MORE than 1000 people gathered to celebrate the 2014 Australian Cotton Industry Awards at The Cotton Conference dinner held at the Gold Coast in August.

The Awards program recognises excellence and achievement in Australia’s cotton industry throughout the supply chain, from growers and ginners to product suppliers, consultants, agronomists and researchers.

The 2014 Australian Cotton Industry AwardsCategory Recipient(s)Monsanto Cotton Grower of the Year

Tim and Sally Watson, Sunland Ag (Hillston, NSW)

AgriRisk High Achiever of the Year

Brendon Warnock, Warnock Agronomics (Narrabri, NSW)

Chris Lehmann Trust Young Achiever of the Year, sponsored by Bayer CropScience

Zara Lowien (Moree, NSW)

Cotton Seed Distributors Researcher of the Year

Dr Stuart Gordon (Geelong, Vic)

Incitec Pivot Fertilisers Service to Industry Award

Andrew Parkes (Moree, NSW)

Cotton Australia CEO Adam Kay says the Awards judging panels were challenged by the very high calibre of the finalists in this year’s program.

“The number of nominations received across all categories of the Awards program in 2014 was higher than previous years, which resulted in an extremely high standard in the finalists pool,” Adam says.

“It was very hard for the judges to select recipients from among the finalists, all of whom have contributed enormously to our industry.”

“Every year the Australian Cotton Industry Awards celebrate not just the great work and personal commitment of the recipients and finalists, but also the commitment of everyone throughout the cotton supply chain.

“Unfortunately, there can be only one recipient in each category. All of the successful candidates this year have achieved great things within Australian cotton, and they are all tremendous ambassadors for the industry. I heartily congratulate them all.”

Sponsors of this year’s Awards were: O Monsanto; O AgriRisk; O Bayer CropScience; O Cotton Seed Distributors; and, O Incitec Pivot Fertilisers.

Case Studies2014 Monsanto Cotton Grower of the YearTim and Sally Watson (Sunland Ag), ‘Lane’s Bridge’, Hillston, NSW

Sunland Ag Pty Ltd, spearheaded by the innovative thinking of Tim Watson, has been growing cotton in the Riverina region for 14 years. Located just outside Hillston, the enterprise is not confined by conventional thinking and as a result it is achieving outstanding results.

It is a varied enterprise consisting of cotton, watermelons, beetroot and wheat, based on a secure water supply of excellent quality. The 1130 hectares of irrigated cotton has consistently yielded very well, most recently with this season’s yield of 12.8

12 — The Australian Cottongrower August–September 2014

Australian Cotton Industry Awards recipients announced

Sally and Tim Watson.Cotton awards recipients and sponsors.

How could a $5,000 grant help you support your local community?Cotton farmers can now support their local communities with $150,000 in grants thanks to the launch of a new initiative by the Monsanto Fund in partnership with the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR).

Through Aussie Cotton Farmers Grow Communities, cotton farmers can nominate the local not-for-profi t community group they think deserve one of thirty $5,000 grants available to cotton growing regions across Queensland and New South Wales.

Farmers must be 18 years of age or older and actively farming cotton in one of the fourteen Cotton Grower Association (CGA) areas listed at www.aussiecottonfarmers.com.au.

Live in a cotton growing region? You can suggest an idea that a farmer could then nominate.

Nominations will be independently assessed by FRRR.

Visit www.aussiecottonfarmers.com.au to submit your nomination or your idea today.

Only not-for-profi t and charitable organisations that offer clear benefi ts for rural and regional communities and are located in one of the fourteen CGA areas are eligible. Organisations working across a range of areas such as social, economic, environmental, health and education are eligible for nomination. Nominations will be independently assessed by FRRR.

Aussie Cotton Farmers Grow Communities is funded by the Monsanto Fund and independently administered by FRRR. For more information please visit www.aussiecottonfarmers.com.au. Applications close 5pm on 30 November and successful applicants will be notifi ed by February 2015.

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bales per hectare, despite being grown back to back for many years.

Tim has gathered a highly effective team and has the farm motto “to empower good people to reach their full potential and achieve excellent results.” His team utilises a number of home-grown innovations such as ‘bubblers’ over the wheels of the centre pivots and the use of ‘low N strips’ to indicate a lack of nitrogen on flood fields.

