Ginning

On Sept. 10, 2015, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released new rules that could directly affect cotton gins across the country by next year. Most people don’t think of cotton gins as producers of food, but since 2003, cotton gins have been required to register with the FDA as a producer of food for animals. We call it ... Read More »

Texas Cotton Ginners’ Association (TCGA) members know how to adapt. No matter how unusual the production environment or number of issues, this organization usually finds a way to adjust quickly. Not surprisingly, members had plenty to talk about at TCGA’s Summer Meeting recently at the Barton Creek Resort in Austin, Texas. “We certainly discussed a wide range of issues at our meeting,” says TCGA executive vice president Tony Williams. “Our organization is optimistic and hopeful about the size of the crop our farmers can deliver this year – even though we know that some areas couldn’t even plant.” In one of his reports to the TCGA Board of Directors, Williams presented data that supports the idea that a large cotton crop is possible this year – despite lower planted acreage statewide. The latest USDA crop report pegs cotton acreage in Texas at 5.2 million acres. That is a reduction of one million acres compared to 2014. Read More »

Nobody in Texas expects 2015 to be an easy season for growing or ginning cotton, but the industry will persevere and do its best to deliver a highquality crop in the fall. That’s the unanimous opinion of producers, ginners and Texas Cotton Ginners’ Association (TCGA) members who attended the organization’s recent annual meeting in Lubbock. In some ways, this could ... Read More »

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. Read More »

Everything you need for a profitable 2015 season. Be there when the doors open! If you’re a farmer or ginner, this is the time of year for finding new information that can make a difference during the 2015 cotton production season. And you’d be hard pressed to find a better event to visit than the annual Mid-South Farm & Gin ... Read More »

West Tennessee producer/ginner Richard Kelley has observed many changes in the cotton industry for the past 40 years. In this interview with Cotton Farming, he discusses some of the major issues as harvest and ginning seasons approach. What's uppermost in your mind as ginning season approaches? The thoughts that come to mind are "survival" and the future of cotton in our area. These are challenging times for cotton as we deal with weak demand, larger carryover and lower prices. Read More »

Nearly every gin in the country has some type of air quality or environmental permit. Some are simple, and some are complex. It is important to know what your permit says because, just like every other government document, you’re responsible for what it says and what you are supposed to be doing. Over the past several years in the Southeast, ... Read More »