The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will conduct a Cotton Marketing Workshop on April 4 in conjunction with the Texas Cotton Ginners’ Association Annual Meeting and Trade Show, April 5 and 6.
The free workshop will be 1-4:30 p.m. in Room 108 of the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center in Lubbock, Texas.
Dr. Jackie Smith, AgriLife Extension economist at Lubbock, says the workshop is set the day before the gin show so producers can attend both events.
“We’re hoping to have producers and ginners from all over the state attend,” he said in a university news release. “We are also making a special effort to encourage attendance by some of our newer cotton producers from the Amarillo area.”
Speakers will cover several timely topics. Among those are Shawn Wade, director of polity for Plains Cotton Growers, who will lead with a discussion of the new Farm Bill and crop insurance changes.
Smith will lead a discussion on cotton crop budgets with emphasis on break-even analysis.
“We will cover several very timely topics,” Smith said. “Shawn Wade, director of policy for Plains Cotton Growers will lead a discussion of the new Farm Bill, including some comments about changes in crop insurance.
We’ve been facing some tempting marketing opportunities that are likely at or near breakeven in most situations, so we’re going to take a look at some marketing tools and weigh the risks of using those tools. It will be an interesting discussion,” he says.
Smith will be followed by Dr. John Robinson, AgriLife Extension state cotton marketing specialist at College Station. Robinson will present a market outlook and discuss several pricing tools, offering the pros and cons of each.
Dr. Seth Byrd, AgriLife Extension cotton agronomist at Lubbock, will review the 2017 cotton crop’s low micronaire quality problems and offer his opinion as to whether a similar scenario can be expected this year.
Wrapping up the session will be Kelli Merrit, a farmer, rancher, broker and market adviser. A licensed commodity broker and Dawson County producer, she will describe her favorite pricing tool.
“We’re also interested in hearing what others use, so we’ll encourage participants to describe their favorite forward pricing tool and strategy. All these discussions should make for an enlightening afternoon,” Smith said.
For more information, contact Smith at 806-746-6101.