Let me

introduce

you to

Agriculture

Firstly, let

me tell you

a little

about me

I grew up

in Exeter

in the

Southern

Highlands,

2 hrs south

of Sydney

Always surrounded by animals

And working with them

My Gap Year . . . NewCastle Waters Station NT

About the place @ NewCastle Waters. . .

I could have stayed but

decided it was time to

learn other things

Bachelor of Agricultural Science

Agricultural Science Degree

What could I possibly do with that ?

Agronomist

Livestock Trader

Farm Owner

Researcher

Landcare manager

Advisor

TEACHER

Journalist

Engineer

Rural Banking

Parks and recreation officer

Grain Trader

Animal Nutrition

Architect

Fashion

Politician

As well as going to

University, I do a couple

of other things . . . .

. . . . I’m an athlete

. . . the Army Reserve

One of the things I am most

passionate about is . . . .

The YOUNG FARMER

COUNCIL

Growing the best

The NSW Young Farmer Council represents young people who love

agriculture!

Including: Social events Skill challenges Competitions Training Education Political forums ..and much more

I have worked in many areas but the area which I will talk to

you about today is

COTTON

. . . . Here is just a sneak peak

Everywhere you

look there is

COTTON

The

common

things . . . .

The NOT so

common

things . . .

So….COTTON IS

EVERYWHERE

How

does

this

Become

this

1. Cotton seed planted.

With the correct:

Science

Soil conditions

Fertiliser

Management

Water (rain or irrigated)

The plant increases in height and width

Cotton is CONSTANTLY monitored

Hopefully it grows!!!

Early stage

2. A beautiful white flower forms followed by a pinky/purpley flower.

This produces a ‘boll’ - a green bud which gradually matures and opens

Cotton plant is defoliated and finally ready for picking.

Planting to harvesting takes 6-7 months.

Flowering/ boll stage

3. Picker picks the cotton

Empty’s into chaser bin

Which empty’s into module builder

Module builder compacts cotton

Tractor moves forward and pops out a cotton module

Picking

As an example…

Engineers, researchers, scientists and farmers

Have created something that can do all of what was shown in the previous slide . . .

As input COSTS for farming INCREASE

And prices back to farmers DECREASE

As well as INCREASING labour and

machinery costs

Farmers must be the most EFFICIENT and the most

TECHNOLOGICALLY advanced to evolve with these changes

IN ONE MACHINE

The COTTON

ROUND BALER

Picks it

Compacts it

Wraps it

All while it is still moving!

Spits it out

How

this

Becomes

this

Ok, Now

lets get

back to…

4. The ‘GINNING’ Process

Cleans it

Separates seed from cotton

Grades it into different quality

Compacts it further into ‘bales’

Cotton is sold as BALES (227kg)

Almost all parts of the cotton

plant are used in some way

Australia and Egypt produce the best

quality cotton in the world

Australia exports

cottonseed to Japan,

Korea, China, Saudi

Arabia and the USA.

The fibre from one 227kg cotton bale can produce

215 pairs of jeans

250 single bed sheets

750 shirts

1,200 t-shirts

2,100 pairs of boxer shorts

3,000 nappies, 4,300 pairs of socks Or 680,000

cotton balls

So….

What are you

wearing?