Ian Burnett might have scaled back his cotton crop due to dry weather but he was still chuffed with the pink bales that were produced at his Wyuna property outside Emerald.
It has been a dry season at Wyuna and many other cotton growing properties around the Central Highlands, with growers keeping a watchful eye on the weather before sizing up how much to plant later this year.
At Wyuna, Mr Burnett said there had been very little in-crop rain last year but luckily just enough water to irrigate the 260 hectares of cotton he had planted.
"We had very little in-crop rain; we had a 20 millimetre and a 30 millimetre fall, but nothing significant," he said.
"There was enough water to give a full irrigation program. We were right at the end of it, but we didn't run out of water."
The Sicot 714B34 crop was planted in late August last year, and yielded close to 10 and a half bales per hectare.
Mr Burnett is a long-time cotton grower and mixed enterprise producer, as well as a former general president of peak industry body AgForce.
He has been growing cotton at the 6070 hectare Wyuna property for about 18 years.
The 260 hectares of cotton was less than he would usually plant but the dry weather and lack of water for irrigation had forced him to scale the crop back.
There were also about 1600 head of cattle on the Wyuna property, Mr Burnett said.
"That's also a bit down on what we'd usually run, just because of the dry conditions."
Mr Burnett was carrying out picking at Wyuna towards the end of January with the help of his sons.
So far it has been a dry start to the year for many near Emerald and in the Central Highlands.
Rainfall totals for January and February are on track to fall well below monthly averages.
In October last year, growers irrigating from the Fairbairn Dam were dealt a blow when their allocation was announced at just six per cent.
The pink bale initiative was started by wrap maker Tapex Agri, which donates 50 cents to the McGrath Foundation for every bale.
