INDUSTRY OVERVIEW

“Cotton Australia serves as the premier industry platform, fostering innovation and sustainability in the nation’s cotton sector. With a focus on cultivation, research, and advocacy, we propel Australia’s cotton industry towards a thriving and environmentally conscious future.”

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Cotton Australia has established genuine collaborations with retailers, brands, manufacturers, and supply chain partners that align with our industry’s principles. If your organization is committed to minimizing environmental impact, ensuring fair and safe treatment of workers, delivering quality products, and maintaining supply chain traceability, we could be ideal partners in business.

INDUSTRY OVERVIEW
  • Cotton is primarily grown in New South Wales and Queensland.
  • Approximately 90% of Australia’s cotton businesses are family farms.
  • Australia’s cotton industry is one of the most water efficient cotton industries in the world.
  • The Australian cotton industry employs more than 12,000 people.
Farms

There are up to 1,500 cotton farms in Australia, with the main production areas being central and southern Queensland, northern, central and southern NSW, northern Victoria and small areas of northern Queensland, northern Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Approximately 66% of Australia’s cotton is grown in NSW and 33% in Queensland.

Approximately 90% of Australia’s cotton businesses are family farms, producing about 80% of the crop. These families have often lived and worked in their communities for generations.

The average Australian cotton farm:
  • is family-owned and operated;
  • directly creates jobs for six people;
  • is run by growers with an average age of 49 years;
  • grows 576 hectares of cotton, comprising 10% of the total farm area;
  • supplements cotton with other crops including wheat, chickpeas and sorghum; many Australian cotton farmers also graze sheep and cattle;
  • includes natural areas – such as native vegetation and riparian zones – ranging from between 10 – 40 % of property area.
Community contribution

The Australian cotton sector supports over 12,000 jobs across the industry (as per the Australian Grown Cotton Sustainability Report, 2014) and contributes annually to export earnings exceeding $3 billion.

Cotton stands as a significant commodity, constituting 30–60% of the gross value of overall agricultural production in Australian regions where it is cultivated (source: Australian Grown Cotton Sustainability Report, 2014). On an annual basis, Australian cotton growers yield enough cotton to apparel approximately 500 million individuals.

Marking a historical achievement in the 2011/2012 season, the Australian cotton industry witnessed a record crop, covering over 583,000 hectares and producing more than 5 million bales. The forecasted total value of this substantial output reached close to $3 billion.

The major buyers of Australian cotton are currently China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Turkey and Thailand