Friday, January 30, 1998

Ag outlook still bright as January rolls to end

By J.T. Smith / Abilene Reporter-News

Overall, the area agricultural picture isn't bad as January comes to an end this weekend.

Taylor County Ag Agent Gary Bomar said the wheat is in good condition for the most part.

There's some supplemental feeding of livestock as is expected this time of year. But the overall condition of cattle is good. And prices at area auction barns were strong this past week.

Brown County wheat looks healthy, although there are some spider mite and greenbug infestations in some grain fields there, reports Lohnnie Jenschke, county ag agent with the Extension Service office in Brownwood.

Callahan County Extension Agent Robert Pritz of Baird reports that moisture has been short there.

Tommy Antilley, agent for Coke County, also would welcome more moisture. But some recent rain did help the wheat crop.

"A few fields will be grazed -- but most are not ready for grazing," Antilley said of the wheat in the Robert Lee and Bronte area. "Recent rains have caused some added growth."

Coleman County looks good at present

Conditions are fairly good for this time of year in the Coleman area.

"Range conditions are average, with livestock doing well with supplementation," said Farron Sultemeier, county ag agent for Coleman County.

Some of the last patches of cotton were being stripped in Fisher County this month.

This farm writer was driving through the Roby and Rotan area a few days ago, and it is clear that the '97 cotton crop was a big one.

Meanwhile, Fisher County CEA Justin Hansard said a rain would be welcome on wheat there.

In neighboring Jones County, Ag Agent Todd Vineyard of Anson said wheat is making good growth because of the recent string of warm, sunny days.

Stocker cattle numbers on pasture have increased in Jones County in recent weeks, Vineyard added.

"Stocker cattle appear to be making good gains," Vineyard said.

To the south of Abilene, wheat also looks good in the Winters and Ballinger area in Runnels County.

"Wheat has made some improvement with light showers and above average temperatures," said veteran Runnels County Ag Agent Mike Mauldin. "Some fields are producing grazing now. Prospects look good."

In the extreme eastern part of the Big Country, there are some mighty good looking wheat fields in Mills County.

Danny Long, CEA at Goldthwaite, said Mills County wheat stands have improved with recent moisture. There are some spider mite problems, he reports.

But cotton prices not so rosy

Although the overall cotton crop was a bumper one, the price of cotton has been in the cellar.

Shawn Wade of Plains Cotton Growers, Inc., in Lubbock laments that with cotton prices stagnating below 60 cents per pound, many cotton growers "are looking for any light at the end of the tunnel."

Wade says farmers are not satisfied with speculative reasons that don't provide any solid answers for why the price of cotton has dropped so sharply.

Some producers are pondering the possibility that a Loan Deficiency Payment (LDP) could be triggered under the rules of the 1996 federal farm act that governs the nation's farm policy through Year 2002.

It's possible -- but don't count on it.

Currently, the threshhold to trigger such a payment would be 51.92 cents per pound. The latest AWP (Adjusted World Price) at this writing was 56.7 cents per pound.

Wade said most speculation in the cotton industry is that the AWP dropping another 6 to 8 cents per pound is unlikely.

He also says to expect a reduction in acres of cotton planted this year.

"As U.S. producers develop plans for the 1998 crop year, estimates of planted acreage already indicate reductions of up to one million acres," Wade said.

Certainly that will be the case on the High Plains.

Insect worries (ie., boll weevil), current prices and weather considerations already have prompted High Plains growers to make plans for fewer acres of cotton in 1998.