Sponsored by the Chilton County Cooperative Extension Office and the Chilton Research and Extension Center, the conference has developed into one of the most important annual events for Alabama peach producers.

Growers surveyed following the 2002 meeting reported an average 54 percent increase in yield/profitability on their farm due to knowledge gained from the meeting. More than 100 growers attend the annual meeting, representing most of the state’s peach producers.

"This equates to a value of more than $3 million in revenues for Alabama peach growers in good crop years like 2001," says Chilton County Extension Agent Gary Gray, an organizer of the annual meeting.

"This is a good indication of how the Alabama Experiment Station and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System are working to keep Alabama’s peach industry sustained well into the 21^st Century."

"Alabama peach growers are facing ever-increasing challenges to maintain the profitability of their industry, and they rely on researchers and Extension experts for valuable production and marketing technology to stay competitive."

Gray believes the annual meeting serves a vital role by putting Alabama peach growers in touch with some of the Southeast’s most respected peach researchers and Extension specialists, who provide growers with the latest technology and product research as well as updates on insect-, disease- and weed-control research.

This year’s meeting will feature cutting-edge technologies that will help producers reduce production costs and increase yields through the use of chemical bloom-thinning agents.

Speakers also will discuss plant-growth regulators that can reduce crop losses stemming from weather-related hazards, Gray says.

Growers also will be updated on the latest innovations in product marketing, such as the highly successful Farmers Market Nutrition Program, as well as changes in labor law and the H-2A migrant labor acquisition program.

This year’s guest speaker, Dr. Greg Reighard, Clemson University Extension horticulturist, will present a lecture titled "Peach Production in the 21^st Century."

A catered steak supper will be served at no cost to participants.