The greatest challenges for the enterprise are the ability to get the seedlings established, the cost of energy and the need to manage the variety of crops. Changes to production methods, processes and infrastructure have helped overcome these.

Sunland Ag is a highly impressive enterprise, capable of bold decisions based on in-depth research and analysis. Its persistence and careful management over the years has ensured outstanding results and it continues to be at the cutting edge of the cotton industry.

2014 AgriRisk High Achiever of the YearBrendon Warnock, Warnock Agronomics, Narrabri NSW

Warnock Agronomics is located in the picturesque Namoi Valley, near Narrabri. Started by Jack and Jacqui Warnock and now run by son Brendon, the farm ‘Warilea’ is in its 31st year of production.

The property is now fully developed and largely fed by a secure underground water allocation, allowing Brendon and his team the opportunity to deeply analyse all aspects of the operation to seek out efficiencies.

Cotton plays an integral role in the Warnock’s intensive operation with a farm average of 9.95 bales per hectare from 958 hectares of irrigated cotton. Every hectare is expected to bear a crop every year, 70 per cent from cotton after cotton and 30 per cent from a rotation. They have seen a 10–15 per cent increase in yield from a wheat rotation, but this year corn will be introduced.

The Warnocks keep a close eye on timing, with quick turn-around times on key activities. Their irrigation times are based on staff needs, keeping to a 12-hour run time. The farm is lined with attractive nature strips, which assist in natural predator levels.

The enterprise attempts to do much of the work in-house, justifying the employment of five staff members and the purchase

of good quality equipment. It bought one of the last new square basket pickers in Australia after assessing the cost benefit of changing over to a round picker.

Warnock Agronomics deeply analyse scenarios, allowing objectivity in decision-making. Extensive and accurate record keeping are strong elements of management, ensuring this operation is well run and proactive.

Brendon Warnock.

2014 Chris Lehmann Trust Young Achiever of the YearSponsored by Bayer Crop Science

Zara Lowien, Executive Officer, Gwydir Valley Irrigators Assoc and Cotton Growers Assoc

Zara Lowien has found an ideal niche to utilise her skills in policy, advocacy and natural resource management. After spending five years with the Border Rivers Gwydir CMA, Zara joined the Gwydir Valley Irrigators Association (GVIA) and Gwydir CGA in 2011.

Zara attempts to improve local understanding of the cotton industry through the annual “Evening of Cotton,” plus a range of school and youth events and charity dinners. She has also implemented a number of local community scholarships, bursaries and incentives for young people.

14 — The Australian Cottongrower August–September 2014

Tim Watson responding to receiving his award at the 2014 Cotton Conference awards dinner.

Warnock Agronomics – Brendon Warnock, Jacqui Warnock and Jack Warnock.

of good quality equipment. It bought one of the last new square basket pickers in Australia after assessing the cost benefit of changing over to a round picker.

Warnock Agronomics deeply analyse scenarios, allowing objectivity in decision-making. Extensive and accurate record keeping are strong elements of management, ensuring this operation is well run and proactive.

Brendon Warnock.

2014 Chris Lehmann Trust Young Achiever of the YearSponsored by Bayer Crop Science

Zara Lowien, Executive Officer, Gwydir Valley Irrigators Assoc and Cotton Growers Assoc

Zara Lowien has found an ideal niche to utilise her skills in policy, advocacy and natural resource management. After spending five years with the Border Rivers Gwydir CMA, Zara joined the Gwydir Valley Irrigators Association (GVIA) and Gwydir CGA in 2011.

Zara attempts to improve local understanding of the cotton industry through the annual “Evening of Cotton,” plus a range of school and youth events and charity dinners. She has also implemented a number of local community scholarships, bursaries and incentives for young people.

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Zara provides a highly professional, intelligent and well researched presence for GVIA creating a number of positive outcomes for the Gwydir Valley. She has secured an additional 10,000 ML of water allocation and considerable funding, established and managed a number of groups and developed a range of effective arguments to counter potentially detrimental policies or activities.

Zara seeks perfection with a constant drive to improve what she does and how she does it.

Her ability as a leader who seeks balanced outcomes is exceptional. Her university qualification and experience in NRM means she desires a balance between natural resources and a productive cotton industry. Her overarching vision is to have a sustainable industry in the Gwydir, one that continues to support viable communities and a healthy environment.

