“ACIC is a forum for ideas and resource sharing and is responsible for effecting policy, coordinating industry programs and promoting cooperation between industry bodies.”
 

Our Mission

A prosperous, secure and caring Australian cotton industry that is outward looking, sustainable, committed to continuous improvement and international competitiveness.

ACIC Vision

1. Environmental sustainability
2. Economic sustainability of individuals and enterprises in the cotton industry
3. Openness by the industry to public scrutiny
4. Endorsement by the community, government and stakeholders as a good corporate citizen
5. Innovativeness and continuous improvement
6. Accountability for industry actions and progress across generations
7. A free market trading environment

Australian Cotton Industry Overview
Approximately two-thirds of Australia’s cotton is grown in New South Wales with the remainder produced in Queensland. The major production area in New South Wales stretches south from the Macintyre River on the Queensland border and covers the Gwydir, Namoi and Macquarie valleys. New South Wales cotton is also grown along the Barwon and Darling Rivers in the west and the Lachlan and Murrumbidgee rivers in the south.

In Queensland, cotton is grown mostly in the south in the Darling Downs, St George, Dirranbandi and Macintyre Valley regions. The remainder is grown near Emerald, Theodore and Biloela in Central Queensland.

Transgenic varieties of cotton made up 90 per cent of the Australian cotton crop in 2005/06 whilst 84 per cent of the crop was grown under irrigation. The Australian cotton crop is processed (ginned) in Australia, and almost all is exported, mainly to Asia.

Today’s cotton farms are typically 500 to 2000 hectares, highly mechanised, capital intensive, technologically sophisticated and require high levels of management expertise. Most Australian cotton farms are owned and operated by family farmers. These farmers grow other crops and often graze sheep and cattle as well.

Around 900 small, medium and large sized enterprises grow cotton, and more than 4,000 businesses are directly dependant on cotton production, employing around 10,000 people on a sustainable and successful footing.

The extensive system of production, harvesting and ginning provides countless jobs for mechanics, distributors of farm machinery, consultants, crop processors and other support services workers Industries such as banking, transportation, warehousing and merchandising also benefit from a viable Australian cotton industry

Over the past decade, the Australian cotton industry has achieved a 126 per cent increase in production, while the area devoted to cotton has increased by only 50 per cent. The average yield for irrigated Australian cotton is easily the highest in the world and can be attributed to improved cotton breeding and better crop management systems, which have been achieved with a reduced impact on the environment.

The Australian Cotton Industry Council (ACIC) forecasts the 2005/06 season will produce over 2.5 million bales of cotton from 327,000 hectares. In addition, 760,000 tonnes of cottonseed will be produced, mainly sold to international markets for stock feed and other uses. The total value of the Australian cotton crop including fibre and seed is forecast to be $1.160 billion, with world cotton prices still depressed due to higher production levels in China and the USA, the world’s largest producers.

The outlook for the 2006/07 season is not as positive. Based on water availability and world price (at time of printing), early indications suggest a 1.5 - 2 million bale crop.