The 2024 Australian Bayer Cotton Grower of the Year and AgriRisk High Achiever of the Year candidates have been revealed by Cotton Australia. The winners will be revealed at the Cotton Conference in August on the Gold Coast.
Six finalists were selected, representing a wide variety of farming systems and enterprises from as far north as Dalby on Queensland’s Darling Downs to as far south as Coleambally in the NSW Riverina. Two categories have been created out of the six finalists: AgriRisk High Achiever of the Year and Bayer Grower of the Year.
Bayer Grower of the Year Finalists:
• Kurt and Luke Von Pein – Pallathorpe, Macalister RD 4406
• Scott Balsillie – Eastern Australia Agriculture, Dirranbandi QLD 4486
• Lindsay George – Lawson Grains. Moree NSW 2400
AgriRisk High Achiever Finalists:
• Steve and Bridget McVeigh – Loch Eaton, Dalby Qld 4405
• David Bellato – Greenline Framing, Coleambally NSW, 2707
• Scott & George McCalman – “Kuranda”, Gunnedah NSW 2380
According to Adam Kay, CEO of Cotton Australia, the judging process was exceedingly challenging due to the high calibre of nominees, all of whom demonstrated knowledge and abilities that are easily transferable to help other growers.In order to continue improving their crops and yields while putting an emphasis on soil health and other environmental consequences.
Sponsor judges from AgriRisk and Bayer joined Cotton Australia, Johannes Roellgen, last year’s Bayer Grower of the Year, and Dan Skerman, an AgriRisk High Achiever, in questioning each applicant before selecting the final six. After that, the judges went to see each finalist’s farm to get a firsthand look at their creative and progressive agricultural methods.