2003 P.I.E. Program Tours Set

MEMPHIS, TN – The National Cotton Council has scheduled dates and locations for the 2003 Cotton Foundation Producer Information Exchange (P.I.E.) Program.

Cotton producers from New Mexico, Arizona and California will see operations in Alabama and Georgia July 12-17; producers from Oklahoma and Texas will travel to Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi July 26-31; producers from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia will tour California Aug. 2-7; and producers from Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi and Tennessee will visit Texas August 9-14.

The NCC’s Member Services staff, in conjunction with local producer associations, conducts the P.I.E program. The Exchange enables cotton producers to observe cotton production and talk to their peers in regions different than their own. Participants gain new perspectives in such areas as land preparation, planting, fertilization, pest control, irrigation and harvesting. The overall goal of this unique one-on-one, on-farm communication is helping participants improve their yields and fiber quality.

Upon completion of the 2003 tours, the P.I.E. program will have exposed nearly 700 U.S. cotton producers to innovative production practices in regions different than their own.

The P.I.E. program has been funded since its 1989 inception by grants from the FMC Corporation to The Cotton Foundation.