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Friday, Sep. 11, 1998
Area's farmers, ranchers glad to see rainfall
Showers will help produce grass for winter grazing needs
By JEFFREY TOMICH
Staff WriterTropical Storm Frances won't undo the damage from this summer's drought, but late rainfall is better than no rainfall for South Texas farmers and ranchers.
``Too bad we couldn't have gotten this during the growing season, but we're not going to complain,'' said Shane Browning, an assistant agent with the Nueces County Agricultural Extension Service.
Weeks ago, farmers finished harvesting drought-stressed cotton, corn and grain sorghum crops, most of which received less than a half-inch of rain from April through July.
Most farmers have finished plowing and cultivating fields in anticipation of ample fall rains. For them, Wednesday and Thursday's rainfall was a welcome sight.
The only agricultural producers hampered by the weather are those still busy working fields, Browning said.
``This will keep them out of the fields that much longer,'' he said.
No matter how much rain Frances dumps on the Coastal Bend, it most likely won't be enough to provide the region's thirsty clay soils with enough deep soil moisture to benefit next year's crops, he said.
While the rain is too late to help crops, it's just in time for ranchers.
Sporadic showers during the past two weeks have made pastures somewhat greener. But more rain and warm weather is needed in the next two months to produce enough grass for winter grazing or hay production.
``This country responds pretty quickly once it gets water,'' said Craig Shook, farm and ranch manager for the Driscoll Foundation. ``But we're not there yet. Any rain we get in the ranch country is greatly needed.''
The drought has forced many cattlemen to feed their herds with hay or grain stubble because pastures have been eaten bare. Others have begun selling lightweight calves and older cows to cut costs.
That's starting to change, however.
``This will help keep them from having to sell their cattle off,'' Browning said. ``We've already begun to see a little bit of a decrease in the number of cattle sold at auction.''
Dr. Larry Boleman, an extension service beef cattle specialist with Texas A&M University in College Station, said September rains could mean extra money in the pockets of ranchers this winter.
Healthy pastures will reduce the cost of feeding herds during the fall and winter, improve reproduction rates and increase the weaning weight of calves, he said.
Boleman said rain is also needed to replenish water reservoirs such as fishing tanks, creeks and lakes.
Producers and agricultural specialists say flooding isn't yet a major concern.
Staff writer Jeffrey Tomich can be reached at 886-4316 or by e-mail at tomichj@scripps.comPost your comments about local news eventsFront Page || Main Index || News || Business || Texas || South Texas Outdoors || Birdwatching || Sports || Entertainment || Selena || Education || South Texas Attractions || World Wide Web