In Randall County dryland winter wheat is looking healthier after the recent snowfall. Within the next two weeks corn acres will be planted. Two weeks after that cotton will be put into the ground and two or three weeks after that, sorghum.
Soil moisture is looking better for this time of year but Randall County Extension Agent J.D. Ragland says that’s not enough. "Will that be enough to last us through the growing season? No. We’re going to need some additional help from mother nature as far as rainfall to help those crops along, particularly through the high growing summer months."
There’s been considerable shifting of commodity prices in the last six months. Dr. Stephen Amosson of the Texas A&M Agrilife Extension says, "initially it looked like (producers should) plant feed grains. Now feed grains have backed of 70 to 90 cents a bushel. At the same time cotton prices have risen about 11 cents. So now it comes down to … what will your water support?"
March 19th has been designated National Agriculture Day by the Agriculture Council of America. For more information visit www.agday.org.
