Press Release August 26, 2022
John Deere Global Director for Cotton predicts strong demand for Australian fibre
Crestmead, Queensland (26 August, 2022) – John Deere’s Global Director for Cotton and Sugar Production Systems says a variety of global trends and forecasts will benefit Australian cotton producers over at least the next 12 months.
Speaking at the Australian Cotton Conference on the Gold Coast in Queensland last week, Travis Becton, whose family also farms cotton in Texas said this included the United States Department of Agriculture’s prediction of a reduced US production outlook and the nation’s smallest harvest in recent history, as a result of high temperatures and drought.
"If you look at what is going on around the world, it bodes well for Australian cotton over the next year," Mr Becton said.
The USDA released estimates this month of a 3 million bale reduction in production to 12.6 million bales, a significant decrease on the previous year.
While Mr Becton said he hoped the shortcomings in the US would be temporary, he said cotton globally is expected to experience a number of tailwinds over the next 10 years.
"Demand for cotton continues to grow year-on-year, especially post-COVID-19, and with a shift toward working from home, buying behaviour is changing," he said.
"This seems to be driven by trends such as denim and an appreciation of the durability of how long clothes last. At the same time consumers are shopping more consciously. Cotton is a natural fibre, it’s recyclable and many cotton growers can offer the best practice credentials."
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Global Director for Cotton & Sugar Production Systems, Travis Becton and AUNZ Managing Director, Luke Chandler, at the Australian Cotton Conference.
Commitment to innovation
At the Cotton Conference, John Deere had a large selection of its latest technology on display, including the impressive new cotton picker, the CP770, that is specifically designed to meet the cotton industry's demand for power and precision. The machine is equipped with a full portfolio of integrated precision ag technology and is backed by the power of the bolstered 13.6 L PowerTech™ engine, increasing fuel efficiency 20% on the CP770.
The size of the new round module builders on the picker makes it possible to harvest more hectares per hour, as the module size has grown by more than five centimetres in diameter, to equate to a 2% productivity gain per bale.
Mr Becton said John Deere’s commitment to driving innovation within the cotton industry was unwavering and congratulated Australian growers on their leadership in sustainable and innovative practices.
"Sustainability has been a key focus for cotton producers for decades, and I want to thank them for that," he said.
"John Deere is constantly looking at technology to support our customers that provide both a return on their investment and are sustainable environmentally."
For example, in March John Deere unveiled night-time enabled See & Spray™ Select technology on MY23 400 and 600 Series Sprayers. The integrated camera technology, showcased at the conference’s ‘Innovation Alley’, delivers significant gains in efficiency and productivity by detecting green plants in fallow ground and triggering a spot treatment application to these plants only. This technology markedly reduces inputs costs and grows sustainability by delivering a similar hit rate to traditional broadcast spraying while using an average 77% less herbicide1.
"See & Spray is one of the best examples of John Deere innovation in market to date. For a machine to be able to see, sense and act all in real time - it is just at the beginning of the innovation journey," Mr Becton said.
"At the end of the day, we’re committed to developing technology and equipment that unlocks value for growers to achieve greater yields, lowers costs and better cotton fibre quality, in a way that matches best practices."
To watch Travis Becton at the 2022 Australian Cotton Conference, click here.
About Deere & Company:
Deere & Company (NYSE: DE) is a world leader in providing advanced products and services and is committed to the success of customers whose work is linked to the land - those who cultivate, harvest, transform, enrich and build upon the land to meet the world's dramatically increasing need for food, fuel, shelter and infrastructure. Since 1837, John Deere has delivered innovative products of superior quality built on a tradition of integrity. For more information, visit John Deere at its worldwide website at JohnDeere.com or in Australia at JohnDeere.com.au.
Media Enquiries:
Stacey Wordsworth
stacey.wordsworth@bluehillpr.com.au
0438 394 371
Hannah Hardy
hannah.hardy@bluehillpr.com.au
0421 196 004
- Based on tank-level sensor values taken at a steady state on John Deere sprayers equipped with and without See & Spray™ Select, before and after covering 30,351 hectares (75,000 acres) of fallow ground with a typical weed pressure of 7,500 weeds per hectare (3,000 weeds per acre), using small and medium spray-length settings starting at 2.3 to 3.2 ft. (0.7 to 1 m), and average growing conditions (seasonal precipitation and temperature) across the US and Canadian Plains and Australian farms. Spray-length settings varied based on ground speed, spray pressure, and boom height. Sprayers were equipped with current hardware and software at time of study. Individual results may vary based on field and growing conditions, weed pressure, spray-length settings, and software version.
