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Avatar for Jim.Robinson By Henry Gantz|March 9, 2009
  • Senator Trent Lott (R-MS): “I have learned a lot of lessons from the Koreans. They are not open in their markets, and they want us to consider them a developing country because they want special considerations. They are not a developing country and they are cheating. They are not only blocking our products, they are invading us with poor quality products.” (Editor’s note #1: Lott is referring to the South Koreans. The North Koreans are so crazy they’d probably take offense and lob back a nuke.)
  • Willie German, cotton grower, Somerville, TN: “The price of fuel has doubled since last year. Every time a trailer truck rolls in here — about one a week — that’s at least $17,000. Per acre, that has added about $10.”
  • The National Cotton Council’s Dr. Gary Adams, vice president, Economic Policy Analysis: “India is poised for growth in both cotton demand and cotton production. India has the second fastest growing economy after China, and given their current population growth, they are expected to overtake China in the coming decades as the most populous country.”
  • Dr. Roy Cantrell, Agricultural Research Division, Cotton Incorporated: “Sustainability is a concept that is misunderstood and misused by many. A focus on sustainability should be welcomed, since this is an opportunity for cotton to be truly recognized as a natural, biodegradable, and renewable fiber when compared to synthetic man-made fibers.”
  • Dr. Tom Barber, Mississippi Extension Cotton Specialist: “This has been a tough year from the start and it’s going to be an expensive year. We had to replant a lot of acres. And now we’re going to have to irrigate a lot of acres. If you can’t get that water over the field quickly and come back with it every 5 days, you’re going to get farther and farther behind.”
  • Josh Brumm, Area Manager, Nu-Till Systems, Memphis, TN: “I graduated from Note Dame. I majored in business economics and finance. I spent 2 1/2 years on Wall Street before I came back to agriculture. I did that because I wanted to be able to talk to growers about the most important thing on their farms — profits.”
  • Dr. Bill Meredith, USDA/ARS: “The U.S. cotton growers’ market has changed from 70% of cotton being processed in the U.S. to 73% being exported.”
  • P. J. O’Rourke, political commentator and humorist: “Some people are worried about the difference between right and wrong. I’m worried about the difference between wrong and fun.” (Editor’s note #2: I didn’t actually hear him say this, but it will take a better man than me to argue.)

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Gantz is the editor of Cotton Grower magazine. Over the years, he has won many National Agricultural Marketing Association awards, including two national NAMAs – one in advertising and one in public relations. Gantz brings hands-on experience, having worked as Sales Manager for an agricultural supply distributor in the Mississippi Delta. See all author stories here.