By Christopher Coon
Managing Editor,
New Mexico Farm & Ranch Magazine

Cotton industry advocates, including the New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau, joined regional cotton producers for a news conference at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces to explain the importance of the Southwestern Cotton Ginning Research Laboratory.

The laboratory, located on the western edge of New Mexico State University, will be eliminated in September if the current version of the President’s $8 million proposed cut to the Agricultural Research Service’s budget for next year stands. The lab has been in continuous operation since 1949.

Gil Jones, Senior Vice President of Administration and Operations of the Southwest Irrigated Cotton Growers Association, said the lab has made significant breakthroughs that are allowing American cotton growers to remain competitive in the foreign market including: Conducting research that shows boll weevils and other pests cannot survive the ginning and baling process, which eliminates the requirement of fumigations of US cotton entering other countries; conducting research on universal density bale flammability that shows modern cotton bales will not sustain combustion and should not be classified as hazardous material; and the development of a high speed rotary knife gin which has led to the development of much higher production rates.

“All of these breakthroughs have reduced the costs for American cotton producers who are competing in foreign markets,” said Jones. “Recent developments at the lab have greatly increased bale per hour production rates, allowing a higher quality, USA made cotton to be chosen over competitors in the foreign market place.”

Other landmark breakthroughs resulting from work conducted at the lab include the development of modern rotary-knife roller gins and new lint cleaners for upland cotton; cutting edge research on reducing gin plant emissions; improved cotton harvesting methods; and improved ginning techniques to better preserve cotton quality for producers.

Russell Kuhnhenn, President of the National Cotton Ginners Association and an Arizona ginner said the lab is extremely important from a national standpoint.

“This lab has played a key role in keeping our Western cotton growing region competitive,” said Kuhnenn. “But beyond its impact on Western harvesting and ginning, this lab continues to partner with other research facilities to address processing issues that affect ginners across the cotton belt.”

Matt Toste, manager of the Huron Ginning Company located in Huron Calif., said the research conducted at the lab is making it possible for cotton producers to stay in business in his state.

“The cost of doing business in California is very high, but research conducted by this lab has made it possible for us to increase our production capability by a bale and a half per hour,” said Toste. “On behalf of all the cotton ginners in California, we support keeping the lab open.”
Lab Has Made Contributions to the Chile Industry

Through technology gained from the mechanization of cotton harvesting, the lab has been instrumental in developing mechanical harvesting methods for the New Mexico chile industry. Ed Hughes, the laboratory’s research leader, said NMSU asked the lab to aid in developing cleaning methods and techniques for machine harvested red chile six years ago. The lab secured approximately $1.5 million over the past five years in funding to develop a mechanical production system for chile.

“Based on cotton’s experience in going from all hand harvested in 1946 to 100 percent machine harvested in the late 70’s, they — and we — thought that this lab could be technically helpful,” said Hughs.

Hughs said a local entrepreneur has contracted the use of machine harvesting for several hundred acres of red chile this fall and is looking at using the technology for green and other varieties of chile. He noted that processors are reporting the quality of machine harvested crops as rivaling or surpassing that of hand harvested crops.

“We are optimistic that the chile industry will be able to survive and hopefully regain some of the ground that was lost to foreign production with the advances in mechanincal harvesting,” said Hughs. “Hand labor is increasingly either non-existent or very hard and expensive to obtain.”

The Lab is in the process of executing a contract to continue its five year-old partnership with New Mexico State University’s Chile Task Force for another three years. The Chile Task Force works to identify best management practices that will help increase yield and profitability for the grower. It is involved in mechanical thinning, harvesting, and field cleaning projects for chile production.
New Mexico Representatives are Requesting Funding

Since the news conference, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 378-46 to approve an agricultural appropriations measure that restores funding for the lab.

“I am pleased that a substantial majority of my colleagues agreed with us that the Cotton Ginning Research Lab is an essential economic resource that deserves continued federal support even in an extremely tight budget year,” said Representative Pearce. “The Lab not only provides critical data and support for the Southwest’s cotton industry; it continues to assist New Mexico’s chile growers with their efforts to mechanize production and harvesting.”

The House approved $2.027 million for the lab next year. The measure will now go to the U.S. Senate for possible alterations and a vote.

Vanessa CdeBaca, a spokeswoman for Senator Domenici, said Domenici told the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee that funding for the laboratory is a priority of his. She said Domenici worked to secure $2.026 million for the lab in fiscal year 2006 and has requested that funding for next year be set at $2.030 million.

“Senator Domenici believes the work done by this lab is important and is confident that continued federal funding will be provided,” said CdeBaca.

In total, the agriculture appropriations bill provides $18.5 billion for discretionary funding for the Agriculture Department and Food and Drug Administration.

Senator Bingaman has requested $2 million for the fiscal year 2007 agriculture appropriations bill to support the research lab in Las Cruces. “The Southwest Cotton Ginning Research Lab is not only critical to New Mexico’s cotton producers, but to our nation’s cotton industry. The research done here has kept our nation’s cotton growers and processors at the top of the global cotton market - keeping cotton quality high, and continually improving production techniques,” Bingaman said. “This funding would allow them to continue this valuable work.”
Farm Bureau Backs Continued Funding

The New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau played a major role in organizing the news conference and has put a priority in joining the push to persuade Congress that continued funding for the lab is crucial.

“The New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau appreciates the efforts of our elected Representatives to maintain funding for the Southwestern Cotton Ginning Research Laboratory. The lab is a world-class facility that not only provides critical research and development, but also keeps U.S. cotton production on the cutting edge in a global, agricultural marketplace,” said White. “I urge members of our organization to continue to remind our Representatives how important this facility is to the agriculture industry.”

In the 2005/06 crop year, Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas combined for a total of 631,000 bales of Pima cotton and nearly 103 million bales of Upland cotton. New Mexico accounted for 22,000 bales of Pima and 108,000 bales of Upland. A single bale of cotton weighs approximately 500 pounds.

One bale of cotton makes:

8,340 handkerchiefs
760 men’s dress shirts
290 men’s jeans
900 women’s blouses
350 women’s jeans
210 full size sheets
3,671 men’s socks etc.

Media that attended the event or provided coverage included:

Newspapers

Albuquerque Journal
Las Cruces Bulletin
Las Cruces Sun-News

Television

AG Day Television (Worldwide satellite network)
KOAT-TV
KRWG-TV
KTSM- News Center Nine-El Paso
KVIA TV- News El Paso

Radio

KGRT- Radio News-Las Cruces

**Story was picked up by the Associated Press and was covered by numerous other stations in the Farm Bureau network including the powerhouse AM KGNC, Amarillo.