August 15, 2024

By Gerelyn Terzo, Global AgInvesting Media

Family-owned ag and food giant Cargill has teamed up with Australia’s Goanna Ag for a pilot project aiming to bolster irrigation efficiency on cotton fields in the Mississippi Delta. Through the collaboration, the companies will bring cutting-edge technology designed to overhaul the way growers water their fields with a view toward enhancing crop yields, slashing water withdrawals and reducing operational expenses. Select cotton growers across Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi will gain access to the program, all of whom will receive individualized training on Goanna Ag’s tech solution customized to their farming conditions.

Goanna Ag, which specializes in on-farm irrigation management operating in Australia and the U.S., is behind the GoField technology, an intelligent and accurate irrigation scheduling solution. GoField harnesses field sensors, satellite imagery, weather forecasts and crop data to growers, providing the tools they need for precision irrigation. Through more efficient irrigation, farmers gain better control over their water use, paving the way for better crop yields and improved water conservation.

Derek Brazda, vice president of U.S. sales and operations at GoannaAg, said, “GoannaAg’s proven methodologies and easy to use tools can help cotton growers improve water-use efficiency, boosting crop yields, essentially delivering more crop per drop. Through our partnership with Cargill we are thrilled to offer program participants with solutions to improve water-use efficiency, reduce costs and promote long-term, sustainable outcomes.”

Known as an agricultural wonder, the Mississippi Delta comprises more than 2 million hectares (4.9 million acres) of land, close to two-thirds of which is irrigated land on which cotton, corn, soybeans, milo, rice and wheat crops are produced. The region was responsible for producing 4.1 million bales of cotton in the 2023/24 season, a year-over-year decline of 600,000 bales, owing to extreme weather conditions in West Texas. As a result, Brazil muscled the United States out of the No. 3 spot in the global cotton producer rankings during the period.

Nearly three-quarters (70 percent) of freshwater withdrawals are made for food production. Meanwhile, groundwater levels in the Delta region have been falling of late, including declines of as much as three feet per year, thereby posing a risk to water availability for the local population. A more targeted irrigation schedule championed by this pilot program should strengthen grower yields will simultaneously offsetting pressure on aquifer resources.

Based in Wayzata, Minn., Cargill has earned the title as the biggest privately held company on the planet. The tech-centric pilot project supports Cargill’s lofty water goals to facilitate the restoration of 600 billion liters of water while removing 5,000 metric tons of water pollutants across supply chains in water-stressed regions by 2030.

Matt Dunbar, managing director of Cargill’s cotton business, pointed to the water-related goals set by major retail brands, saying they’re increasingly turning to supply chain partners like Cargill for data-supported sustainability solutions. He added: “This pilot project underscores Cargill’s commitment to helping our customers meet those ambitions to advance sustainable agriculture and water conservation. By integrating advanced irrigation technology, we aim to bolster the resilience of cotton farming in the Mississippi Delta while conserving one of our most precious resources — water.”

Separately, Cargill recently inked a partnership with discount retailer Target and FibreTrace to increase transparency and traceability in the U.S. and Brazilian cotton supply chains.

*The content put forth by Global AgInvesting News and its parent company HighQuest Partners is intended to be used and must be used for informational purposes only. All information or other material herein is not to be construed as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. Global AgInvesting and HighQuest Partners are not a fiduciary in any manner, and the reader assumes the sole responsibility of evaluating the merits and risks associated with the use of any information or other content on this site.