TCGA’s ‘GINNER OF THE YEAR’

Dennis Flowers...Sudan, Texas 
     
When someone wins the Texas Cotton Ginners Association's "Ginner of the Year" award, it figures that a rich family tradition is involved.

Such is the case with this year's winner – Dennis Flowers, general manager of the Sudan Farmers Cooperative Gin in Sudan, Texas. His father Clyde and grandfather were also a part of the cotton business.

Now Dennis' son Garrett is part of the industry as manager of nearby Spade Cooperative Gin. Four generations of the Flowers' family have had their roots in cotton, and that suits everybody fine.

"This is definitely an emotional mo-ment for me," says Dennis. "I lost my dad (Clyde) last year, and we worked side-by-side for 25 years at the Sudan gin. I just wish he was here to see this happen."

Winning the prestigious TCGA award means a lot to Dennis. But, more importantly, he believes it is a reflection on all  employees at the gin and farm store (Farmers Cooperative Association of Sudan). In all, that would be 25 workers.

When Dennis' father Clyde retired in 2002, it was natural that the family management philosophy would continue in how the gin and farm store were operated. At the core of that philosophy was the idea that no new debt would be incurred, and every facet in the operation of the gin and store would be efficient and innovative.

source : cottonfarming

Message From Tony Williams

     

It is my pleasure to welcome all of you to our 103rd Annual Meeting and Cotton Trade Show of the Texas Cotton Ginners' Association. The officers, executive committee, board of directors and staff hope you enjoy the show. Please let us know if there is anything we can do for you while you are attending our event.

The theme for this year's show is "Ginning for Success in a New Decade." We chose this theme to reflect on the beginning of a new decade and the optimism of the coming crop year and  eventual ginning season. Although the economy remains sluggish, there are signs that things are beginning to improve with consumer demand for textiles, which means more demand for our raw cotton.

This year shows promise of a better cotton price, at least one that is more competitive in relation to grain prices, and hopefully this will mean more acres of cotton. But, more importantly, many areas of Texas have received good moisture and are in decent shape to produce a significant crop, but we always have to remember it cannot be counted until it is ginned and baled.


source : cottonfarming

Agriculture has had a history

Industry Comments
 

Tim Price
Southern Cotton Ginners Assoc.
Memphis, Tenn.

Agriculture has had a history of working with Congress in a bipartisan manner across party lines. However, we're in an era now where the intensity of feelings has increased at all levels. We have huge issues with the economy in the country, and there is a lot of tension in Washington. However, I am sensing a change in the House and Senate. Our representatives know that the general public wants cooperation, and that bodes well for agriculture as we look ahead to the future. I think our friends in Congress want to work together to protect important farm programs because they know it's the right thing to do.

 
Lee Tiller
Ginner
Odem, Texas

Our ag groups in Texas are pretty optimistic that our friends in Congress will protect cotton programs, and it all starts with Sen. Lincoln in Arkansas. She means a lot to our industry, and we need for her to win re-election so that she can maintain her position as chairman of the Senate Ag Committee. Also, I have a lot of confidence in the National Cotton Council's ability to represent us and cultivate important relationships in Washington.

 
Van Murphy
Ginner
Quitman, Ga.

I'll be the first one to tell you that we always have challenges in Congress when it comes to protecting important cotton programs. This year is no different. Having said that, I am hopeful that folks like Sen. Lincoln and Sen. Chambliss will be able to lead the charge in helping us hold on to our programs. I know we're in a tough budget environment, but the cotton industry needs all of its friends to step forward and help out. Agriculture seems to always have a target on its back, and we simply can't give up. Too much is at stake right now.


source : cottonfarming

Cotton seedlings

It's Time To Prepare For Planting

Cotton seedlings are susceptible to cool temperatures that can lead to slow germination and emergence. These conditions will result in an increased incidence of seedling disease and mortality. For more weather data, go to the following

 
LOUISIANA
Don Boquet
dboquet@agcenter.lsu.edu

One thing that has become clear at the production meetings this winter is the great interest in minimizing input costs for cotton production. Most producers seem to think that reducing costs is critical to maintain or increase acreage. How to go about cost reduction is the question. Any limitation of inputs could reduce yield, and if the yield reduction is excessive, net profits would decrease.

