Water has been left to lie in paddocks for weeks as a cereal harvest gets pushed further and further away for local farmers, but this season’s prospects aren't looking quite so gloomy for cotton farmers. 

The cotton industry is still expecting large cotton crops next year, despite inevitable delays in planting. 

In Warren, where flood conditions have persisted for weeks on end and boat travel seems more common than car, David Ramsay is coming close to finishing his planting for the season. 

“It’s been hard to get around the farm to move tractors and seed around the place. We’ve been carting a lot of things around in boats,” Mr Ramsay said. 

Not far away, Nyngan farmer Sam Buckley has just finished planting, albeit four tries later. 

“We just kept getting washed out,” Mr Buckley said. 

While his crops technically went in four weeks later than usual, cooler temperatures were just as big of a factor as water when it came to the delay. 

Optimism is seemingly a key across the board looking towards the incoming cotton season. 

“It should be fantastic. These are perfect conditions for that, although our cereal crops are suffering,” Mr Buckley said. 

Despite every inland river catchment from the QLD to VIC border being full or flooded and active flood warnings across the state, Cotton Australia CEO Adam Kay said that the flooding won’t necessarily disrupt cotton in the area. 

“The northern half of NSW has a wider planting window and that means growers have till the later half of November to get their crops in and maintain a healthy yield for the coming season,” Mr Kay said. 

Unfortunately southern parts of the state may not have the same luxury, with the northern set to lose a minimal amount, if any at all. 

“Overall, at this stage we expect around a 10 per cent reduction on our crop forecasts for 2023, and with about a third of that crop forward sold, we expect strong ongoing global demand for our cotton,” Mr Kay said. 

Mr Kay said the professionalism and adaptability of farmers will see good results. 

“Every grower has to contend with adverse weather events, but we have the science, the sustainable practices and the innovation to rise above the temporary challenges and retain consistency of quality and supply.”