Through access to Remote Area Board (RAB) funding, in 2020/21 Mitez commissioned a Cotton Gin Feasibility Study.
Australia exports more than 90 per cent of cotton produced, generating an average of $1.9 billion in export revenue annually. There is significant potential for North Queensland to be a successful and sustainable player in the cotton production industry in the country. The Study provides current and future cotton businesses and related industries with a roadmap, identifying the opportunities, risks and possible roadblocks to overcome. It investigates and identifies the best location for a cotton gin within:
Flinders River Catchment
Gilbert River Catchment
Mount Surprise Region
Mareeba – Dimbulah Region
Lower Burdekin Region.
A significant number of stakeholders (industry, landholders, government, community) were engaged throughout the drafting of the Study, to establish the most suitable location to develop a cotton gin, taking into consideration the supply chain from farm gate to market. Further development of a cropping sector based on cotton, and supported by a cotton gin, could bring significant growth opportunities for supply chains and associated transport and logistics within North Queensland, while building capacity, strengthening, and diversifying the northern agricultural sector.