Late rain disrupts cotton harvest, after another challenging season for South Plains producers

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - Cotton producers are now unable to get into their fields to harvest and some cotton is on the ground, after widespread soaking rains and some hail hit the South Plains this weekend. One producer says while West Texas farmers will take the rain when they can get it, the timing wasn't ideal.

Producer Rex Kennedy says there are small lakes in his cotton fields, after a few inches of rain fell over the weekend. In early November, muddy fields put a damper on harvesting.

"The rain is certainly appreciated. Do I wish it would come at a different time? Yes. If we were sitting here in early July, you and I'd be having a different conversation about what's about to happen, but we take it when we can get it," he said.

Kennedy also says small hail near Meadow put some bolls on the ground. The harvesting standstill comes after an already challenging season. It started with farmers and ag experts being more optimistic about the season, but Kennedy says things took a turn , after missing an early July rain, followed by an intensely hot and dry August.

"It was just devastating and it shows in our irrigated and our dryland. Yields aren't kind of what we thought they might be in our irrigated," he said "And then there's a lot of this dryland that just simply won't be harvested. It's just not good enough."

He believes this season is in some ways worse than last year, because producers lost their dryland crop late. While producers need the weather to cooperate, he says lately their biggest hurdle has been input costs.

"Farming is a real capital-intense type business, Machinery, what we have to keep up with, and to keep our equipment rolling and moving and updated and it's just gotten so expensive," Kennedy said.

Cotton farmers are finishing up the season and going to bankers to refinance for next year. Kennedy says that's more challenging without an updated farm bill.

"If they don't have a good idea of what the farm bill is going to be, what our insurance coverage is going to be, and you're behind the eight ball, it puts them in a position to where they may be having to ask us to do some things that are pretty uncomfortable," he said.

On the bright side, Kennedy says the recent rains will help set the soil up for a better cover crop.

"With most of us planting cover crops behind harvest, wheat or rye, whatever they may choose, this will go a long way in getting that established, help us get a cover going, and help us hold all this dirt down whenever the wind blows," Kennedy said.