South Texas farmers out of irrigation water
5/16/2024 12:23:12 AM
CATEGORIES:
Agriculture
Business & Industry
Plants & Wildlife
Water Supply & Quality
AFFECTED AREAS:
Hidalgo County, TX
Mercedes, TX
Start Date: 5/15/2024
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Without a sugar mill in Texas, a Hidalgo County sugar grower destroyed 500 acres of sugarcane. For lack of water, he planted just a fraction of the other crops that he typically cultivates. His row crops are entirely flood irrigated. The cotton was stunted by extreme drought conditions. The sorghum grain has shallow roots and was not doing well.
“Complete lack of irrigation water for crop production in the Lower Rio Grande Valley would cost $495.8 million in direct revenue loss, Texas A&M University has calculated.”
FOX Weather (New York), May 15, 2024
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