Australian cotton production is being heavily affected by fires and drought. Analysts at Rabobank suggest that production for the 2019/20 period, estimated at 735,000 bales, will be the lowest in more than a decade, with a 16 percent drop from 2017/18 production. Queensland and central New South are the hardest hit, although all major production regions are being affected. The fires and drought have forced producers to prioritize water, which means that less water is left to irrigate cotton fields. Water is often diverted to higher-margin or less-thirsty crops.