Cotton+growing+SW+Q’land

Cotton Growing in South West, Queensland.

 Just over 85% of cotton growth is found in the Murray–Darling Basin. The Australian Cotton Industry is one of Australia's most dynamic agricultural industries, contributing more than $1.5 billion annually to the Australian economy. Australia market cotton all over the world including China, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, South Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, Italy, Turkey, Pakistan and India. __Location: __  The image above shows main irrigated cotton growing areas of Queensland. Goondiwindi, Dalby and St George are south west Queensland major cotton farm areas.

__History Of Cotton in the South West Queensland area.__

1857 - Small amouts of dryland cotton grown in Queensland. 1929 - The Queensland Cotton Marketing Board is established. 1934 - Cotton produce reaches 17,000 bales. 1954 - Cotton industry almost non-existent. 1958 - Irrigation water provided to the Namoi Valley, due to the Keepit Dam completion. 1960 - Limited irrigated cotton production commences in south-west Queensland. 1966 - Cotton production starts at Bourke. 1977 - The contruction of the Pindari and Glenlyon Dams allow cotton to be grown in the Macintyre Valley, in Southern Queensland. 1995 - Drought causes harvest to fall to 1.5 million bales.

__Geographic Characteristics.__

//"The cotton industry has invested $1.2 million in salinity mapping to identify areas at risk of salinity"//

Between 2005/2006 84% of Australia's cotton crop was grown under irrigation, with 14.7% of Australia's water for agriculture used for the cotton industry and cotton growing valleys account for less than 20 per cent of total water extracted in the Murray-Darling Basin. Nearly all Australian cotton is grown in the Darling River catchment, not the Murray River catchment, unlike most Murray River catchment crops, cotton in the Darling River catchment is grown in line with seasonal rainfall patterns, thereby reducing the need for irrigated water. The average irrigation requirement Cotton needs is 6.3 mega liters per hectare. Even though recent widespread rain and flooding in some areas, 2007-2008 crops were the smallest in 30 years. Some cotton towns, such as Bourke, have not had an average cotton crop for six years.

__Links.__ http://www.cottonaustralia.com.au/media/Fact_Sheet_Booklet.183.pdf