EMERALD cotton grower Nigel Burnett is hoping to achieve better than average yields when he harvests his 2016 cotton crop next month.
The second generation grower has 470 hectares of cotton planted on the Nogao River floodplains at his family’s property, Colorada, 25km north-east of Emerald.
Between Colorada and the adjoining Langley Downs, which together total 4000 hectares, Nigel, wife Beth and their children Millie, 7, and Lachlan, 4, grow a mix of irrigated and dryland crops and run a Brahman-Charolais beef operation generally numbering 500 head for the trade steer market.
The Burnetts are river irrigators, taking their allocation from Fairbairn Dam, 25km southeast of Emerald.
Mr Burnett, a director of Cotton Australia, said the current crop was in good shape.
“The crop is where we want it to be,” Mr Burnett said.
“Growing conditions were good last year and we have got the potential to produce 10 bales per hectare or slightly better.
“We are reasonably positive about the harvest but its not in the gin yet.”
Weather is a double edged sword for Mr Burnett.
He needs more rain to supplement the rain already received, 65mm at Colorada and 110mm at Langley Downs – the best falls in nearly a year. But rain at harvest or even a cyclone could spell disaster for the crop.
“There’s always the chance a cyclone can come down during harvest,” Mr Burnett said.
“When (cyclone) Marcia came last year we thought it was going to come across but it went down through Biloela and destroyed much of their crop unfortunately.”
Mr Burnett grows the industry’s two main varieties, 74BRF and 75BRF, and believes their development has been the biggest driver of the high yields growers have been able to achieve in recent years.
“The varieties tend to yield well and finish well in this area,” Mr Burnett said.
“Cotton is a good crop to grow.
“Its pretty demanding and through Christmas its intensive but its great to get to the end of the season and get a good yield and good prices.
“For me the cotton industry stands out because its such an innovative industry and I am drawn to the quality of the people involved.”
Mr Burnett expects to begin harvesting by the middle of February and will send his crop to Dunavant Ginning at Yamala. The Burnetts will plant a winter crop of chickpeas.
