LIVERPOOL Plains farmer Bruce Mennie of Dalara Pastoral Operations is among five finalists announced for the coveted 2026 Australian Cotton Grower of the Year award.
Mennie, of Blackville, is in the running for the 2026 Bayer Cotton Grower of the Year and AgriRisk High Achiever of the Year awards, which will be announced at the Australian Cotton Conference later this year.
Announcing the finalists, Cotton Australia said Mennie is leveraging precision technology, targeted spraying and on-farm trials to lift efficiency and sustainability.
The organisation said soil testing and integrated pest management had also contributed to steady yield improvements.
The other finalists span a range of cotton-growing regions, including Angus and Matt Whittaker (Whittaker Family Farming, Warren NSW), Lucas Wuersching (Wuersching Acres, St George QLD), Mitch and Mariah and Linton and Melinda Brimblecombe (Moira Farming, Lockyer Valley QLD), and Rhys Herbert and Trish Carroll (Pastoral Properties [Cropping], Warra QLD).
Cotton Australia chief executive officer Adam Kay congratulated the finalists for demonstrating the innovation and resilience that underpins Australia’s reputation as a global leader in cotton production.
“What stands out this year is not just the innovation on display, but the focus on people – building strong teams, investing in safety and supporting their local communities,” he said.
As part of the judging process, finalists will host industry representatives and previous award winners on-farm, providing insight into their operations and the strategies behind their success.
The North West region, a powerhouse of the Australian cotton industry, again features prominently in the awards.
Cotton Seed Distributors (CSD) technical agronomist Natalie Aquilina, of Narrabri, was announced as a finalist for the Young Cotton Achiever of the Year Award, named in honour of Chris Lehmann.
Lehmann, of Narrabri, was one of the industry’s early consultants and a passionate supporter of young people in cotton.
Narrabri scientists Dr Shiming Liu, Dr Katie Broughton and Dr Gunasekhar (Guna) Nachimuthu were named finalists for the Cotton Researcher of the Year Award.
The Bayer Cotton Grower of the Year and AgriRisk High Achiever of the Year awards will be announced at the Australian Cotton Industry Awards Dinner in August.
The CRDC Chris Lehmann Young Cotton Achiever of the Year Award, the Cotton Seed Distributors Researcher of the Year Award and the John Deere Service to Industry Award will also be announced at the awards dinner, the final event of the 2026 Australian Cotton Conference.
