Unexpected crops blooming in Queensland’s dusty cattle country

Outback Queensland’s red dirt might not be a typical setting for a grape or cotton farm.

Blazing summer temperatures in this part of the country easily reach the mid-40s at this time of year and cattle graze as far as the eye can see.

But in the dusty North West, farmers are planting crops rarely seen in the outback, and a bright new industry is starting to bloom.

At Etta Plains, more than 300 kilometres north-east of Mount Isa, cotton grower Lucas Findley owns around 4,000 hectares of dryland development and more than 2,000 hectares of ‘bank-less’ irrigation development.

Now planting his fourth cotton crop, Mr Findley aims to have 1,000 hectares in the ground by Christmas.

“It’s been a steep learning curve … but now we’re starting to see some increased yields and productivity which we know we can grow up there,” he said.

While cotton can grow in the west, transporting crops to a cotton gin, a machine that separates the fibres from the seeds, remains a challenge for growers.

The closest gin is in Emerald, over 1,000km away, or Katherine, 1,600km away.

So, Mr Findley is advocating for one to be built near Julia Creek, 250km east of Mount Isa.

“It will make the dryland cotton viable in the region,” he said.

“[This] is an enormous opportunity everywhere from Richmond up to the Gulf of Carpentaria … [and] will allow broad acre farming to exist in a big, positive way.

“We believe you’ll be able to grow some pretty substantial yields but the risk associated with dryland cotton until a gin is established is quite high.”

Former executive general manager of Queensland Cotton John Robinson said the expansive region had huge potential for dryland cotton and yields were expected to be high next year.

“If production continues, there will be a cotton gin built [in the North West], but there won’t be for some time yet,” he said.

“It’s got a lot of potential, and I think a lot of that country is probably underutilised … though you probably can’t be beaten for cattle country here.”

Push for grain

Built on outback plains, the previous Queensland Government funded a $2 million common user grain facility at Maxwelton, about 350km east of Mount Isa.

That facility is under construction and will process grain from start to finish and connect to the direct train line to the port of Townsville.

Alongside cotton, Mr Findley grows a small number of other crops, including sorghum, chickpeas and mung beans.

He said he wants to expand if the grain facility gets up and running.

“There’s a lot of people in the area now starting to grow and figure out systems particularly associated with cattle,” he said.

“[That] is just going to make [the industry] grow leaps and bounds over the next few years.”

The tyranny of distance is one major hit to growers in the region.

“Having the ability to deliver to Maxwelton will make this process extremely easy, and we’re very, very excited,” Mr Findley said.

“It’s basically like growing grains in most other parts of eastern Australia, with closeness to port and prices.”

Richmond Shire Mayor John Wharton said a grower in the region had called the project a “game changer”.

“We need to look after all our farms, whether they’re growing cattle or sheep or grain, this would be a great thing for the North West,” he said.

Outback grown grapes

Far from the cool breezes and lush green landscape of the Barossa Valley, a vineyard is growing in the desert heat, more than 500km east of Mount Isa at Hughenden.

Victorian company Marciano Table Grapes expanded their business to the remote Queensland climate and planned to produce its first commercial crop this year.

Farm manager Maritz du Plessis told the ABC in 2021 that since early-season fruit was predominantly imported from California in the United States, the company was looking to divert some of those imports.

The unique vineyard grew its first harvest in 2022 and initially invested $10 million to develop the farm.