Time running short for essay contest
Apr 8, 2008 9:51 AM
Time is running short for entries in the Future of Delta Cotton Student Essay Contest with two grand prizes of $2,500. Give us your ideas for responsible stewardship to ensure the longevity and viability of Delta cotton production for future generations.
All undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled for the spring 2008 semester at Louisiana State University, Mississippi State University, the University of Arkansas or the University of Tennessee are eligible to apply.
Essays will be accepted through April 18.
Judging will take place May through July, and winners will be determined on or around July 31.
Essays and entry forms must be submitted electronically. For complete information on the contest go to www.FutureOfDeltaCotton.com.
Entries are to be submitted in one of the two judging categories (undergraduate or graduate). Choose one topic and write an original essay using 750 to 1,000 words to address the chosen topic. The topics are:
1. What can growers in the cotton industry do to support and encourage the future production of cotton in the Delta in light of recent acre shifts to other crops, such as an increase in corn production acres to support the demand for biofuels?
2. As someone interested in the cotton industry, how would you market cotton production to future generations of Delta producers to ensure its longevity/viability?
3. Evaluate the impact of cotton production on the agricultural, educational and economic systems of the Delta in the 20th century. What can future generations of Delta cotton producers learn from this history?
4. It is projected that by 2015 China will import nearly half (47 percent) of the world’s cotton production. What should the cotton industry as a whole, and more specifically Delta producers, do to make U.S. cotton more attractive to Chinese buyers?
5. What technological innovation has most impacted Delta cotton production to date? What technological advancements are needed to make future Delta cotton production both viable and economically significant to the grower?
The essay contest is sponsored by Syngenta Crop Protection and Delta Farm Press.
