The Cost of Ginning Cotton: 2016 Survey Results

The cost of ginning cotton is an important concern for producers and ginners.  Data from this survey provides information about key variable costs as a component of the overall cost components of ginning cotton.  These data also identify historical trends of gin operation and help to document the incorporation of new technology to maintain or reduce ginning cost.  The survey was conducted for the 2016 cotton crop, which produced 16.7 million running bales.  This crop was gathered from 9.5 million acres with an 867 lb average yield, which is 45 lb above the 5-year average yield of 822 lb.  In 2016, there were 556 operating gins, averaging a little over 30,000 bales per gin.