Cotton growers will have their eyes to the sky, hoping for clear dry weather to finish their harvest across the state, but weather forecasts predict an extended wet winter and spring.
Cotton Australia's (CA) regional manager - Northern NSW, Alec Macintosh said only 60 per cent of the crop in the Gwydir Valley is picked while the Upper Namoi area from Boggabri through Gunnedah to Quirindi is about 30 per cent picked.
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The story is slightly better in the Lower Namoi, Boggabri to Narrabri, Wee Waa and Burren Junction, which is about 55 per cent picked.
Mr Macintosh said a significant concern for cotton growers with the delays in picking is the loss of an opportunity to plant a winter cereal in the beds of the cotton crops.
Some growers are even worried they could be picking right up until cotton sowing time if the weather forecasts hold true, he said.
He said full water storage on properties and dams like Copeton in the Gwydir and Keepit in the Namoi valleys at 100 per cent capacity will boost confidence for planting in October and November equal to or almost as good as this season's crops.
"They all know it will eventually stop raining and there will be a decision to be made on whether to plant more cotton or sorghum," Mr Macintosh said.
He said dryland cotton crops had thrived with the wetter than normal growing period and the future plantings of dryland cotton will depend on the forecasts over this summer.
CA's regional manager for the Macquarie Valley, Craig Chandler, said growers are frustrated by the weather, with only about 60 per cent of the crop around Warren picked and only between 10 and 15 per cent around the Trangie district.
Mr Chandler said there is anecdotal evidence of plenty of truckloads of bales rolling in from the Bourke district, with about one-third of the crop ready for the cotton ginners.
He said many growers were concerned the delays by the weather would put undue pressure on contract pickers to move to other regions to complete their contracts, which could leave some fields unpicked.
On Wednesday, a meeting of a local branch of Cotton Growers Australia noted that some cotton ginners had expressed concerns that they might be processing bales up until Christmas.
"That's certainly not ideal," Mr Chandler said.
CA's Southern NSW regional manager, Harriet Brickhill said about 80,000ha of cotton had been planted in the Lachlan, Murrumbidgee and Murray valleys.
"But at best guess only about 30 per cent of this cotton has been picked," Ms Brickhill said.
"The major concern at present is the availability of contractors to pick the crop."
She said growers would be heartened by the potential of good water allocations for next season and price forecasts of around $730 a bale would be encouraging.
"It's a matter of how nervous they would be at the prospect of another wet picking season could drive decision making," she said.
