cotton were China ($9.73B), Bangladesh ($8.91B), Vietnam ($4.99B), Turkey ($3.99B), and Pakistan ($2.46B).
Australia is one of the world's largest exporters of raw cotton with more than 90 per cent of production exported, mainly to Asian spinning mill customers.
The Williams family, of Williams Cattle Company in South Australia, have the title of owning Australia's biggest farming aggregation — the 2.37 million-hectare Anna Creek and The Peake Stations, covering an area bigger than Slovenia.
Founded in 1824, Australian Agricultural Company or AACo runs about 400,000 cattle across 6.4 million hectares of land. It is listed on the ASX with UK billionaire businessman Joe Lewis the biggest investor with a more-than-45 per cent stake. Avon and Austral Downs, Camooweal QLD – 863,100 hectares.
The Bayer Cotton Grower of the Year for 2021 is Quigley Farms at Trangie in the Macquarie Valley.
– Because Australian Cotton is grown with pesticides and toxic chemicals, and then further processed with more chemicals. – Because Australian Cotton uses vast amounts of water to irrigate the crops – Certified Organic Cotton can only be grown in areas that can utilize natural rain water which does not need irrigation.
First cotton crops were successfully grown in NSW and Queensland, heralding the start of the modern Australian cotton industry.
The northern Murray-Darling Basin produces 93% of Australia's cotton. Cotton is one of Australia's biggest agricultural industries – worth about A$2 billion each year – and a steady supply of water is crucial for production.
Egyptian cotton is acknowledged as the best quality, long staple cotton in the world. Although it historically all came from Egypt, today “Egyptian” cotton is grown worldwide.
Touted by its inhabitants as the cotton capital of the world – from its early days in the 1820's when as many as 500 flatboats a day moored at the cobblestones that banked the river – Memphis has long been a regional cotton market and home to many cotton-related business.
Pima is considered the finest cotton on earth. As an extra-long staple (ESL) cotton, its long fibers make it extra soft and extra strong.
Queensland Cotton was acquired by Olam International in 2007 and became part of the Olam International Global Cotton Business. Queensland Cotton has been and continues to be, an integral part to the Australian cotton industry.
China, the world's largest cotton consumer, used to buy 70 percent of Australia's cotton supply, according to media reports. China imported 20,000 tons of Australian cotton in 2022, compared with nearly 400,000 in 2019, official data from Chinese customs showed.
Get To Know: Adam Kay, CEO, Cotton Australia.
Australia's biggest wheat farmer, Ron Greentree, has put Muttama Station, a 12,500 hectare cropping and grazing property west of Coonamble in the NSW Western Plains, up for sale after acquiring full ownership of it from former business partner Ken Harris in December.
Western Australia is Australia's biggest producer and exporter of barley and malt.
Top Crop Producers
Harris Family Rowena NSW 50 000 Ha wheat, 8000 Ha cotton, 5000 maize, 7000 Ha summer crops. Twyanm Agricultural Group Sydney NSW 45 000 Ha wheat, 25 000 Ha cotton, 5000 Ha pulses, 3000 Ha canola, 4000 Ha rice.
Wee Waa is Australia's Cotton Capital and is located in the rich agricultural heartland of Lower Namoi Valley in North West New South Wales.