We were honored to welcome the President of the Hellenic Republic at our facilities on Saturday, 30th of May.
The President arrived at our offices on Saturday morning and was welcomed by Stamatis Kouroudis, founder of the company, together with Ilias and Emmanouela Kouroudi, as well as the company's employees.
Following a short salutation, the President joined us in the meeting room, where a thorough discussion took place regarding cotton farming and other issues. We had the opportunity to present cotton farming conditions in our country, the evolution of cotton cultivation in recent years, as well as the issues the industry is facing. We also highlighted the ways we have adopted at Thrakika Ekkokkistiria to support cotton farmers, in order for them to produce a product with added value that will return to them.
Specifically, during the discussion that took place in our offices, we mentioned:
- our Cotton+ program, through which we can offer better prices to the farmers participating in it
- the Certified Sustainable Fibermax (CSF) program, which is the only certification program in Europe for cotton produced with sustainable farming practices
- the opportunity our company has been offering for years to farmers for fixing the seed cotton prices through the Futures Market
- the application of smart farming systems in cotton and their benefits
- the need for constant information and communication with farmers through our website, our daily newsletter and our smartphone app
- The strict classification that ginned cotton undergoes at our HVI quality control laboratory (currently under certification process). The President also received a tour of the laboratory.
Με μεγάλο ενδιαφέρον είδα από κοντά, στα «Θρακικά Εκκοκκιστήρια», πώς η χρήση της ευφυούς γεωργίας βοηθά τους αγρότες και οδηγεί στην παραγωγή υψηλής ποιότητας βαμβακιού. pic.twitter.com/VbdgjDIV1H
— President GR (@PresidencyGR) May 30, 2020
During the discussion, Stamatis Kouroudis had the opportunity to notify the President about the high cost of irrigation in areas of the country, about the need to coordinate the effort for certifying the Greek cotton production based on international standards, as well as the imminent impact that international social and political events (trade war between USA and China, Covid-19 pandemic) will have on the income of Greek cotton farmers.
After our discussion, we were glad to offer the President a tour of our quality control laboratory (HVI), where we explained the importance of correct and reliable cotton classification. This means that the cotton can be transferred to our clients all over the world without any issues. The President observed the process of testing a cotton sample and was then informed about the quality characteristics that define the final product's price.
We were honored to welcome the President of the Hellenic Republic to our facilities and we are proud to have been given the opportunity to highlight the importance of cotton production and discuss its nuances with her.