Cargill has teamed up with Australian company Goanna Ag for a new pilot project aimed at enhancing irrigation efficiency on cotton farms in the Mississippi Delta. This initiative will introduce cutting-edge technology designed to revolutionize how and when farmers irrigate their fields, with the goal of optimizing crop yields, reducing water usage, and cutting operational costs. Initially, the program will be available to a select group of cotton growers in Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi.
“Retail brands are increasingly setting water-related goals and looking to supply chain partners like Cargill for data-driven sustainability solutions. This pilot project highlights our commitment to helping customers achieve sustainable agriculture and water conservation,” said Matt Dunbar, managing director of Cargill’s cotton business. “By incorporating advanced irrigation technology, we aim to strengthen the resilience of cotton farming in the Mississippi Delta while conserving one of our most valuable resources—water.”
Goanna Ag, a leader in on-farm irrigation management with operations in Australia and the U.S., brings over two decades of expertise and data-driven insights to the project. The Goanna Ag GoField® technology utilizes field sensors, satellite imagery, weather forecasts, and crop data to enable precise irrigation, helping farmers optimize water usage and significantly boost crop yields while conserving water.
Participants in the pilot will receive the Goanna Ag GoField® technology installation and personalized training to optimize irrigation timing based on their specific soil and crop conditions.
“Goanna Ag’s proven methods and user-friendly tools can help cotton growers enhance water-use efficiency, leading to higher crop yields and effectively delivering more crop per drop,” said Derek Brazda, vice president of U.S. sales and operations at Goanna Ag. “Through our partnership with Cargill, we are excited to provide program participants with solutions that improve water-use efficiency, reduce costs, and support long-term, sustainable outcomes.”
Supporting Cargill’s Global Water Ambition
This pilot project aligns with Cargill’s global water ambition, which aims to restore 600 billion liters of water and reduce 5,000 metric tons of water pollutants in water-stressed regions by 2030.
The Mississippi Delta, home to the third-largest area of irrigated cropland in the U.S., is experiencing a significant decline in groundwater levels, threatening water availability in the region, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. With more precise irrigation scheduling, this project is expected to maximize farmer yields while reducing the strain on aquifer resources.
With approximately 70% of the world’s freshwater withdrawals used for agriculture, innovative partnerships and solutions are essential to producing food sustainably and meeting the demands of a growing global population.
