Cotton conclave set for Toowoomba

July 15, 2025 | 5 Min read
Tickets are on sale for the cotton industry’s key learning and engagement opportunity, and the biggest trade show for cotton in 2025, to be held from August 5–7 in Toowoomba, Queensland.

Tickets are on sale for the cotton industry’s key learning and engagement opportunity, and the biggest trade show for cotton in 2025, to be held from August 5–7 in Toowoomba, Queensland.

Cotton Australia General Manager Michael Murray says this year’s Cotton Collective is only the second in six years, after COVID forced changes in 2021, leading to the staging of a hugely successful follow-up Collective in 2023.

“The people in the cotton industry work hard year-round, and when they have an opportunity to come together, socialise, swap stories, hear about the latest developments in research and development, and see the latest technology, they usually jump at the chance,” Michael explains.

“This year, the three-day event will begin with the Cotton Collective Innovation Bus Tour, visiting leading agricultural research, development, and agriculture manufacturing business facilities on the Darling Downs,” he says.

“Delegates will have the opportunity to visit Excel Agriculture, a leading Australian-owned manufacturer based in Toowoomba, designing and delivering durable, high-performance machinery for broadacre and row crop farming.”

Other stops include RDO Equipment, SwarmFarm, and Bayer’s laboratory in Toowoomba.

The second day of the three-day event will be the Collective itself, with key speakers covering a range of relevant farming topics—from the latest CSIRO research, water and the Murray-Darling Basin, and growing the family business, to the latest technology and the global outlook for Australian cotton.

Michael says the Cotton Industry Awards Dinner on August 6 also attracts strong support from growers and industry, keen to celebrate the success of their fellow growers and industry participants.

“The cotton industry award recipients for 2025 will be announced at the dinner, showcasing the best of the industry in several categories,” he says.

“It’s always a highlight, and the nominees in all categories are exceptional individuals, so the judging process is not an easy one.”

The awards dinner will see recipients named in the following categories:
• Bayer Cotton Grower of the Year
• AgriRisk High Achiever of the Year
• Cotton Seed Distributors Researcher of the Year
• CRDC Chris Lehmann Young Cotton Achiever of the Year
• Incitec Pivot Fertilisers Service to Industry Award

“Tickets for all Cotton Collective events sell fast, but particularly the awards dinner, which is the key evening event for the Collective. I encourage anyone who wants to attend the event to act fast to secure your place at the venue, which has strict seating limits.”

Day 3 of the Cotton Collective continues with research topics, an address by a Future Cotton Leader, and a Nuffield Scholar among many events.

Categories Cotton Market insight