Phenomenal growth of the volume of South Texas cotton handled by PCCA prompted the cooperative’s board of directors to re-align Districts 10 and 11 earlier this year to ensure more equitable representation for members in those districts.
Much of PCCA’s South Texas growth in recent years occurred in District 10 which encompassed the Coastal Bend, Winter Garden area and Central Texas. Average bales ginned by PCCA-affiliated gins in District 10 during the 1995-99 crop years increased almost 93,000 bales compared to the average ginned during the 1993-97 crop years. Meanwhile, average bales ginned in District 11 remained almost steady during the same two, five-year periods.
To better balance district representation in South Texas, PCCA’s Board of Directors voted to transfer Zavala, San Patricio and Nueces counties from District 10 to District 11. Gins and their membership affected by the transfer are Winter Garden Coop, Midway Gin, Smith Gin Coop, Edcot Coop, Petronila, Coastal Bend, Chapman Ranch, True Coop and Gulf Coast. District 10 is represented by Curtis Jensen of Danevang Farmers, and District 11 is represented by Steve Bauer of La Feria Coop.
In other action earlier this year, PCCA’s Board approved the addition of one seat on the South Texas Marketing Pool Committee to provide representation for Central Texas pool members. Frank DeStefano from the Taylor, TX, area was elected to the committee. Curtis Jensen also was elected chairman of the South Texas Marketing Pool Committee, replacing the retiring L.H. Laffere of Winter Garden.