Zara is concerned for the future of agricultural advocacy groups (locally and nationally) that face shrinking resources and losses of membership. Zara would like to assess the effectiveness of international farm advocacy groups at meeting the needs of the farming sector while maintaining sustainability.

2014 CSD Researcher of the YearDr Stuart Gordon, Project Leader, Post Harvest Cotton Group, CSIRO Manufacturing Flagship, Geelong Vic

Dr Stuart Gordon started with his PhD on cotton in 1990. This early work crystallised Stuart’s ideas on the direction that the Australian cotton industry should take with respect to fibre quality.

After his PhD, Stuart worked and studied with CSIRO, in the USA and in all of Australia’s spinning mills. He learned first-hand the affect of fibre quality on yarn quality and establishing long term relationships.

Stuart was responsible for setting up CSIRO’s cotton spinning plant and gin in 1999 and establishing the post-harvest cotton research team. The team now has more than 12 full time staff who seek to improve the quality and performance of Australian cotton.

Stuart has a strong presence in the international cotton

16 — The Australian Cottongrower August–September 2014

Zara Lowien.

Dr Stuart Gordon.

August–September 2014 The Australian Cottongrower — 17

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industry, working to not only improve the quality of Australian cotton but also to increase the use of cotton fibre in all textiles.

He has helped develop and commercialise a range of technologies. These include the first tool that measures cotton fibre fineness and maturity, directly and quickly, as well as sensing technologies in gins that have the capacity to save the industry in excess of $12 million per year. He developed a yarn quality prediction model that is currently used by leading spinners in China, and has also identified changes in settings and machine adaptations in gin equipment that can reduce fibre damage and grower price discounts.

Stuart has helped create broader and new markets for Australian premium Upland cotton. He is also part of the development and delivery of CSIRO’s three day Cotton ‘Field to Fabric’ course that has seen more than 250 students graduate.

Stuart has 24 years of experience in the Australian cotton industry. He continues to be active in post-harvest research, with an international profile but committed to maintaining his relationships and contact with people from across the cotton value chain in Australia.

Incitec Pivot Service to Industry AwardAndrew Parkes

With a lifelong involvement in the cotton industry, and having played a range of instrumental roles from the field to the board room, Andrew Parkes has made a significant contribution to the cotton industry over the past 30 years and continues to be highly regarded as a leader in Australian agriculture.

Andrew began his cotton career in the Macquarie Valley in the mid-1980s, working with growers in the Warren and

Trangie areas. Andrew then spent a number of years supplying agricultural chemicals to the industry, pioneering a more cost-effective Australian ag-chem supply-chain using an off-patent farm chemical import and distribution business.

His next move was into consulting and farm management where he developed a reputation for producing high-yielding crops on large areas. He managed more than 5000 hectares of irrigated cropping, incorporating both surface and overhead irrigation, and achieved an unofficial world record for irrigated cotton yield of 14.9 bales per hectare.

It was during this time that he started participating in the broader cotton industry. One of his many contributions was his management of a range of demonstration sites for the National Program for Sustainable Irrigation (NPSI). Eventually Andrew rose to be the cotton industry representative on the NPSI Management Committee. He was also integral to the set-up of the large-scale irrigation evaluation trials in the Gwydir Valley. .

In 2004 Andrew was awarded the Australian National Committee for Irrigation and Drainage (ANCID) National Irrigation Award for increases in water use efficiency. More recently he received the prestigious Brownhill Cup as recognition of his achievements in demonstrating improvement in irrigation efficiency. In 2008 he was the recipient of the AgriRisk “Innovative Cotton Grower of the Year” award.

Andrew Parkes has been a long-term member and supporter of the Gwydir Valley Cotton Growers’ Association and the Gwydir Valley Irrigators Association. He was a member representative of the Australian Cotton Growers Research Association (ACGRA) for five years and served on the organisation’s executive when ACGRA and Cotton Australia merged, continuing his representation by becoming a director on the Cotton Australia Board, a position he served in for three years.

One of his greatest contributions was as the tireless chair of the Transgenic and Insecticide Management Strategy (TIMS) Committee for from 2006 to 2013, overseeing this critical industry stewardship role.

Currently, Andrew is a director of an independent consultancy that offers highly innovative agricultural management services, located in Moree.

18 — The Australian Cottongrower August–September 2014

Andrew Parkes.

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