Agricultural
21 April, 2025
Something a bit different in the Felton Valley
The Felton Valley is well renowned for its rich, fertile soil, but in what is believed to be a first for the area, cotton is being grown.
East of the Pittsworth district, where cotton is one of the most common crops, cotton has been seldom seen.
However it has popped up over in past years on properties at Nobby, Ryeford and Cambooya, but not consistently - in fact usually only a as single season planting.
According to Cotton Australia, the crop, which can be grown as either dryland or irrigated, requires long periods of heat with low humidity.
Dryland cotton needs full soil moisture profile at the start of the season and rainfall during the summer months, while irrigated cotton needs a reliable water supply and irrigation water from rivers or underground.
Annually, the cotton industry in Queensland has a gross value of production of $3.5 billion, grown is places such as the Balonne Shire and Inglewood, Dalby and Millmerran districts.
In comparison, the annual value of sorghum is $1.85 billion, pig products is valued at $1.32 billion and milk at $748 million.
Cattle and calves are the largest category, worth $19.4 billion.
