To educate cotton producers about options and futures contracts, and what they can do to increase their profitability potential for the 2009 crop season, Cotton Incorporated is holding a free cotton price risk management and pricing strategies seminar in Lubbock, Texas, April 1. The information-rich workshop will be held from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Hotel and Towers, 801 Ave. Q, Lubbock.

“The seminar will cover the basics, as well as some of the more intermediate information related to cotton futures and options, specific hedging strategies involving the use of cotton options contracts and real world applications,” says Jeanne Reeves, Cotton Incorporated's director of agricultural research and ag division staff economist. “Knowledge of these market-based strategies is critical for increasing the bottom-line of producers, and we encourage them to attend this seminar at no cost.”

Speakers at the conference will include Carl Anderson and John Robinson from Texas A&M University and Mike Stevens, Swiss Financial Services. They will discuss when and how to use a variety of option strategies including: fences, 3-ways, calendar back spreads and hedging counter-cyclical payments. O.A. Cleveland, a cotton marketing specialist, will give a cotton market outlook.

Attendance of this seminar is free, and lunch will be provided. To learn more, contact Jeanne Reeves, Cotton Incorporated, (919) 678-2370 - [email protected] or Kay Wriedt at (919) 678-2271 - [email protected].