USA - Wet weather slows down planting for South Plains cotton farmers

21.05.2015 213 views

Rain is usually good news, but this wet, cool weather has created headaches for some South Plains farmers.

Typically, cotton planting is in full swing by now, but some farmers haven't even started yet.

One farmer, Steven Brosch, said he hopes to get out there soon to start planting his cotton.

Brosch said he and his family have about 6,000 acres to farm and it will take them about two weeks to plant all the cotton.

However, the weather has slowed that plan down.

"Right now, we don't have a seed put in the ground yet," Brosch said. "We aren't concerned, yet. It has been too wet for us to plant."

He tells us that typically, he would already be planting.

He said with crop insurance he still has some time before he'll start stressing out.

"Putting us a little bit behind, but we aren't concerned yet," Brosch said. "We still have until June 10th, so we're still welcoming the moisture."

Now, with several thousand acres to cover, his land goes into three counties. Lubbock County has until June 5th for crops to be planted.

"About five percent of our land is in Lubbock County, so that's the first place we're going to be focusing on for planting," Brosch said. "After that, Lynn and Garza County, where the majority of our land is June 10th, so we'll do that second."

Right now, Brosch says he is trying to be patient, but if this weather continues the way it's going, he could soon face a problem.

"Just take it a day at a time," Brosch said. "All we can do is, we have everything ready to go. If it dries up enough, we'll start our planting. It's just one day at a time right now."

Now, if the weather does not let up, Brosch does say he has alternate plans in place.

Chip Gilmour, senior vice president of Lubbock National Bank, said crops do affect Lubbock's economy.

"There's no question that Lubbock economy, one of the major sectors of our economy has to be agriculture, cotton," Gilmour said.

Source - http://www.kcbd.com

25.05.2026

Algeria - CASH Assurances to diversify into agriculture insurance

CASH Assurances will launch agriculture insurance plans in June 2026, as part of its diversification strategy.

25.05.2026

U.S. specialty crop growers push for stronger Farm Bill support

Specialty crop growers in the U.S. are calling for stronger support measures in the 2026 Farm Bill, particularly around risk management, market access, and crop insurance. 

25.05.2026

ASF outbreak leaves Bhutan piggery farmers with heavy losses

For piggery farmers in Damzhagsa, the African Swine Fever outbreak did more than wipe out their animals, it also wiped out a major source of income while leaving many of them with loans to pay and no clear way to recover – putting insurance in the spotlight.

25.05.2026

Australia - RoBird takes to the skies to protect $100m strawberry crops from the real thing

RoBird is now flying around Moreton Bay skies to protect the city’s $100 million strawberry industry from the real deal.

25.05.2026

India - 1.75 Lakh Hectares of Crops Damaged as Cyclone ‘Dana’ Hits Coastal Odisha

In Odisha, the severe cyclonic storm ‘Dana’ has badly damaged agriculture and property in the coastal districts of Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, and Jagatsinghpur. 

25.05.2026

USA - National Pennsylvania Seeks USDA Disaster Aid After Crop Freeze

Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture to issue a Secretarial Disaster Designation for all counties in the commonwealth after late spring freezes caused widespread damage to fruit and specialty crop farms, with industry losses estimated between $150 million and $200 million.

24.05.2026

Severe Hailstorm and Flooding Devastate Farmland in Central Greece

Torrential rain, strong winds and intense hail battered rural communities, leaving thousands of acres of agricultural land flooded or heavily damaged as authorities assess the extent of the losses.

24.05.2026

USA - Long Island oyster operations look to bounce back after winter temperatures cause severe damage

"This winter was unprecedented, weather-wise - at least in my lifetime," said Peeko Oysters owner Peter Stein.