2019 Australian Cotton Industry Award winners and presenters.

THE excellence and achievements of the Australian cotton industry over the past year were recognised at the 2019 Australian Cotton Industry Awards held at the Australian Cotton Collective in Griffith, southern New South Wales, last night.

Cotton Australia chief executive officer Adam Kay said the 2019 Australian Cotton Industry Awards had shone a light on the sector’s resilience during what had been a tough season.

“Despite this terrible drought, the Australian cotton industry has made significant gains across all areas, particularly around our sustainability targets and efficiency measures,” Mr Kay said.

“Our growers continue to produce the best and highest-yielding cotton in the world, and are supported by leading scientists and researchers right across the supply chain.”

2019 Australian Cotton Industry Award winners:

• Tom and Charm Arnott, Boggabilla, New South Wales, received the Bayer Grower of the Year award, recognising their efficient and effective farm management practices at their properties “Fairfield” and “Tambalaka”.
• Australian Food and Fibre’s Moree farm manager, Murray Connor, was recognised for his commitment to innovation and passion for the cotton industry by receiving the ADAMA Chris Lehmann Trust Young Cotton Achiever of the Year award.
• One Tree Agriculture farm managers Jamie Traill and Ashley Tunks, Warra, Queensland, were awarded the AgriRisk High Achiever of the Year award for their excellence and innovation in the cotton industry.
• The Cotton Seed Distributors Ltd Researcher of the Year award was presented to Dr Linda Smith from the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for her work studying cotton pathology.
• The IPF Service to Industry award was presented to one of the industry’s longest serving regionally-based cotton extension officers, Kieran O’Keeffe.

2019 Australian Cotton Industry Awards Gallery:

Bayer’s Mark Dawson congratulates the winners of the Bayer Grower of the Year award, Charm and Tom Arnott, Boggabilla, NSW.

Winners of the AgriRisk High Achiever of the Year award, Ashley Tunks and Jamie Traill, One Tree Agriculture, Warra, Qld, are congratulated by AgriRisk’s John van der Vegt.

Cotton Australia chairman, Hamish McIntyre, and CSD marketing, extension and development lead, James Quinn (right), with the winner of the Cotton Seed Distributors Ltd Researcher of the Year award, QDAF’s Dr Linda Smith.

IPF’s Troy Cosh congratulates the IPF Service to Industry award winner, cotton extension officer Kieran O’Keeffe.

Source: Cotton Australia