Friday, June 26, 2009                                By Shawn Wade

      Serving the interests of High Plains cotton farmers has always been the top priority of Lubbock-based Plains Cotton Growers, Inc. (PCG). PCG's commitment to producer interests has earned the voluntary support of cotton producers responsible for producing 87 percent of the 2,933,700 million bales of cotton produced in the organization's 41-county service area in 2008.

      PCG Executive Vice President Steve Verett notes that PCG's support is a direct result of High Plains cotton producers and ginners recognizing the significant value they receive from supporting PCG.

      "This year's 87 percent participation rate is the fourth year in a row that PCG earned the support of over 80 percent of the cotton produced on the High Plains," said Verett. "It is also the fifth year out of the last six that PCG support has eclipsed the 80 percent level.

      "The PCG Board of Directors and Officers appreciate the support of their fellow producers and remain committed to continue earning the respect and support of every High Plains cotton grower," concludes Verett.

      Voluntary support is the key that PCG's efforts are built upon and something that every member of the organization should be proud said Verett.

      The key to maintaining the support of High Plains producers is based on three key components: a gin based leadership structure; taking a proactive approach to important legislative and regulatory issues; and communication.

      Each of the three components compliments the others and improves PCG's ability to work on behalf of the High Plains cotton producer.

      In the last year alone, PCG's blueprint for success has kept the organization at the forefront of many important issues including passage and implementation of the 2008 Farm Bill and an ongoing effort to develop a pilot insurance program to provide federal crop insurance protection for cotton seed.

      An offshoot of the support PCG earns among its membership is the extent to which that support allows PCG to work closely with other national and regional cotton and general agriculture interest organizations.

      Working closely with groups like the National Cotton Council of America, which represents the U.S. cotton industry at the national level and plays a major role in the coordination of efforts within the U.S. cotton industry, has allowed PCG to be recognized as one of the most effective regional cotton producer organizations in the U.S. based on efforts like the ones mentioned above.

      In carrying out its work on behalf of High Plains cotton producers, PCG also works directly with members of Congress to advance issues important to the High Plains.

 

      Key areas of PCG activity include promoting the value and quality of High Plains cotton at home and abroad to textile mill buyers through support of Cotton Council International and Cotton Incorporated; development and promotion of sound risk management options for producers though the federal crop insurance program; and working closely with allied industry representatives to insure that every phase of the cotton production, processing, handling and merchandising chain have the best possible understanding of the impact each individual segment has on the others.

2009-2010 Plains Cotton Growers, Inc.
Member Gin Roster

 

Thank You !!

June 26, 2009

CCI Taiwan sponsors 20th Golden Melody Awards in Taipei. This year is the 20th anniversary of both the COTTON USA Mark in Taiwan and the Golden Melody Awards. The COTTON USA Mark will be used in conjunction with the theme "Love Music & Love Cotton" to promote the Golden Melody Awards, a show similar to the Grammy Awards in the U.S. The COTTON USA Mark will be shown on TV, websites, the red carpet and the awards ceremony broadcasted live in Asia. COTTON USA donated cotton bags - designed by last year's winners for best female and male singer, Gay Cao and Tanya Tsai - to the Taiwan Fund for Children & Families. Consumers exchanged tickets by purchasing COTTON USA products. CCI Taiwan expects to receive the equivalent of $1 million in third-party contributions.

COTTON USA launches the "Art & Cotton" T-shirt design contest in Colombia. CCI Andean Region has partnered with COTTON USA licensee GEF to hold a T-shirt design contest, dubbed "Art & Cotton," in Colombia. The contest, part of CCI's global celebration of the International Year of Natural Fibers, launched with a press conference held in the principle GEF store in Bogotá. Fifty fashion and entertainment journalists attended the event and were invited to decorate a giant white t-shirt using a paintball gun. Contestants have until mid-July to submit their T-shirt designs and the top 20 entries will be featured at a fashion show in one of Bogotá's main shopping malls.. The contest winner will receive airfare and accommodations for a three-day, two-night stay in the coastal city of Cartagena, donated by the domestic airline Aires. The winning design will also be entered to win the global contest's grand prize: a trip to New York. The global "Natural World" T-shirt design contest will run in 10 countries: China, Colombia, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and the UK.

CCI Taiwan introduces "Stay Comfortable in Cotton" retail sales promotion. This promotion marks the successful collaboration between CCI's COTTON USA program in East Asia and Cotton Incorporated's Wicking Windows technology. Consumers who purchase more than $90 worth of COTTON USA Mark-labeled projects at three Shin Kong Mitsukoshi department stores can receive a gift. The COTTON USA brand licensee "New Balance" will provide 1,500 T-shirts adopting Cotton Incorporated's Wicking Windows technology. CCI Taiwan will promote its "Stay Comfortable in Cotton" campaign via 24 lighting boxes in Taipei and Kaohsiung, 100 bus panels and newspaper ads. The promotion will last until July 12.