Narrabri farmers Thomas and Julia Eather have been named as one of five finalists for Cotton Australia’s 2025 Bayer Cotton Grower of the Year.
The brother and sister team have transitioned into taking leading roles in the generational Bellevue Pastoral Co, which is based on 6000 ha near Narrabri and a farm in the Riverina.
Thier grandfather and father were one of the early adopters of cotton in the region, starting with a small block 30 years ago that yielded five bales per hectare (b/ha).
The family have since expanded their annual cotton crop to 2400ha across all farms and achieved a 300 per cent increase in yields of up to 15 b/ha due to improved agronomic and nutrition management. This has included the use of chicken manure and engaging in a more targeted spreading program with the addition of urea and mineral cultivation.
The Eathers have also been recognised for their biodiversity efforts. Bellevue has a longstanding campaign of fencing off riverbanks to protect the riparian zones and the planting of native species in nature corridors.
They will be up against four other farmers in the Grower of the Year awards, including the Brownhill Family from Spring Ridge on the Liverpool Plains. The other three farmers are from southern Queensland.
Cotton Australia’s CEO Adam Kay said the nominees for this year’s top cotton industry awards are all highly deserving, with some encountering a challenging year particularly with the onset of rain at the start of picking.
“The awards are the Australian cotton industry’s top grower honours for the year, and they recognise a range of attributes including innovation, sustainability, water efficiencies, nutrition and soil health, and commitment to their own communities,” Mr Kay said.
“I am also pleased to say that all the nominees this year are family farms ranging in size from two full time employees to more than 60 across several farms, displaying the great diversity that Australian cotton farms are renowned for.”
The growers were nominated after winning regional awards or after recognition from other growers. The Bayer Cotton Grower of the Year and the AgriRisk High Achiever of the Year awards will be announced at the Cotton Collective at the Awards Dinner in Toowoomba on 6 August this year.
Don’t miss any of the important stories from around the region. Subscribe to our email list.