Welcome rain and cloudy weather at the start of the year delayed the 2020 cotton picking season but harvest is now underway on many farms in the region.

“Rain has knocked our yield around but it is great to see a change in the weather,” said farmer Brendon Warnock who is currently picking his cotton crop at ‘Warilea’, Narrabri.

“We had a pretty tough season with a limited amount of water and dry conditions until January, so we had a relatively small area planted with just groundwater to irrigate the crop.

“And then really hot conditions in November, December January and then the weather turned and there was a lot of wet weather and cold temperatures.

“Cotton likes good sunny dry warm weather to grow big yields, so the yield is down about 20 per cent on last year.

“Yields are down and the pandemic has lowered prices so that is a bit of a concern for the cotton industry.

“But it’s still great to be harvesting and producing something.”

Mr Warnock said it was also great to see a change in the ‘relentlessly dry conditions’ and the long range forecasts were good and encouraging for farmers.

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