Don’t forget the needs of rural South Texas

[thackney]

Don’t forget the needs of rural South Texas
http://www.southwestfarmpress.com/cotton/don-t-forget-needs-rural-south-texas
Aug 30, 2017

...But we do not want to forget the rural communities, isolated farmsteads, and agricultural infrastructure destroyed by this awful storm. South Texas cotton farmers were poised to make one of the best crops in years. Much of it is gone. Most cotton in the field when the storm hit is lost. Some may retain just enough lint to require harvest for insurance purposes. Much cotton harvested and stored on field borders and in gin yards is worthless. Some modules were simply torn apart and blown away.

Cotton gins have been destroyed, many out of commission for the year; some may require rebuilding to be back in service for the 2018 crop.

Livestock losses are unknown as ranchers and others make their way across rangeland looking for animals caught in the hurricane’s fury.

Some help will be available. FEMA, Red Cross and other agencies will be on site offering aid. The farm bill, too, offers assistance, and Farm Service Agency representatives will be inundated by requests for help as soon as farm folk can get back into their homes—if homes remain intact—and begin the arduous process of salvaging what’s salvageable and rebuilding  what is not.

Crop insurance will help, but coverage will be far less than the loss.

None of that will be enough. Farmers and ranchers will need low interest loans so they can put another crop in the field next spring. Ranchers need help to rebuild fences, barns and handling facilities. They will need hay and feed immediately to maintain their animals until grazing is available again.

I suspect farmers from across the nation will respond—as they did following devastating wildfires earlier this year. That was bad—this may be worse....

[thackney]

[thackney]

It Was Going to Be a Great Year for Texas Farmers — Then Harvey Hit
https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/hurricane-harvey/it-was-going-be-great-year-texas-farmers-then-harvey-n798451
SEP 3 2017

In 2016, farmers were lucky to harvest one bale of cotton per acre of the profitable crop.

A year later, with perfect weather conditions during harvesting season, farmers would get three bales, maybe even four, per acre — the most in over a decade.

Major cotton pickers could haul dozens of roughly 6,000-pound modules, which are massive barrel-like bundles of cotton that can pack roughly 15 bales into bright yellow wrappers.



But because of Hurricane Harvey's far-reaching devastation — from dense urban centers to outlying rural areas — farmers in several counties in the state along the Gulf Coast were left in soggy ruin....

...But because of Hurricane Harvey's far-reaching devastation — from dense urban centers to outlying rural areas — farmers in several counties in the state along the Gulf Coast were left in soggy ruin....

[austingirl]

The devastation and loss is hard to fathom.

[thackney]

This is a a friend of ours cotton field.  They were working around the clock trying to get as much in before the storm.

The top is August 28th, the bottom August 24th.