Cotton conditions in the waning days of the 2008 growing season in the North Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas area are a mixed bag to say the least.
A weekly survey (August 3, 2008) from the National Cotton Council shows Texas has seven percent of its cotton crop in the excellent stage, 25 percent in good condition, 34 percent fair, 23 percent poor and 11 percent in very poor condition.
It should be remembered that Hurricane Dolly, for all practical purposes, destroyed more than 91,000 acres of cotton along the Gulf and in the Rio Grande Valley. Much of that crop was in the final stages of development before harvest. In West Texas, USDA estimates that one millions areas were ruined due to storms with excess rain and wind.
In Oklahoma, the crop situation is about the same as Texas. Again, according to the NCC weekly survey, Only one percent of the Sooner State cotton crop is in excellent condition. Thirty nine percent is in good condition, 47 percent in fair condition, 12 percent in poor condition and another one percent in very poor condition
Kansas' cotton crop is reported to have five percent in excellent condition, 30 percent in good condition, 45 percent in fair condition, 15 percent is rated poor and five percent as very poor. Again, early season inclimate weather (winds over 100 miles per hour along the Okalhoma-Kansas border) hurt much of the young crop, causing Kansas farmers to make a magement judgement on whether or not to destroy their young crop, replant or wait and see if their crop would overcome weather damage.
In the 15 major cotton producing states, 10 percent of the crop is judged to be in excellent condition, 37 percent in good condition, 32 percent fair, 15 percent poor and six percent very poor condition.
Interestingly enough, these overall conditions are very similar to what was reported for the previous week this year and very similar to crop conditions on the same date in 2007.
TALKIN' COTTON is produced by NTOK Cotton, a cotton industry partnership which supports and encourages cotton production in North Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. For more information on the cotton scene, see okiecotton.org and ntokcotton.org. For questions and comments on Talkin' Cotton, contact eventerprise1@hughes.net.