As gin manager Haydn Maddox stands in a field surrounded by nearly five-bale cotton, it’s evident the difference timely but still limited rainfall made on this year’s Texas Wintergarden crop.

The rain, although spotty, was enough that Leona Valley Gin Company, Batesville, Texas, is anticipating a higher bale count than what the extreme drought conditions delivered in 2023.

“We have 30% more acres than we did last year. We’re going to be at about an average season,” Maddox said, anticipating 20,000 more bales than in 2023. “We’re still off on production, what we’ve been in the past, but acreage-wise, you can see at this place here today, we’re at 4.5 to 5-bale cotton.”

The field Maddox was standing in is a mile south of LaCoste on T&D Kohlleppel Farms where father and son, Ted and David Kohlleppel, are picking irrigated cotton with yields ranging from 4.9 bales to the acre to over 5 bales, a personal best. Rainfall on their farm increased from 7 inches in 2023 to 12 inches this season. The average annual rainfall is 36 inches.

Irrigation helped yields as well. The Kohlleppel’s irrigate from the Edwards Aquifer, but severe water restrictions have been imposed due to drought. Maddox is already concerned about the 2025 growing season. “It doesn’t look like those will be lifted next year, so we’re going into the growing season on heavy restrictions.”

Related:Texas farmers set new PB with 5-plus bale cotton

Wintergarden production

The Wintergarden area has about 35,000 cotton acres. Leona Valley Gin, one of two gins in the region, expects to process 60,000 bales, about 10,000 to 20,000 less than normal.

But the key to “normal” in this region is moisture. While the gin is located in a region that boasts of high yields, rich soil and a steady climate, drought has challenged production.  

“Our gin members average about 3 bales to 3.25 bales per acre. So, if we have even a little beneficial rain,” Maddox said they can produce a good crop.

Gin challenges

While the yield uptick is a bright spot this year, Maddox says the ginning industry faces many challenges, like high repair and input costs and labor issues. 

“Input costs are always hard,” he said. Fortunately, he’s seen some relief on fixed costs such as strapping and bagging this year. “We’re a little cheaper this year and that’s based on petroleum prices. Those prices are locked in and petroleum prices were low.”

Bringing in the harvest on T&D Kohleppel Farms, LaCoste, Texas. (Photo by Shelley E. Huguley)

Diesel prices are also down which is a relief. Leona Valley module trucks travel up to 160 miles one way to pick up cotton. “We’re hauling cotton farther than I’ve ever hauled it in my life,” said Maddox who’s been in the industry since the early 2000s.

Related:Texas cotton faring better than last two years

And then there’s the cost of machinery. “You have to figure out how you can justify the upgrades,” Maddox said. “If you don’t upgrade, the efficiency goes down and the cost goes up. You’re caught between a rock and a hard place.”

Labor costs are another issue. “Labor costs are extremely high,” he said. Despite, Maddox considers himself lucky.

“I have a long-term standing relationship with our crews. Well over 60% to 70% of our crew is all family related. We do not use any H2-A program labor. The majority come out of Mexico. I have guys that have been here 13 to 15 years. My number one, righthand man, Jorge DeLeon, is starting his 23rd season at the gin.”

Lack of cotton demand

Low cotton prices and lack of demand are also worrisome. “We're really up against the demand in the cotton industry. We're in a situation where our exports are being overtaken by Brazil. We are going to be No. 2, if we are not already. It's coming and I don’t know if we’ll be able to gain that back.”

He’s also concerned about the loss of Texas gins. “Last year, 162 gins classed cotton in the state of Texas. In 2019, there were 201. But we’ve lost some and I’m afraid we’re going to lose some more this year.”

Related:Irrigation cutoff decision? ‘It depends’

He says financial reasons aren’t always to blame but rather generational as well. “There’s no one to take it over. I have a lot of friends and colleagues that are past retirement age by 20 years, and they have no one to take it over, and eventually they’ll close their doors.”

He praised the Texas Cotton Ginners Association for its intern program that works with mechanical engineering departments at universities such as Texas A&M and Texas Tech to recruit trainees. “I know of two locations where an intern kid is in a job, so that’s a benefit, but it’s not many.”

Part of the challenge is convincing a young adult to enter the field. As is the case with many agricultural careers, it requires more than a 40-hour week.  “You’re going to work for 24 hours a day, seven days a week for 100 days straight with no break. And someone sits there and looks at you and says, ‘What do you mean no break?’ Not even when you go home, the phone will ring.”

Maddox said the cotton industry is in a tough place. “Not just ginning, anything that has anything to do with cotton. We either have to find a way to have a demand for our product or we’ve got to start pursuing different avenues and that’s really the bottom line. 

“Without demand, we’re not here.”