9 IREC Farmers' Newsletter No. 198 — Spring 2017 Redevelopment of the CSD seed processing facility at Wee Waa aims to to service the industry for the next 30 years and produce cotton seed for one million hectares across Australia. PHOTO: Josh Smith CSD From strength to strength This year, the Cotton Australia Cotton Collective was held in southern NSW for the first time. Held at Griffith in late July, over 500 cotton growers, advisors and industry personnel attended the event. The Australian Cotton Industry Awards were held in conjunction with this event and the Monsanto Grower of the Year award went to Cavaso Farming, the local partnership of the Toscan family, at Darlington Point and Coleambally. This is a tremendous achievement for the whole Toscan team and a positive boost to the local irrigation industry. The grower-owned company Cotton Seed Distributors celebrated its 50th anniversary this year. The company’s $90 million redevelopment of the seed processing facility at Shearstone, at Wee Waa, is well advanced. The facility will have the capacity to service the industry for the next 30 years with a target of producing cotton seed for one million hectares across Australia. There has been very strong interest from new growers about how to enter the cotton industry for the first time. Early seed orders for the 2017–18 season indicate that planting intentions are over 80,000 ha for the Lachlan, Murrumbidgee and Murray valleys. Further information Kieran O’Keeffe M: 0427 207 406 E: [email protected] CottonInfo is a joint venture of CSD, CRDC and Cotton Australia.