Q. wrote:Bum Crack wrote:25% approximately of all irrigation water usage in Australia is used growing cotton. I'd like to see what percentage cotton farmers make up of all irrigators. It's quite scary when u look at it that way.
What was the figure last year given the allocation reduction? Gwydir, Namoi and Macquarie valleys all on zero % allocation.
Australian cotton is the most efficient in the world - we've doubled our water use efficiency in the last two decades. Cotton returns nearly the most money to the economy on a per megalitre basis.
Cotton uses about 8Ml/ha and is about 3Ml/ha in places like Namoi. Corn uses 10Ml/ha. Wine Grapes use 6Ml/ha. Lucerne 6Ml/ha. Almonds and citrus use 8Ml/ha. Why not the outrage at these other crops?
That was the 2017 figure.