As I mentioned last week… It’s Survey Time.
We have a very quick survey for y’all to fill out. This information helps us represent you and make sure we’re pointing our limited resources in the right direction.
Please take just a few minutes to fill out this short survey of your three challenges in 2024 (the most recent crop year) and then the three challenges you expect to have in 2025.
Thanks for your help! It really does matter.
Dusty
One down… two to go!
The 2025 Ginners Schools are still open for registration. The SW School in Lubbock concluded recently but there are two more opportunities to attend one of these informative schools. Las Cruces, NM is May 6-8, and Stoneville, MS will be 3-5.
Please see the PDF below for more information and how to register. We hope you’ll be able to make one of the schools this year.
More information can be found on the NCGA site at https://www.cotton.org/ncga/ginschool/index.cfm
For many years, the USDA has collected and reported the cost of ginning in the form of a Beltwide paper. The data was only collected every three years and was a paper survey. Participation in the survey has, historically been quite low. TODAY, WE NEED YOUR HELP.
A few years ago, National Cotton Ginners, and USDA developed an electronic version of the GIn Cost Survey. This survey collects all the same information they have in the past but you can fill it out each year to get a much better idea and higher resolution for the cost of ginning. We get requests every year for information on what it costs to run a gin. We rely on the aggregated data to help those folks. Who uses the summaries? A lot of people. Most relevant are when we’re discussing things on farm bill or H-2A etc.
There are additional benefits for YOU by using the electronic survey. The electronic USDA/NCGA version of the cost survey will allow you to track your gin’s variable cost and compare your individual gin to other gins in the region. Additionally, there are a number of charts and graphs, using historical data, that can be generated. The electronic survey will allow for the annual input of a gin’s data and will allow you to include past years’ data if desired.
The data is strictly confidential, and the data will be shown only in aggregate. Ginning cost and the ability for the industry to track these costs are extremely important. This data is used for cost comparisons in the Southeast and is used nationally in both farm bill discussions and discussions with USDA. Ginning cost data also will be an important discussion point in programs, such as the US Cotton Trust Protocol and, in particular, energy use.
Please use this electronic survey to report various costs. Home – Gin Survey (cottonsurvey.org)
Let us know if you have any questions.
As part of the Continuing Resolution in December, Congress passed economic relief for farmers. The program, Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) is a one time assistance program for low commodity prices in 2024. The USDA announced the program details and how to sign up on their website today.
https://www.fsa.usda.gov/ecap/ecap for more information and details on the program.
Sign up will begin TOMORROW March and runs through August 15. The payments will be at 85% of the noted amount and the remaining will be prorated based on available funds.
DSF
As I reported Monday, the Joint Cotton Industry Bale Packaging Committee would be taking up the National Cotton Council policy on the elimination of Woven Polypropylene and Wire Ties at its meeting this week. The meeting, held yesterday, could not come to an agreement on a timeline for phasing out the materials. This will not eliminate the language or nullify the Council’s policy expressing the overall industry wishes to remove these two materials from the approved lists.
The JCIBPC Executive Committee has agreed to continue to meet regularly until a solution is agreed to and then bring it to the full committee for ratification. The members left the meeting without an agreement.
What does this mean? The Council’s language is”
“The cotton industry, through the JCIBPC, should work to remove woven polypropylene and wire ties as an approved bale packaging material and develop a reasonable phase out period for this material. The industry should investigate options for a more durable polyethylene bag and a lighter-weight cotton bag;”
The National Cotton Council Staff will continue to pursue this policy until and unless it is changed…this is unlikely for many reasons.
This language was adopted as a result of recommendations from the Council’s Strategic planning committee. This was just one of the recommendations that were adopted with the goal of improving the US cotton’s competitiveness vs other growths in the world. In other words holding onto and expanding our pieces of the world cotton trade. The goal is admirable… and if, on this issue, it is what the world wants, then we should respond.
The question then becomes how does this get translated in to something the industry can make long term plans with. That was where the committee came to logger heads. Some segments feel this should be a quick and easy switch and were pushing for a short term… others were pushing for a more market based approach encouraging the market forces to drive these changes.
The long and the short is that these materials will likely be eliminated eventually. We’ll continue to push for as long as transition as we can but will not be able to push it out indefinitely. Our Board adopted a policy in January that allowed for the eventual elimination of Woven PP bags but to allow market forces to drive the usage of wire ties. Opposing the elimination of wire as an approved material until it is no longer in use as has been done with other materials in the past.
There was a lot of discussion on the use of cotton bagging. There is only one approved cotton bag in the US but it is quite heavy and prohibitively expensive. Australia is 100% or nearly so PET strapping and cotton bags. Bags similar to those used in other countries will be tested this coming season by the National Cotton Council. These field trials are limited to small quantities and until a mfg or distributor comes with a test program, will continue to be small. Full approval is a multi year process.
Bottom line…if you’re using Woven PP and/or Wire Ties. It’s time to explore alternatives. Talk to your merchant and mill customers and find out what they want and why. Develop a timeline understanding that the Committee’s timeline may not match up with your’s once the committee comes to a consensus. I know this is not great news but while we’re pushing to keep as much flexibility as possible as long as possible, we need to keep you informed.
Email or call me if you have questions.
Each year the Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association recognizes a ginner for outstanding leadership and dedication to the industry. This year, the Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association proudly recognizes one such individual whose journey embodies these values—Billy Sickler, the 2024 Southeast Cotton Ginner of the Year. The award was presented at the recent Southern Southeastern Annual meeting in Hilton Head, SC.
Billy’s path to the cotton gin wasn’t the traditional one. Born in Kentucky and later moving to Alabama in high school, he didn’t grow up in the industry. Instead, his journey took a different route—one that began with service to his country. After enlisting in the Army and serving a short time, he returned home to Alabama in search of a job. That search led him to a local cotton gin, where his career in the industry began as a “yard man.”
From the very start, Billy’s exceptional work ethic and problem-solving skills set him apart. It didn’t take long for his leadership potential to be recognized, and by the following season, he was promoted to assistant manager. His former boss once said that he had “never met someone with the work ethic and drive to learn that Billy demonstrated”—an attribute that would serve him well in the years to come.
Billy’s career has been marked by perseverance, adaptability, and a commitment to excellence. He has experienced both the highs and lows of the business, from ginning just 3,800 bales to overseeing the closure of one gin and the establishment of an entirely new operation. Today, as General Manager of the Associated Cotton Growers Coop in Athens, AL, he leads one of the largest ginning operations in the state—one that recently processed over 62,000 bales in a single season.
Beyond his professional achievements, Billy is a devoted husband to his wife, Erica, and a proud father to their two daughters. Their journey together has been filled with hard work, resilience, and growth—not only in the cotton industry but also in their family life. In addition to managing a thriving gin operation, Billy and Erica own a pet crematory business, and more recently, Billy has embraced his newest and perhaps most cherished role yet: “Grumpy” to his two young grandchildren.
The Southeastern Cotton Ginners Association takes great pride in honoring Billy Sickler as the 2024 Southeast Cotton Ginner of the Year. His story is one of dedication, perseverance, and an unwavering commitment to the cotton industry. Please join us in congratulating Billy on this well-deserved recognition!