Mr WOOD - 2007-08-30
As is well known, your government does not support the growing of cotton in the Northern Territory. Government funded a seven year cotton trial for Katherine Research Station, the results of which are in this 2004 report, which clearly shows that it is possible to grow cotton in the Northern Territory using farming systems that meet strict environmental guidelines, and by doing so will have no greater environmental footprint than any other crop. In fact, the report states that by using the right irrigation process, cotton is not a thirsty crop and uses no more water, or even less water, than peanuts.
Recently, you spoke glowingly of a new peanut development in the Northern Territory, and said this will become one of the biggest agricultural irrigation ventures across the Territory. I support that. Could you give the scientific reasons, not the ideological reasons, if these two crops use the same amount of water, why it is okay to grow peanuts and not cotton? Would you agree that the real issue should not be what type of crop is grown but how the crop is grown?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question. The Peanut Company of Australia purchased an additional property at Taylor’s Park, and you are quite right, it is west of Katherine. They are going to develop between four and five thousand hectares of irrigated crops. I am not going to get into the scientific reasons of cotton growing and peanut growing. I am not a scientist.
I met with the board of directors of the Peanut Company of Australia in late July and visited the Katherine property on their announcement. It is great to see their processes there. With a centre pivot, they had three crops of peanuts in, and they had rotational crops of millet and corn growing. They intend to develop four to five thousand hectares of irrigated crop over a five year period at Taylor’s Park. That is about a thousand hectares a year on centre pivot irrigation. It will be the biggest intensive agriculture venture in the Top End in recent times.
A water allocation of up to 50 gigalitres will be required, which will be the largest single water requirement in the Katherine region. They will employ around 20 to 30 farm contractors and employees, and about 15 share farmers. The Peanut Company of Australia will enter into collaborative research and development with DPIFM, NRETA and also the National Water Initiative to assist the crop evaluation, sustainable water use and farming systems development. They have been working with my department since the early 1980s on the development of peanuts in the area. They bought their property in Katherine in 2002, and they are growing an irrigated peanut crop there at the moment. I wish them well in the future development and offer them the support of my department.
Recently, you spoke glowingly of a new peanut development in the Northern Territory, and said this will become one of the biggest agricultural irrigation ventures across the Territory. I support that. Could you give the scientific reasons, not the ideological reasons, if these two crops use the same amount of water, why it is okay to grow peanuts and not cotton? Would you agree that the real issue should not be what type of crop is grown but how the crop is grown?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question. The Peanut Company of Australia purchased an additional property at Taylor’s Park, and you are quite right, it is west of Katherine. They are going to develop between four and five thousand hectares of irrigated crops. I am not going to get into the scientific reasons of cotton growing and peanut growing. I am not a scientist.
I met with the board of directors of the Peanut Company of Australia in late July and visited the Katherine property on their announcement. It is great to see their processes there. With a centre pivot, they had three crops of peanuts in, and they had rotational crops of millet and corn growing. They intend to develop four to five thousand hectares of irrigated crop over a five year period at Taylor’s Park. That is about a thousand hectares a year on centre pivot irrigation. It will be the biggest intensive agriculture venture in the Top End in recent times.
A water allocation of up to 50 gigalitres will be required, which will be the largest single water requirement in the Katherine region. They will employ around 20 to 30 farm contractors and employees, and about 15 share farmers. The Peanut Company of Australia will enter into collaborative research and development with DPIFM, NRETA and also the National Water Initiative to assist the crop evaluation, sustainable water use and farming systems development. They have been working with my department since the early 1980s on the development of peanuts in the area. They bought their property in Katherine in 2002, and they are growing an irrigated peanut crop there at the moment. I wish them well in the future development and offer them the support of my department.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016