Limited Water Package for Cotton Growers

Cotton growers will have access to an enhanced innovative Limited Water planting option for the 2008-09 season.

The package, offered jointly by Cotton Seed Distributors and Bayer CropScience, is designed to share production risks and help defray costs amongst growers who run short of water during the cropping season, and is also a very useful package for dryland growers.

It applies to seed orders placed for eligible CSD varieties between September 1 and November 30, 2008 by current CSD members.

If a participant’s cotton crop is removed for any reason (including but not limited to drought, hail, flood and herbicide drift), CSD will provide a Members Voucher redeemable against orders for CSD transgenic cotton seed in 2009.

The Members Voucher will entitle participants to a credit of 100 per cent of the value of seed purchased and planted in any field which is subsequently removed during the 2008 season.

Five eligible CSD Amparo-protected varieties have been included in the scheme including Sicot 80BRF, Sicot 289BR, Sicala 60BR, Siokra V-16BR and Sicot 80L, which will all be available at the early order price. These varieties are proven performers in tough growing conditions.

Bayer will offer an additional 5 per cent discount on defoliants to participants defoliating with Dropp® Liquid, Dropp® Ultra or Dropp® UltraMAX™.

CSD general manager, Steve Ainsworth, said the aim of the Limited Water Package is to make a positive contribution to an industry currently undergoing some of the most difficult and uncertain growing and marketing conditions experienced in its history.