It's cotton harvest time here in the panhandle. Between record breaking rainfall this summer, followed by months of damage control, this season's crops have been through a trying growing season. July and August together provided farmers record breaking rainfall setting cotton crops up for a difficult year.

Cotton was planted in April and effects of excess rainfall can be found today just by looking at the crops. There are fewer bulbs present in the crop and due to lack of sunshine. The bulbs didn't fully bloom. Also, roots stayed shallow due to moist soil and nutrients needed couldn't be reached.

Jackson County Cotton Farmer of the year DeFelix grows 800 acres of cotton and typically yields 150 modules. This year's yield 75 and he says its been a struggle for that many, "Yes, it was extremely tough we knew all along that it wasn't going to shape up like we wanted it to. We had a lot of excess spraying and to control diseases as a result of rain and we are now reaping what we've sown, that we knew was coming all along."

The harvest was planted in April and the final crops will be harvested in January. For farmers taking a large financial hit, Farm Credit Unions are available for crop insurance.

Source - http://www.wmbb.com/