Clothing company representatives head to Australia for cotton tour
Australia’s federal government is funding a tour of cotton farms and cotton gins in May for 50 representatives of clothing brands, retailers and campaign groups from around the world.
This event, called the Australian Cotton Tour, has received support because the government in Canberra wants to open up new market opportunities for agricultural commodities, including cotton.
It has set a target for Australia’s agricultural sector to contribute $100 billion to the country’s economy annually. Wheat and beef are Australia’s most valuable agricultural commodities, but cotton is poised to take third place in the ranking, according to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES).
Participants will tour farms, gins and a research facility in the Narrabri region of New South Wales and will have extensive opportunities to talk to farmers face to face and secure answers to the questions they and their customers might have about environmental and quality issues.
