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Cotton farmers and ginners from across the Southeast converged in Savannah, Ga. for the annual meeting of Southern Cotton Growers and Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association Jan. 15-18.

John Hart, Associate Editor

January 28, 2020

6 Slides

"Navigating the winds of uncertainty"  was the theme of the annual meeting of Southern Cotton Growers and Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association held at the Marriott Savannah Riverfront in Savannah, Ga. Jan. 15 to 18. More than 250 cotton farmers, cotton ginners, and industry suppliers converged on the historic Georgia city with deep roots in cotton to plan ahead for the 2020 crop year.

Speakers included Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black, Cotton Incorporated CEO Berrye Worsham, Cotton Concil International President Bruce Atherely and Martn Barbre with USDA's Risk Managment Agency. John Mitchell, president of Choice Cotton in Prattville, Ala. provided the cotton situation and outlook while other speakers addressed taxes and public policy issues impacting the coton industry.

U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler, the newest senator from Gerogia who was formally sworn in on Jan. 6, addressed the conference. Senator Loeffler replaces retired U.S. Senator Johnny Isackson and is only the second woman to represent Georgia in the U.S. Senate. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp tapped Loeffler to replace Isakson in December. 

A session targted to cotton farmers focused on germination issues imapcting North Carolina cotton while a session for cotton ginners examined cotton seed issues across the Southest. National Cotton Council Chairman Mike Tate, a farmer from Huntsville, Ala., gave an udate on the Council. The annual conference is considered the preeminent cotton meeting for farmers and ginners from Florida, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. 

 

About the Author(s)

John Hart

Associate Editor, Southeast Farm Press

John Hart is associate editor of Southeast Farm Press, responsible for coverage in the Carolinas and Virginia. He is based in Raleigh, N.C.

Prior to joining Southeast Farm Press, John was director of news services for the American Farm Bureau Federation in Washington, D.C. He also has experience as an energy journalist. For nine years, John was the owner, editor and publisher of The Rice World, a monthly publication serving the U.S. rice industry.  John also worked in public relations for the USA Rice Council in Houston, Texas and the Cotton Board in Memphis, Tenn. He also has experience as a farm and general assignments reporter for the Monroe, La. News-Star.

John is a native of Lake Charles, La. and is a  graduate of the LSU School of Journalism in Baton Rouge.  At LSU, he served on the staff of The Daily Reveille.

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