Boggabilla cotton growers, Tom and Charm Arnott have been announced as the Bayer Growers of the Year at the 2019 Australian Cotton Industry Awards, held in Griffith last night.
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The Arnotts were recognised for their efficient and effective farm management at properties, Fairfield and Tambalaka, where continual improvement is measured by bench marking every aspect of their operation.
It was Australian Food and Fibre's Moree farm manager, Murray Connor that took out the ADAMA Chris Lehmann Trust Young Cotton Achiever of the year award.
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Murray won the 2018 Gwydir Valley Young Achiever award from his local Cotton Grower Association and has been instrumental in the delivery of AFF's trainee management program.
One Tree Agriculture farm managers Jamie Traill and Ashley Tunks, of Warra in Queensland, were awarded the AgriRisk High Achiever of the Year award.
Jamie and Ashley manage a large-scale corporate farming operation of 9,700ha across 13 properties, spread from Warra to Jandowae in the Darling Downs. They run a predominantly dryland cotton program, with some developed overland flow supplementary irrigation.
The Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Dr Linda Smith, won the Cotton Seed Distributors Researcher of the Year Award for her work studying cotton pathology.
Linda's research work has covered disease causing organisms such as Fusarium and Verticillium wilts and Reniform nematode.
It was a standing ovation for Griffith's Kieran O'Keefe when he was announced the IPF Service to Industry Award.
Kieran is the Southern NSW Regional Extension Officer for CottonInfo and has played an integral part in the transformation of Southern NSW into a major cotton region.
Kieran covers 90,000 square kilometres in his role, consulting with 219 growers, 64 of whom were first time growers in the 2018/2019 season.
Cotton Australia CEO Adam Kay congratulated the finalists and award recipients on their achievements during what has been a difficult season for the cotton industry.
"The finalists for the 2019 Australian Cotton Industry Awards are all outstanding role models and advocates for our world-leading industry and are congratulated for their contributions to Australian cotton," Mr Kay said.
"Despite this terrible drought, the Australian cotton industry has made significant gains across all areas, particularly around our sustainability targets and efficiency measures.
"Our growers continue to produce the best and highest-yielding cotton in the world, and are supported by leading scientists and researchers right across the supply chain."
Summary of 2019 Finalists and Recipients
Bayer Grower of the Year
Tom and Charm Arnott, "Fairfield" and "Tambalaka," Boggabilla - Recipients
Tim Leifels and Kate Ledingham, Alice Downs, Moree
Ben and Kim Withams, Mundoora, Coleambally
ADAMA Chris Lehmann Trust Young Cotton Achiever of the Year
Murray Connor, Moree - Recipient
Nick Beer, Spring Ridge
Billy Browning, Narromine
AgriRisk High Achiever of the Year
.James Traill and Ashley Tunks, One Tree Agriculture, Arrawatta, Warra, QLD - Recipients
Craig and Clint Charters, Gabo and Craiglea, Quirindi
Stu and Fran Crawford, Quondong, Narromine
Cotton Seed Distributors Researcher of the Year
Dr Linda Smith, Brisbane, QLD - Recipient
Dr Jamie Hopkinson, Toowoomba, QLD
Kieran O'Keeffe, Griffith
IPF Service to Industry Award
Kieran O'Keeffe, Griffith
