Not a whole lot has changed since last week. Severe drought stress is plaguing crops in Runnels and Concho Counties and, where irrigation water is holding up in Tom Green County, the crops look great. Grain sorghum harvest is well underway and yields vary from 800 lbs. to 2500 lbs. per acre. Fields, which caught the last rain, are by far doing the best, yield wise. Many sorghum fields were one rain short.

Egg counts ranged from 0-32 eggs per 100 plants this week. The trend is generally much lower this week.

Larval counts were 0-18 treatable worms per 100 plants. We have seen very high mortality rates and very few worm infestations that would cause great concern.

Sorghum harvest is underway and many fields have dried down causing stinkbugs to be on the move. Some cotton fields in the Rowena-Olfen
area have stinkbug infestations of up to nine stinkbugs per 40 plants. Stinkbugs can cause significant damage to cotton and, therefore, producers are encouraged to monitor these fields closely. I realize it's very dry and the cotton is fast approaching cut-out. Management decisions are very tough is these situations.

False chinch bug infestations seem to be on the decline. Fields were checked closely this week for damage caused by this critter and I cannot see where they are hurting the cotton at all. Fields, which have had heavy infestations for two weeks or more, seem to be doing fine and infestations are dwindling.

Natural enemy populations remain very high and are doing a good job of keeping our pest levels low.

By Dr. Carl G. Anderson
Professor & Ext. Economist
Cotton Marketing

The July USDA supply/demand report was full of more bearish information. December ‘01 futures price will likely slip below 40-cents per pound and head for 35-cents. The loan deficiency payment (LDP) of around 20-cents may hold for a while. This year's marketing alternatives mostly center around the use of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) loan program.

The latest projections indicate a larger crop than a month ago, less mill use and a huge 7.3 million bale carryover. That is twice the carryover needed. Domestic mill use that was 11.34 million bales in 1997, now stands at 8.5 million and declining. The large cotton supply and depressed price should increase exports in the range or 8 to 9 million bales, up from the disappointing 6.6 million in the 2000/01 season. An expected 19.2 million bale crop and only 17.5 million disappearance indicates a weak market for a long time.

Also, increased production, slightly less consumption, and larger carryover stocks are expected worldwide. World ending stocks-to-use has edged up to 43 percent and is well above the 40 percent level or less needed to turn the decline in the "A" Index around.

The U.S. cotton crop is making good progress, except in Texas, Oklahoma, and Missouri. With mostly dry weather and temperatures more than 100 degrees, the Texas crop is rapidly losing potential yield and quality. The State's crop may total close to the drought-reduced 3.94 million bales last year and far below the 5.05 million in 1999.

The drought has cut the Texas crop for three of the last four years. Even at loan rate prices, the estimated one million bale loss in the State has a value of $225 million at the farm level. Most of this loss is concentrated in the rural areas of the Texas Southern High Plains and Rolling Plains. The resulting economic stress prevailing or most of the last four years leaves few viable crop production alternatives for producers and lenders to evaluate.

Textile manufacturers are closing mills because they are losing market shares to textile imports. Therefore, the entire U.S. cotton industry is undergoing changes. That means all segments of the industry must go back to the basics of strategic planning and determine what is workable. With producers, cooperatives, merchants, textile manufacturers, and policy makers working together, the U.S. cotton industry has the opportunity to streamline, become progressive in business decisions, and cope with global competition.

IPM Radio Update is up and running. The telephone number is 365-2642. This update will give producers a general insect and crop reports for the different areas in Runnels, Tom Green and Concho Counties.

Tuesday, July 31st
Westside Gin 8:30 a.m.
Mereta Co-Op 1:00 p.m.

No Turnrow meetings in Runnels County until weather conditions change.

Tom Green Budworm /Bollworm Moth Traps

Runnels Budworm /Bollworm Moth Traps

THE FOLLOWING STORY was a favorite of J. Ogden Armour (1863-1927), the head of Armour & Co., then the world's largest meat packing company:

In a little town 300 miles east of the Chicago stockyards, an old hunter was telling his grocery store cronies one evening about the exciting chase of a fox by his hound the day before.

"They were streaking along," he said, "and every jump Bill was getting closer to the fox; but just when he was ready to pounce on him, the pesky little critter scooted up a poplar tree an'—"

"Here! Hold on!" shouted someone. "Foxes don't climb trees."

Said the hunter, "This fox HAD to."

The Executive Speechwriter Newsletter

Educational programs conducted by the Texas Agricultural Extension Service serve people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, handicap or national origin. The information given herein is for educational purposes only. References to commercial products or trade names is made with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by the Cooperative Extension Service is implied.