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Traditional southern crop is gaining ground in Cowley County

By FOSS FARRAR
Traveler Staff Writer
reporter@arkcity.net

Cold, wet weather hurt the 2004 cotton crop in Kansas. Nevertheless, the Cotton Growers Cooperative, Inc., in rural Winfield, had a record year, ginning 25,670 bales.

"We set a record, ginning 50 percent more than we ever ginned before," Gene Latham, general manager, said last week.

The previous record for the cooperative, also known as The Cotton Gin, was set for the 2002 crop, when it ginned 17,167 bales.

The cold weather delayed the end of the 2004 harvest until just a few weeks ago, Latham said.

"We like to harvest in October and November, but we've just finished (ginning) April 6 because it stayed wet through the winter," he said. "Statewide, we lost a lot because of the cold, wet summer."

Although it was a bad year for growers particularly in western Kansas, nearly everywhere else in the world, there was a record cotton crop, Latham added.

Kansas traditionally is a wheat state and also is associated with corn, thanks in part to the line from the old musical: "I'm as corny as Kansas in August." But Kansas and cotton usually aren't associated with each other.

That may change.

"Kansas no longer produces the least amount of cotton among farm states," Latham said. "It has surpassed New Mexico, and now is right at the Virginia level. Soon, we'll surpass Virginia and Florida, and Oklahoma within a few years."

The Cotton Gin cooperative, which has 300 members, received an Industry of the Month Award a few years ago from the now defunct CCEDA, Cowley County Economic Development Agency. CCEDA has been replaced by another economic development group, Cowley First.

Latham, who moved to this area from Texas in 1995, said the notion of growing cotton in Kansas used to be considered a joke, because Kansas was too far north. Nevertheless, he saw potential for cotton growing here and opened the Cotton Gin in 1996.

In 2004, cotton was grown in 28 counties in Kansas, including Cowley. Growing cotton is a $23 million business for Kansas farmers, he said.

Latham estimates that statewide, Kansas farmers ginned 75,000 bales from the 2004 cotton crop. Products from the crop and their estimated weight and farm value: fiber (36 million pounds, $19.9 million), cottonseed (37,058 tons $3.2 million), motes (343,340 pounds, $50,000), by-products (25,000 tons $250,000).

"We project that 150,000 acres of cotton will be produced this year," Latham said.

Planting season is just around the corner, in May and June.

"The advantage of Central Kansas to cotton growers is its altitude of 1,160 feet, and we are away from the Gulf Coast of Texas where there are hurricanes," Latham said.

The "heat level" of the Winfield area is 100 above the level in Lubbock, Texas, area where three million acres of crop are grown annually. The relatively low altitude in this area keeps cotton warmer at night than crops grown at higher altitudes, he added.

The gin has a full-time staff of five people. During ginning season, 30 people work at the plant. Its annual operating budget is a little over $2 million, Latham said.

Above: Gene Latham talks cotton at an exhibit last year.