Ginning

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 »

OSHA has paid visits to two gins in Texas over the last 12 months. We have learned several lessons from these two visits. One of the main lessons we have learned is that the ginning industry has very good safety programs, policies and procedures in place. If you are following all the recommendations and procedures outlined by your regional and ... Read More »

National Cotton Ginners Association (NCGA) President Dwayne Alford says building and maintaining a well-trained ginning sector workforce is vitally important for the U.S. cotton industry to continue being globally competitive. That’s the key message Alford conveyed in his remarks to the Texas Cotton Ginners’ Association annual meeting last month. “I can’t emphasize enough that a competent ginner workforce is critical ... Read More »

Why the big focus on safety? It's no secret that your associations are the smallest of small businesses, but the role of your associations has become a big part of what you know about ginning cotton. Cotton ginners associations started like most other associations – a way to organize and learn from each other. Read More »