To increase their understanding of what options on futures contracts are, and what they can do to increase their profits, cotton producers in the Southeast and Mid-South should make it a priority to attend “Hedging with Cotton Options” — an information-rich continuing series of workshops hosted by Cotton Incorporated and the New York Board of Trade.

“Sessions within the workshops will cover the basics, as well as some of the more intermediate information related to cotton futures and options, specific hedging strategies involving the use of cotton options contracts, real world strategies and a cotton market outlook,” states Jeanne Reeves, director of Agricultural Research and Ag Division staff economist with Cotton Incorporated.

The first two workshops of 2006 will be held as follows: Thursday, Feb. 23 from 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at Staplcotn's Headquarters in Greenwood, Miss., and Tuesday, Feb. 28 from 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at the Gateway Convention Centre in Rocky Mount, N.C.

To learn more about either of these seminars, contact Jeanne Reeves, Cotton Incorporated, (919) 678-2370 — jreeves@cottoninc.com or Tim Barry, New York Board of Trade, (212) 748-4096 — tbarry@nybot.com.