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COTTON FARMING IS THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE GINNING INDUSTRY.
More Patience Needed With New Technology I guess it’s no secret that we have some challenging times ahead. A new Farm Bill, a totally new way to think about cotton as a piece of the Farm Bill and dramatically lower prices than anyone really expected have all added to an already challenging business climate for ginners. These are times where we have to think a bit differently. The past few weeks have been full of meetings. Some were forward looking, and some were more reminiscent of the past. Some had people trying to figure out the future, and others were just wishing they could go back in time. I can truly understand both of these takes on our current situation. We’ve never quite been in this condition before, and most hope it passes quickly. Ginners are no different than any other downstream processors in many commodities. For ginners to survive, farmers must plant cotton. In order to plant cotton, farmers need to see an incentive. In some places, there are no real alternatives for the time being. These areas are seeing only small swings in acres projected for 2015. Elsewhere, cotton just doesn’t pencil out for farmers. These are the areas seeing much larger shifts. Regardless, it’s apparent we’ll see fewer acres in most of the country this year, and it will be a challenge to make it through the next few seasons. The buzzword I’ve heard in a lot of circles is input costs. This has more to do with production than ginning, but the same idea can be applied to ginning – just a different term. It’s called “variable costs.” Most of the discussions at our meetings have had to do with the cost of ginning. Bagging and ties, transportation to the gin, electricity and labor are all part of this equation. One of the most exciting things I’ve seen recently is the advent of automated bagging systems. We highlighted three of them at the Southern-Southeastern meeting in January, and many were installed (some experimentally) across the Belt. These systems reduce the need for one of the most expensive pieces of the pie, and that’s labor. I’ve seen unfair pot shots taken at some of these systems recently in the press. The fact that something is different doesn’t make it bad. The testing protocols will be worked through. That’s why these are “experimental” systems. Before we bury something, lets give some radical thinking some space to mature.
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Stover Unwrapper GIS
Stover Module Retriever Bed
* Meets all John Deere requirements * 100% electric (no hydraulics) * One person to remove wrap * Process at 80+ bales per hour * Gantry is stationary * Adaptable to most module feeders * Computerized touch screen controls
* Rubber Tracks * RMS Chain on entire bed * Specially designed hydraulic tracks * Stover sliding tracks * Splitter valve * Automatic rear bumper * Optional camera and monitor
800-689-7740 361-884-8961 www.stoverequipment.com
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Another area that a lot of people are talking about is unwrapping systems. The advent of the round module system has, in many cases, added to the labor at the module feeder. In talking to machinery manufacturers across the country, many are looking to find ways to reduce the labor on the module feeder, as we’re seeing around the press. This is exciting but nothing is even in the napkin sketch stage yet as far as I know. Each step in the automation movement has significant implications in the reduction in overall cost of ginning. Labor is harder and harder to find, and with increasing wages, increasing insurance costs and improvements in the economy, these automated systems can’t get here fast enough. I’m very excited to see some of these new technologies come about, and I hope the “new� thinking will be allowed to mature. The only way we can survive these challenges is to be progressive and try new things. When we come out on the other side, we’ll be a stronger industry for it.
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Dusty Findley of the Southeastern Cotton Ginners’ Association contributed this article. Contact him at the association’s headquarters in Dawsonville, Ga., at (706) 344-1212 or via email at dusty@southern-southeastern.org.
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COTTON FARMING APRIL 2015
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NORTHERN/LUCUS MACHINE 1116 Slaton Hwy. Lubbock, TX FOR SALE: 2 – 158 GIN STANDS WITH CONTROLS MANUFACTURER OF HI-CAPACITY LINT CLEANING SYSTEMS IN 86” to 110” WIDTHS NEW 60” & 72” OVERSHOT BATTERY CONDENSERS 96” TO 144” INCLINE CLEANERS, STICK MACHINES & AIRLINE SEPARATORS HIGH CAPACITY VACUUMS USED & FACTORY REBUILT GIN MACHINERY BALE HANDLING SYSTEMS COMPLETE LINE OF REPAIR PARTS FOR MURRAY, MITCHELL, H.E., CONSOLIDATED, CONTINENTAL, MOSS, LUMMUS, HORN & CMI 806-745-8156 1-800-776-8182 FAX 806-745-0564 E-MAIL: NORTHERNLUCUS@YAHOO.COM WWW.NORTHERNLUCUS.COM
Lummus Corporation has available the following quality, high-capacity used gin machinery. All machinery is offered “as is, where is” (unless noted otherwise) and is subject to prior sale. “As is” machinery can be repaired/reconditioned for an additional charge. 1 – Consolidated 96” R-5000 Stick Machine*
2 – Lummus Model 66 Lint Cleaners with Condensers
2 – Lummus Model 108 Lint Cleaners with 30” x 108” Condensers
1 – Cherokee Regal RFB Lint Cleaner with Condenser and Guards
(1997 model) and Deluxe Guards (Guards can be configured for either Single or Tandem installation)
1 – Belt-Wide 75-HP Flooded-Suction Hydraulic Booster Pumping Unit 1 – Lubbock Electric Hydraulic Pumping Unit for Gin Dor-Les® or E.E.
1 – Lummus 60” overshot Standard Battery Condenser*
Dor-Les® Press (single reservoir with multiple motor/pump groups) 1 – Consolidated 72” undershot Standard Battery Condenser* 1 – Lummus Bale Handling System for up-packing press 1 – Consolidated 72” undershot MC Battery Condenser* 1 – Lot, miscellaneous Burner and Moisture Unit components 1 – 1997 model Ginning/Lint Cleaning Line, consisting of a 96” wide Model 700TM Feeder, 170-Saw ImperialTM III Gin, Super-Jet® Lint Cleaner, and tandem (2) Model 108
(contact us for details) * - does not include any Steel Supports or Platforms
Lint Cleaners, with all guards, duct work, and related items
Physical Address: 225 Bourne Boulevard • Savannah, Georgia 31408-9586 USA Mailing Address: P.O. Box 929 • Pooler, Georgia 31322-0929 USA Phone: (912) 447-9000 • Fax: (912) 447-9250 Toll Free (USA Only): 1-800-4LUMMUS (1-800-458-6687) Web Site: www.lummus.com • E-mail: lummus.sales@lummus.com ®
© Copyright 2015 Lummus Corporation
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