Rio Grand Valley: Optimistic to Cautiously Optimistic

By Jim.Robinson|July 13, 2010

Source: Plains Cotton Growers Association

Over the past several years, Rio Grande Valley farmers have faced weather woes that have devastated their crops. The region was drought stricken during the past two years that resulted in great negative impact on the agricultural sector.

This year appeared different, though, as ample soil moisture before and soon after crop planting provided an excellent chance for really economically productive crops for the first time in the past several years.

Then Hurricane Alex, making landfall just south of the border earlier this month, inundated Valley farm fields with water. While area farmers were spared the brunt of the storm, mood shifted from optimistic to cautiously optimistic as growers hoped for clearing skies and bright sunshine to dry fields of excess water.

And then came a tropical depression this week that dumped additional rainfall that added insult to injury. Valley crops of sorghum, corn and cotton have reached the stage where additional rainfall is of little benefit to the crops.