The Cotton industry’s top awards have been announced at the glamour event of the biennial Australian Cotton Conference on the Gold Coast, the 2024 Awards Dinner, with the top two awards going to Queenslanders.

The 2024 Bayer Cotton Grower of the year is Scott Balsillie, farm manager for Eastern Australia Agriculture in Dirranbandi while the AgriRisk High Achiever award recipients are Steve and Bridget McVeigh from Dalby on the Darling Downs.

Mr Balsillie’s family has been involved in cotton since his grandfather and uncles started growing it in the Miles/Chinchilla area in the 1980s. He first started working full time in cotton 25 years ago and today runs farms Clyde and Kio Ora, growing a combined 6500ha of cotton. 

Mr Balsillie has been focused on improving water use efficiency through the bankless conversion from siphons, achieving huge benefits in labour and water savings, machine efficiencies and yield benefits.

He has moved from 800m row lengths to 1800, while employing deep tillage strategies, getting through the compaction layer to around 60cm to allow the roots to be exposed to moisture and nutrients at depth.

And has also invested in the latest technology, allowing him to plant at 16km/h achieving 250ha out of a 12-metre planter.

“I love growing cotton. It’s an amazing crop to grow. It’s all the 1 per centers that you get right that give you the amazing crop at the end. There’s nothing better than seeing those rows of white gold,” he adds.

The McVeigh’s run Loch Eaton near Dalby where they grow more than 1000ha of irrigated and dryland cotton.

Steve’s family has been involved in growing cotton for 44 years across three generations.

“I’m a big believer in development, diversification and technology. We are always looking at water and labour-saving technologies and looking to adopt the latest tech,” Mr McVeigh says.

“We monitor everything on the farm, and we stop and start systems on the phone. We are big on safety, and we have QR codes on all entrances, sheds and machinery where they can scan and get all policies and procedures.

“Anyone coming onto farm has to scan and sign in, so we know who is on farm at any time,” he said.

The recipient of the CRDC Chris Lehmann Young Cotton Achiever of the Year Award is Sharna Holman who began her journey into the cotton industry in 2014 when she attended the Australian Cotton Conference as a student scholar.

Ms Holman’s current CRDC supported PhD research focuses on the pest status of cluster caterpillar in northern Australia, addressing sustainable cotton production challenges.

The recipient of the Cotton Seed Distributors Researcher of the Year Award is Dr Lisa Bird who plays a pivotal role in the management of the industry's insecticide resistance program.

The NSW DPI’s Australian Cotton Research Institute program conducts surveillance and research on insecticide resistance across five of the six major insect pests of cotton, including helicoverpa, mirids, thrips, mites, and aphids.

Cotton Australia chef executive Adam Kay congratulated all award recipients and all nominees.

“This year innovation, technology and sustainability outcomes feature prominently in the awards process,” Mr Kay said.

“The award recipients have been recognised for their intelligent and forward focused approach to growing cotton, and that’s something all the nominees, and the industry as a whole share. 

“It’s also important to note that all nominees for Bayer Grower of the Year and AgriRisk High Achiever are myBMP certified, and that’s an indication of how successful our best practices program has become.

“Importantly, alongside the growers recognised as part of the awards program we have other industry representatives including researchers and the up-and-coming participants who will make a difference for years to come.

“It’s pleasing our CRDC Chris Lehmann Young Cotton Achiever Sharna Holman began her interest in cotton by attending the Australian Cotton Conference as a student scholar, and that highlights the importance of our education program which is introducing students to a career in cotton. 

“This year we have a record number of students here and there may be another future award recipient among them.”

The prestigious Incitec Pivot Fertilisers Service to the Cotton Industry Award was also announced at the dinner. This year that honour goes to Ross Munro from BMC Partnerships in Moree.

He started his relationship with cotton in the 1970s working alongside his father. They were establishing a business growing cotton and having conversations about starting a cotton transportation business. Later he would become responsible for operating infield loaders, loading flat top trucks and transporting cotton modules on chain beds.

Mr Munro began pulling apart, redesigning and modifying these machines in the name of ‘efficiency’.

He travelled to America to develop a greater understanding of how the US was transporting cotton and conducting internal gin movements.  On return he met Danny and John Burke who were providing a similar offering in the market, they teamed up and formed what is known today as BMC partnership.

Those who know Mr Munro well say he always makes himself available, whether it’s about machinery setups, designing bale grabs or generally helping people to be more efficient at harvesting and moving cotton.