Tuesday, June 24, 1997

Taylor County Farm Bureau taking queen and talent entries

By J.T. SMITH / Farm Editor

The Taylor County Farm Bureau is seeking entries for its annual Queen Contest and Talent Find slated for July 26 in Abilene at Wylie High.

Entry deadline is July 18.

Queen competition has three divisions, but only the senior division is eligible for scholarships. Little Miss is for girls 6 to 10; Junior Miss, girls 11 to 15; and the senior division is for girls 16 to 19.

Girls must be a single daughter or sister of a current Taylor County FB member or have their own membership.

The senior division winner receives a $250 college scholarship from Taylor County FB and advances to district competition on Aug. 12 in Brownwood. The district winner earns at $600 scholarship and goes to state judging Nov. 29-30 in Arlington, where the winner receives a $2,000 scholarship and the runner-up $1,500.

Meanwhile, Talent Find contestants (boys and girls) must be 16 to 19 as of Sept. 1 this year to compete in the senior division. Junior division talent will get participation awards. Talent contestants must be amateurs and members of Taylor County FB families.

The county talent winner gets at $250 scholarship and advances to district where the winner earns $600. The district talent winner goes to state judging at Arlington where $2,000 and $1,500 scholarships await the winner and runner-up.

To enter or get more information, contact the Taylor County Farm Bureau office at 692-1213, or go by the office at 3141 S. 27th in Abilene.

Cotton export activity strong

Some good news in foreign movement of U.S. cotton.

Strong activity in cotton shipments prompted USDA to raise its export estimate by 100,000 bales in its June report.

All shipments of raw cotton exports now total 6 million bales with just under two months left in the 1996-97 marketing year. Exports are expected to reach 7.1 million bales.

Meanwhile, the annual domestic use by U.S. textile mills is pegged at 10.9 million bales. Added with exports, this would give a total offtake of cotton at 18 million bales for this marketing year that ends on July 31.

The United States imported about 410,000 bales of raw cotton this season.

USDA expects a U.S. cotton carryover of about 3.9 million bales into the new season that begins Aug. 1.