Case study: Campbell Dalton 

grower-dalton

"Compared to other crops like corn and rice, cotton does use less water per hectare. It has a good return per meg", says Campbell.

Campbell Dalton

First time cotton grower

It's through delivering quality results and personalised service that Southern Cotton actively seeks to attract and retain new growers within the region. This approach electively converted first time cotton grower Campbell Dalton in the 2015 season.

Campbell is a passionate, fourth generation farmer who sees a prosperous future on the land. After a number of years away from home, Campbell has recently returned to manage the 4,500-hectare familycropping program.

The Daltons are traditionally rice farmers, but in recent years have begun growing maize and cotton. With 2015 being the Dalton's first year in cotton, the family started out sowing 41 hectares.

"Initially, we only planted a small cotton crop as research and development. We wanted to test the waters and see if we came up against any di"culties," Campbell said of their first cotton crop.

"Regardless of the smaller run size, Southern Cotton continued to deliver the high quality personalised service they are renowned for in the area," he added.

"We couldn't be happier with the service provided by Southern Cotton in the 2015 season," Campbell says of their first year, "they've done a fantastic job - particularly as a new grower - it has been a really good experience."

And the result rolled in! Campbell was able to secure yields as high as 10 bales per hectare - considered an excellent return.

However it's not just the quality service and excellent results that have Campbell returning to cotton. With water becoming particularly tight within the region, the Dalton's are concentrating on gross margin per megaliter, rather than gross margin per hectare.

"Compared to other crops like corn and rice, cotton does use less water per hectare. It has a good return per meg."

After a successful first year with Southern Cotton, the Dalton's are expanding into the future with 300 hectares sown for the 2016 season as well as having forward sold the crop - which is not an option with rice or corn.

"This is an opportunity which allows our family to buy more water in the next year and gives us a little bit more faith when it comes to our security on the land."

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