OFF FARM JOB
Explore diverse career opportunities beyond the farm in Australia’s cotton industry, from research and development roles to marketing and supply chain management.
GET INVOLVED
Cotton Australia has established genuine collaborations with retailers, brands, manufacturers, and supply chain partners who align with the industry’s principles. If your organization is committed to minimizing environmental impact, ensuring fair and safe treatment of workers, delivering high-quality products, and maintaining supply chain traceability, we could be potential partners.
What jobs are there in cotton?
The Australian cotton industry encompasses a workforce ranging from on-farm labor to the service sector and supply chain. This network includes input and advisory providers such as agronomists, researchers, consultants, agribusinesses, and state government agencies, offering vital support to cotton farmers.
Cotton careers can be classified into seven categories outlined in the PERFECT Cotton Careers infographic, highlighting key roles within the industry:
1. Policy
2. Education and Training
3. Research
4. Farming and Finance
5. Extension and Advisory Services
6. Communication
7. Technologies and Trade
Each category signifies distinct focus areas and career pathways, emphasizing the industry’s need for individuals with diverse skills and knowledge.
Cotton growers in Australia
Australia hosts approximately 1,500 cotton farms, subject to seasonal variations, primarily concentrated in central and southern Queensland, northern, central, and southern New South Wales. Additional cultivation occurs in small areas of northern Queensland, northern Western Australia, and the Northern Territory. The count of cotton farms fluctuates annually based on water availability.
Typically family-owned and operated, the average Australian cotton farm spans 576 hectares, directly employing nine individuals. These farms commonly engage in sheep and cattle grazing along with cultivating other crops. Cotton cultivation is dispersed across 40 rural local government areas, predominantly in New South Wales and Queensland. In favorable years, the Australian cotton industry supports over 10,000 jobs collectively and generates export earnings ranging from $1 to $3 billion annually, contingent on the season.
While cotton holds a specialized position in Australian agriculture, constituting an average of 3% of the country’s gross agricultural production, an average cotton farm spans 500 hectares, constituting 10% of its total area and producing sufficient cotton to clothe 500 million people annually.
On-farm jobs constitute only 18% of the agricultural workforce, with 82% of these positions existing beyond the farm gate, and 40% located in urban areas.
