Coming off two difficult cotton seasons industry-wide, Plains Cotton Growers Inc. is gearing its 67th annual meeting, April 2, 2024, in Lubbock, Texas, towards helping growers and the industry strategize for the days ahead.

“Building and planning toward the future and future generations is a hallmark theme for this year’s annual meeting,” said PCG CEO Kody Bessent.

“While the last two crop years undoubtedly taxed the cotton industry, PCG’s 67th annual meeting will focus on how we forge ahead together. We’ll discuss how to do our part through advocacy, customer service, financing, marketing, and research and development for the preservation of our industry for years to come.”

Kevin Brinkley, Plains Cotton Cooperative Association CEO, left, and Kody Bessent, Plains Cotton Growers CEO, visit at PCG's 2023 annual meeting. (Photo by Shelley E. Huguley)

In 2023, Texas cotton producers grew about 2.8 million bales of upland cotton, which is down 450,000 bales from 2022, according to PCG.

The cotton industry needs a strong 2024 cropping season, Bessent said. “Our annual meeting is designed to prepare the Texas High Plains cotton industry for the upcoming crop year. Each session will focus on bettering the industry for the future whether you’re a producer, ginner, or industry professional.”

Attendees will have a variety of sessions from which to choose. “Whether it’s retirement and succession planning, marketing and finances, or seed and chemistry technology, we’ll have sessions tailor-made for those who plan to attend,” Bessent said.

Keynote speaker David Avrin, who specializes in customer experience and marketing, will share insight on future-proofing business and how new-generation consumer behaviors and purchasing decisions affect business today and beyond.

Cotton economics and markets will be covered during The U.S. Farm Report session with host Tyne Morgan. Three economists will participate: Jody Campiche, National Cotton Council vice president of economics and policy analysis; Bart Fischer, Texas A&M University Agricultural Food and Policy Center co-director; and Brad Weddelman, Combest, Sell & Associates chief economist.

A Cotton Segment Panel will feature individuals from the field to the gins, warehouses, merchants/shippers, and oil mills. The panel discussion will focus on the industry's current state and future. Click here to learn more about each panel participant.

A producer panel at the 2023 annual meeting. Several panel discussions will be offered at the 2024 meeting, including the state of the industry and its future, advocacy and the financial future of agriculture. (Photo by Shelley E. Huguley)

Following lunch, two breakout sessions will be available. In the first session, Bessent will moderate a panel discussion with Sen. Charles Perry (District 28) and Rep. Carl Tepper (District 84), where the importance of advocacy and the state legislature’s role will be addressed.

The first session will also include a panel conversation on the financial future of agriculture. Guests include AgTexas CEO Kayla Robinson, CoBank Regional Relationship Manager Mike Cowley, and a representative from Capital Farm Credit.

The second breakout session will also include two options. Amber Miller, partner with Crenshaw, Dupree & Milam LLC, will highlight retirement considerations for producers as they transition off the farm. The second option is a panel on the future of seed/chemistry development and regulation moderated by Ken Legé, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension cotton specialist, Lubbock. Guests include representatives from Americot, BASF, Bayer, Corteva and Syngenta.

StoneX Group’s Cotton Marketing and Hedging workshop will also take place from 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., featuring market outlooks, and informational sessions on interest rate hedging and cotton hedging with futures and over-the-counter products.

#Plant24

In 2024, Texas is pegged to plant 5.26 million acres of upland cotton, according to the National Cotton Council’s recent planting intentions survey. Historically, the PCG region has planted, on average, 30% to 35% of all U.S. acres and 55% to 65% of all Texas cotton acres, Bessent said.

Mark Nichols, an Altus, Okla., cotton producer and The Cotton Board chairman, listens to a presentation during the 2023 breakout sessions. Two sessions will be offered again this year. (Photo by Shelley E. Huguley)

“This state planting estimate would place the PCG region’s planting intentions at or around 3.15 million acres of upland cotton, based on the historical average considered by the NCC survey. However, additional factors make it more likely that the planted acres will be closer to the 3.5 to 3.7 million range. When you consider tightening cotton/corn and cotton/soybeans pre-planting market signals as well as an $0.83 lint insurance discovery price — coupled with a seed endorsement of $0.17 — planting cotton may be a more attractive option.”

Registration

For more information or to register for PCG’s annual meeting, follow this link https://bit.ly/49g47in. The meeting will be held at the Overton Hotel and Conference Center, 2322 Mac Davis Lane. Registration is free but online registration is encouraged to better accommodate attendees.