The Hockley County Ag Tour kicked off this past Tuesday with numerous attendees from the community and students from the Smyer High School ag department.
The tour offered a firsthand look at the local agriculture industry and offered valuable information concerning the impact on the region and agriculture awareness.
Hosted by the Levelland Chamber of Commerce and Leadership Levelland, facilities that were toured included the HET Levelland Ethanol Plant, United Cotton Growers Gin and Ag Products.
The tour began at South Plains Implement John Deere Dealer with breakfast. SPI has more than 20 locations and in locations including the one in Levelland that provides farm tractors and equipment for ag and construction needs.
Following breakfast, the tour group departed for Ag Products.
Ag Products is locally owned and has been in business since 1972. Representatives explained how the company assists the agriculture community with fertilizer and chemical needs particular the area and offering free custom consultations for better yields. Additionally, the company provides livestock feeds and supplements for farms, ranches and livestock show animals.
The HET Levelland Ethanol Plant was next to be toured. The Levelland ethanol plant has a capacity of 40 million gallons per year, producing renewable fuel from corn and milo. The plant produced its first batch in March 2008.
United Cotton Growers Gin (UCG) was the next stop. UCG is one of the many cotton gin grower-owner cooperatives in Texas that plays a crucial role in supporting the cotton industry. They provide essential services to cotton growers by processing raw cotton and preparing it for distribution to textile industries worldwide. The operation is consolidated into one modern, centralized location to streamline processes.
Once the cotton is harvested, UCG hauls it to their state-of-the-art facilities where they clean the lint, separate the seeds, and package the lint into 500pound bales which are then shipped to warehouses for storage and eventual sale to merchants, who distribute them to textile plants globally. UCG also assists growers in selling their cotton and markets the byproducts of the ginning process including cotton seed, burrs and motes.
Participants returned to SPI where a lunch was hosted by AgTexas Farm Credit, which is a rural lending cooperative since 1934 assisting Texas farmers, ranched and rural property owners.