Cotton gins disappearing as acreage decreases in Arkansas

The upkeep is expensive, said Terry Holland, a farmer who has grown cotton for about 30 years, and many gin owners found it wasn't worth it to modernize the needed infrastructure and implements.

"The state's cotton industry has never seen an extended period of acreage reduction quite like we've seen since 2000," said Scott Stiles, extension economist for the University of Arkansas System's Agriculture Division.

Farmers now plant crops that can boost their bottom lines, such as soybeans, in the fields that once grew cotton.

The equipment and infrastructure is specialized, and that can require a lot of money upfront.