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Title: COST OF GINNING COTTON - 2004 SURVEY RESULTS

Author
item Valco, Thomas
item GREEN, KELLEY - TX COTTON GINNERS' ASSN.
item PRICE, TIMOTHY - SOUTHERN COTTON GINNERS
item FINDLEY, DENNIS - SOUTHEASTERN COTTON GINNE
item ISOM, ROGER - CA COTTON GINNERS ASSN.

Submitted to: National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/10/2006
Publication Date: 6/5/2006
Citation: Valco, T.D., Green, K., Price, T.L., Findley, D.S., Isom, R.A. 2006. Cost of Ginning Cotton - 2004 Survey Results. In the Proceedings of the National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference. January 3-6, 2006, San Antonio, Texas. 2006 CD-ROM

Interpretive Summary: The cost of ginning cotton is an important concern for producers and ginners. This survey has been conducted since 1990 (Mayfield, et. al.) to identify variable costs in an attempt to document key cost components in ginning cotton and help ginners make comparisons with other ginning operations in an effort to reduce costs. This data also identifies historical trends of ginning cost information and helps to document the incorporation of new technology to maintain or reduce ginning costs in spite of ever increasing labor, energy, equipment and regulatory cost.

Technical Abstract: The ginning cost survey has been conducted since 1990 to identify variable costs in an attempt to document key cost components in ginning cotton and help ginners make comparisons with other ginning operations in an effort to reduce costs. Cost surveys were mailed to gin managers to identify variable costs that included: labor (seasonal and full-time), bagging and ties, repairs and maintenance, drying and electrical costs. Gin managers also reported performance information, which included ginning rate, length of season, number of bales, and type of cotton ginned. For the first time this year, module tarps and hauling cost information was requested. Ginners returned 156 surveys which represented about 4.9 million bales, 22 percent of the U.S. production.