We have heard recent reports of cotton gin inspections being done by the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division in the Southeast and Oklahoma. Now, Texas gins are receiving inspections as well.
Texas had quite a few inspections...
Just four years ago cotton prices bottomed out, Arkansas acreage and production dropped, and only a handful of cotton gins remained open.
But in 2019, prices, acreage and production saw a dramatic increase, bringing a need for more ginning capacity....
An anonymous quote that popped up recently on my social media feed says, “A rich man buying you something means nothing, but a busy man giving you his time means everything.” I am not sure I agree with the...
Today’s Texas cotton ginner has a forward-thinking approach to the future and isn’t deterred by low prices or fewer acres. That’s the opinion of Ross Rutherford, product general manager of Lummus Corporation, and a long-time observer of the Texas cotton ginning industry.
In fact, Rutherford says a prime example of this philosophy is the way Texas ginners continue to invest in technology and timely upgrades.
“A lot of this is being driven by consolidation within the ginning industry, but much of it is a reflection of our customers looking to the future,” he says.
Low cotton prices are nothing new for producers and ginners, according to Rutherford. And, since crop options are limited in the country’s largest cotton production state (Texas), gin owners aren’t afraid of making investments in machinery.
Some examples of new ginning equipment will be on display at the Texas Cotton Ginners’ Association Trade Show on April 9-10 at the Lubbock Civic Center.
BY TOMMY HORTON
EDITOR
If it’s February, it can only mean one thing. Winter is almost over, and spring can’t be too far away. It also means that the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show is right around the corner. Those are...
It’s no surprise that gin equipment is expensive. And being operated three to four months per year means there are eight or more months to repair the gin. Most gins do a great job of tearing down machinery and...
BY BRENT MURPHREE
MARICOPA, ARIZ.
Large-scale solar energy use on Western cotton farms has been slow on the uptake. However, cotton ginners in the West have begun looking at solar energy options to help cut electrical costs during ginning season.
Nationwide, energy...
As planting dates get closer, producers often think of two things: picking the best varieties and ensuring they mature safely through the growing season. Two new webcasts from “Focus on Cotton,” a joint publication project between Cotton Incorporated and...
The volume of cotton that gets left on the ground during the harvest season has always been a source of frustration for producers.
In the Western Cotton Belt, farmers are able to gather some of that cotton using Rood cotton harvesters. The harvesters use slotted belts to pick the cotton from the ground.
By Tommy Horton
Editor
Sometimes we can learn more about farmers and ginners by spending an entire day with these folks and tracing their steps during a typical work day. In other words, unless we can understand the numerous decisions made...
The Southern Cotton Ginners’ Association (SCGA) attracted a crowd of more than 200 to its summer meeting at the Beau Rivage Hotel in Biloxi, Miss., and a wide range of issues was discussed at the event.
Several key speakers made...
EDITOR’S NOTE: Robert Royal is a farmer-ginner in Midnight, Miss., and is currently serving as president of the Southern Cotton Ginners Association. In this in-depth interview with Cotton Farming magazine, he discusses a wide range of issues confronting the...
By Jim Granberry
Dallas, Texas
When I was a child, my summer vacations were spent traveling with my parents from cotton gin to cotton gin in the family’s blue Buick (the model with four scoops on the front fenders). During those...
Even as they deal with a drought for the third straight year, Texas Cotton Ginners’ Association members remain hopeful that timely rains will occur this summer, allowing cotton to be harvested and ginned in a timely manner.
That was the...
By Roger Isom
Calif. Cotton Ginners Association
While folks begin to tighten things up for the upcoming ginning season, pre-season training will begin, and as always, they will slap in the National Cotton Ginners Association’s Safety videos, including the one on...
