Queensland farmers are Australia’s Cotton Growers of the Year
Cotton farmers Johannes and Scarlett Roellgen have been named as Australia’s Cotton Growers of the Year for 2023. They received the award at an event in Toowoomba, Queensland, in early August.
The winners, who farm at Tyunga Farms in Brookstead, in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, paid tribute to the role of information that Toowoomba-based agronomist Matthew Holding and other farmers have shared with them in helping them win.
They also said using an online tool that Cotton Australia has developed and made available to farmers, myBMP, had been an important factor in their success. The tool aims to give growers to access information and research on legislative requirements, best practice and industry goals.
They have been growing cotton continuously on their farm for 29 years and this year produced 1,100 hectares of both irrigated and dryland cotton. Despite the challenges of drought and floods over the years, they have consistently improved their yields.
The Roellgens are passionate about reducing chemical use on their farm through the application of feedlot manure and insect pest management, Cotton Australia said. They have also increased their water efficiency through laser levelling of their fields to improve flood irrigation.
