Cotton has been grown in Australia for a long time.
The first cottonseed was bought into Australia in 1788 and by 1830 three bags of cotton were exported.
During the remainder of the century, more areas of dryland cotton were planted in Queensland. The cotton industry continued to grow but at a small pace.
In 1926 the Queensland Cotton Marketing Board was formed in the hope of improving cotton’s adoption. However, the industry had faded greatly by 1954 due to drought and limited industry expertise. The fluctuating price of cotton globally was also a problem.
Ironically, Keepit Dam in northern NSW was not built with the cotton industry in mind. However, after the dam was built in 1958, it attracted the attention of Nick Derera. Nick was previously the director of Hungarian Cotton Research. He put his experience to use in trialling varieties of cotton for the NSW Department of Agriculture. The results of this research reached the ears of Califorian cotton growers Paul Kahl and Frank Hadley. In 1962, Kahl and Hadley, together with Derera, grew their first hectares of cotton in Australia. The yield of 1.5 bales an acre was the start of their successful association with Australian cotton.
There are many parallels between cotton and hemp, especially as they are both agricultural crops.
The cotton story is one of success, due to the openness and transparency of the industry.
In my presentation today, I will share why our industry works so well and what are some opportunities for the developing hemp industry.