Plains Cotton Growers, Inc., will conduct the organization's 53rd Annual Meeting Friday, April 9, 2010. All High Plains cotton producers and allied industry are invited to attend. Meeting activities will begin at 8:30 a.m. with registration, and the program will start promptly at 9 a.m.

PCG's meeting will be held in the Banquet Hall of the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center in conjunction with the Texas Cotton Ginners Association Convention and Trade Show, April 8-9, 2010 in Lubbock.

In addition to an outstanding speaker line-up, attendees at this year's PCG annual meeting will have an opportunity to win one of three $100 cash attendance prizes to be given away during the course of the meeting.

Presentations at this year's PCG meeting will cover the Washington political landscape and the impact of current budget concerns on agriculture and trade policy; review the current cotton market situation and what may be in store for the 2010 production and marketing year; and examine the role of conventional cotton breeding programs in the development of new and improved cotton germplasm.

Current PCG president Barry Evans, of Kress, will preside over the meeting and PCG Executive Vice President Steve Verett will report on the status of PCG operations and activities.

Headlining PCG's 53rd Annual Meeting line-up are U.S. Congressman Mike Conaway, of Midland, and James R. (Jim) Wiesemeyer, of Washington, DC.

Congressman Conaway, representing the 11th Congressional District of Texas, is a member of the House Committee on Agriculture and serves as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Rural Development, Biotechnology, Specialty Crops and Foreign Agriculture. In addition to his position on the Agriculture Committee, Conaway also serves on the Intelligence, Armed Services and Ethics Committees.

In the morning's keynote address, Jim Wiesemeyer will share his view of the ag policy landscape and his opinion of what the future holds for the cotton industry and U.S. agriculture.

With 30-plus years of experience covering agriculture in Washington, Wiesemeyer is Senior Vice President of the Washington Bureau of Informa Economics and considered the dean of Washington agricultural journalists.

Rounding out the PCG program are Anthony Tancredi, President, Allenberg Cotton Co., of Cordova, Tenn.; Jane Dever, Associate Professor and Cotton Breeder, Texas AgriLife Research, of Lubbock; and current NCC Chairman Eddie Smith, of Floydada.

Allenberg Cotton's Tancredi has been asked to discuss the current cotton market situation, including issues driving the recent surge in cotton prices, and how projected changes in acreage and production could affect producers in 2010 and beyond.

Dever, Texas AgriLife Research cotton breeder at Lubbock, will discuss the role of conventional cotton breeding programs in the process of creating new cotton germplasm and the influence biotechnology is having on developing improved cotton varieties.

Smith, who was elected to NCC Chairman at the NCC Annual Meeting in Memphis, Tenn., has been asked to update the PCG membership on current activities of the National Cotton Council.

Three other special events will bookend this year's PCG Annual meeting.

Kicking things off April 9 will be a Buffet Breakfast from 7:30-8:30 a.m.

in the Civic Center Banquet Hall sponsored by Monsanto and Delta & Pine Land Company.

Breakfast will be provided free to all PCG Annual Meeting participants as well as cotton producers and allied industry attending the day's second special event - the April 9th Ag Market Network conference call that will originate live from the Civic Center Banquet Hall beginning at 7:30 a.m.

Completing the morning's special activities will be the annual FiberMax Cotton Seed luncheon for PCG Annual meeting participants and members of the FiberMax "One Ton Club" immediately following the conclusion of the PCG meeting. Lunch will be served in the Civic Center Banquet Hall.