All seem to recognize that there is more than an ample supply of cotton in the world and therefore would be willing to accept some yield reductions if these were offset by decreased inputs, such that net profits were increased or maintained. Discussions have included possibilities of returning to use of conventional varieties or, at the very least, omitting one or more of the transgenic traits. In Louisiana, the transgenic Bt trait is very beneficial and, with the current insect situation, worth the cost because alternative worm control options may not be as effective and may be more costly than the transgenic Bt fee.


source : cottonfarming

Uncertain irrigation

It's Time To Prepare For Planting
Uncertain irrigation water supply situations will likely again result in a range of strategies for pre-plant and early season irrigations, and these will impact irrigation scheduling and strategies for the rest of the growing season.

This "set-up" to the growing season could again make decisions on which fields to plant or fallow, timing of pre-plant irrigations and first post-planting irrigation more difficult. With all of the changes in cropping patterns of the past couple of years, with expansion and contraction of alfalfa, safflower, cotton and small grains acreage, it may be useful to develop some new ideas about where cotton could fit into your production plans.

 
ALABAMA
Charles Burmester
burmech@auburn.edu

Glyphosate-resistant weeds have been a very hot topic at most meetings so far this season. In Alabama, glyphosate-resistant horseweed has been a problem for several years, and farmers have normally been able to control this weed by adding a 2,4-D or a dicamba product to burn-down sprays at least 21 days before planting. The resistant

horseweed, however, continues to change, and the pest is now emerging in many fields throughout the growing season. I pulled many horseweed plants in fields as I looked at cotton last summer and fall.

source : cottonfarming

Cotton harvest

It's Time To Prepare For Planting
GEORGIA
Guy Collins
guyc@uga.edu

Cotton harvest in Georgia is still ongoing as of mid-February, but the majority of cotton is finally out of the field. Hopefully, our rains will subside long enough for producers to get some field work completed. With that in mind, there are a number of factors to consider as we prepare for planting the 2010 crop. Most fields that I've seen across the state have some amount of damage resulting from the sub-optimal harvest conditions that we've recently experienced.

When planning for the 2010 season, producers need to consider the repair costs for the extensive washouts and large equipment ruts. In addition to the costs of field repairs, producers need to consider the time required to repair these fields.

 
TEXAS
Randy Boman
r-boman@tamu.edu

The 2009 crop year in the High Plains was a very mixed bag. Some producers did very well with irrigated cotton, some was below par and the dryland acreage where we had a crop was difficult. The Lubbock and Lamesa Classing Office results reflected this. We ended up with around 56 percent color grades 11 or 21, substantially higher than the 40 percent observed in 2008.

source : cottonfarming

What other major regulatory issues are of concern to the industry?

Acting On Regulatory Threats


A Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals' ruling stated that a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit is required under the Clean Water Act for any pesticide application on, over or near "waters of the United States." The NCC was an original plaintiff in a suit against EPA on this issue and joined with other agricultural groups in filing a petition of certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court seeking reversal of the Sixth Circuit decision in NCC vs. EPA. The NCC also is actively engaged with EPA to develop a general permit system, despite our concerns with the Justice Department's response that says there is no need for a Supreme Court review. The Justice Department's rationale is there is adequate time to mitigate the impact of the Sixth Circuit's incorrect decision by issuing "general permits" for pesticide use.

The NCC also is active in a coalition to ensure that final food safety legislation does not include many of the objectionable provisions of the House-passed food safety bill. That measure contained several negotiated on-farm exemptions but still includes gins and cottonseed facilities under its provisions. The NCC joined several other organizations and the grain trade on a letter outlining concerns with the House bill's provisions and noting recommended improvements for the Senate bill prior to markup.

Another concern is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) proposed regulation of combustible dust in the workplace. The NCC and seven other cotton industry organizations submitted detailed comments that urged the agency to focus its efforts on industries that have experienced problems with combustible dust. OSHA should not attempt to regulate operations such as gins, warehouses, cottonseed storage and processing facilities, and textile mills that can provide science supportive of why such incidences cannot occur. Answers also were provided to 69 OSHA-posed questions.

source : cottonfarming