Texas Crop Report

COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The following reports were compiled by AgriLife Extension for the week of June 2:

Central: Hot, dry, windy conditions were ongoing. Pastures were rapidly deteriorating. Hay supplies were short. First-cutting hay yields were down by as much as half. Farmers were irrigating at full capacity. Cattle prices were down again this week as livestock producers continued to reduce herds. Livestock feed prices remained high. Stock-water tanks were critically low in many areas.

East: Without any rain, and very hot, windy days and nights, the drought worsened. Producers were culling cattle as water, forage and hay supplies were depleted. Some producers were weaning calves early and taking them straight to the market. Many counties reported that grasshopper infestations were becoming a problem; there were reports of armyworm infestations too. Creeks and ponds were going dry, forcing some producers to sell out completely. Vegetable production decreased due to dry conditions, but those harvesting blackberries and blueberries reported good yields. Firefighters from at least nine different agencies continued Sunday to battle one of the largest fires of East Texas history in Trinity and Polk counties. More than 18,000 acres had burned as of June 20. Several communities were under mandatory evacuation orders.

Far West: Extreme drought conditions persisted across the region. The last measurable moisture was received in August. Temperatures were above 100 degrees for the last week. Hot and windy conditions kept the wildfire danger high, and burn bans remained in effect. In Andrews County, a wildfire fanned by heavy winds burned more than 23,000 acres in a short amount of time. A large number of livestock were lost in the fire. Irrigated cotton was doing well. Dryland cotton did not emerge. Chiles were in good condition. Pecan trees began nut growth, but the nut load is low. There was a lot of standing dead grass from last year, but it was low in nutrients, and livestock producers had to continue supplemental feeding. The growth of any crop, grass or forms of forage, was due to irrigation. With the amount of irrigation taking place in these drought conditions, and multiple days over 100 degrees, there was concern that the water table was being overused.

North: Soil moisture ranged from short to very short, with temperatures in the high 90s to over 100 degrees. Unseasonably high winds of 20-30 mph over the past two weeks reeked further dried out pastures and ponds. Corn, grain sorghum and soybeans looked relatively good, but rain was needed soon to maintain that condition. The weather has raised the specter of aflatoxin in corn. The harvesting of winter wheat and oats neared completion. There were some reports of 70 bushel-per-acre wheat, but 40-50 bushels per acre was more common — about average to slightly below average for most years. Most hay producers harvested their first cutting of hay with average to slightly below-average yields. Hay producers fertilized cut fields, hoping to get some rain for a second cutting. Peanuts were in very poor condition with about 10 percent of the crop pegging. Cotton was in very poor to good condition. Rice was in very poor condition. Grasshoppers were becoming a major problem. Ranchers provided supplemental feed to livestock and began to cull cows. Rangeland and pastures were in very poor to good condition.

Critics raise doubts over 'sanctuary cities' bill - Texas State ...

Peggy Fikac and Susan Carroll |  The Houston Chronicle

Critics Wednesday said that a “sanctuary cities” bill barreling toward legislative approval in Austin will spark fear and mistrust among Hispanic residents, but do little to address illegal immigration in Texas.

The bill, approved by the Senate in the middle of the night Tuesday, would bar local governments from implementing policies prohibiting law enforcement officers from asking the immigration status of people they detain.

Gov. Rick Perry said in putting the measure on the special session agenda that law enforcement officers need such discretion. Opponents argue that it will lead to racial profiling and hamper law enforcement by discouraging people from reporting crimes or cooperating with police.

“I think there’s widespread support for doing something with this issue,” said Rep. Burt Solomons, R-Carrollton, who won House approval of a sanctuary cities bill during the regular session but saw it die in the Senate.

“There seems to be this perception by citizenry in Texas that there are some cities, there are some counties, perhaps, or sheriffs or local law enforcement officials, that basically provide — as they term it — sanctuary to illegal immigrants by not enforcing state and federal law,” Solomons said Wednesday. “And all the bill really does is say you can’t do that.”

The Senate-approved bill would require authorities to run information on everyone arrested through a federal immigration enforcement program called Secure Communities, which is operational in every Texas county.

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