AgriThority® AgriConnect™ reveals cotton production advancements to international seed company executives

AgriThority®, an agricultural science consultancy focused on accelerating new technologies to commercialization in markets around the world, introduced Chinese seed company executives to modern cotton production practices in the inaugural AgriConnect™ program.

AgriConnect™ is a global agricultural business networking service guided by AgriThority for on-site exploration and interaction. Participants are introduced to crop production systems in new environments through the program. The first AgriConnect™ organized meetings with prominent industry leaders and companies throughout Texas, representing all aspects of the US cotton and textile industries. Presentations and demonstrations revealed insights into emerging agricultural developments to achieve higher yields and higher quality lint.

AgriThority Founder and President Jerry Duff describes AgriConnect™ as an advanced B2B service combining networking and education to create a memorable experience. "These journeys are more than a farm tour, they are educational and interactive agricultural expeditions for first-hand interaction with other business owners or managers," Duff said.

Participants, who collectively account for more than 50 percent of the China cotton seed industry, visited a USDA cotton classing office, cotton ginning factory, crop protection and cotton seed facilities, and the Fiber & Biopolymer Research Institute. They also experienced cotton farming operations up close in conditions similar to their customers' farms.

Group discussions, facility tours and seminars encouraged AgriConnect™ participants to build relationships with leaders in the US cotton industry and attain information they could apply to their own businesses. Group discussions reviewed daily highlights and allowed participants to ask AgriThority specialists how newly acquired information could be applied specifically to their own operations.

"AgriThority has a central role in advancing new technologies to improve sustainable production of food, feed, fiber and biofuels, protecting the ecosystem and helping to ensure food security in the future," said Jin Zhang, AgriThority Project Manager. "Through AgriConnect™, we are educating industry leaders around the world and encouraging broader adoption of technologies that achieve higher production levels and more responsible use of agricultural inputs in sustainable programs." 

AgriThority-led topics addressed cultivation technology and solutions for China's cotton growers, future innovations and challenges in seed production and seed treatment applications, including the growing application of biologic products. AgriThority representatives leading the inaugural AgriConnect™ included Jerry Duff, Dr. Dave Guthrie, Richard Shaw, Shigui Zhang and Jin Zhang. The ten-day program, conducted in early January, started and ended in Dallas, with stops in San Antonio for the Beltwide Cotton Conferences, Lubbock and San Angelo, as well as rural areas of Texas.