Statewide tour took place August 2nd – 7th, 2015
By Diego Flammini, Farms.com
As part of the National Cotton Council’s Producer Information Exchange Program, cotton producers from California and Arizona made their way to Georgia for a five-day tour of the Peach State’s agriculture.
The Bayer CropScience-sponsored program, now in its 27th year is aimed to give farmers across the Cotton Belt (North and South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma) a better understanding of how their colleagues are adapting to different challenges and using the latest technologies to increase the chances of a better crop.
“We have more in common than we do differences across U.S. agriculture; this is a great opportunity and privilege to learn and interact with growers,” said Lee Hall, Industry Relations Lead with Bayer CropScience.
Along with the cotton and other similar industries between the states, the tour also learned about the peanut industry – an industry that isn’t prevalent in California and Arizona.
“I enjoyed the trip very much and saw lots of different types of crops in both dryland and irrigated fields,” said Bob Bertao, a cotton, alfalfa, cantaloupe and wheat farmer from Dos Palas, California. “It was near to learn about the different cultural practices.”
The 10 states that produce the most cotton are:
- Texas
- California
- Mississippi
- Georgia
- Arkansas
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
- Missouri
- Louisiana
- Arizona
Join the conversation and tell us the challenges you’ve had to face with your cotton yields. What measures have you taken to ensure the best results for your field?