Cotton Farmers Continue To Struggle Because of Drought
By: Brendaliss Gonzalez
Updated: November 29, 2012
It's been a better year for farmers like Ferdie Walker, but not good enough.
"We try and harvest most of it but its not very good crop, its pretty poor," he said.
A bad year means tough economic times.
"It's what we live off of, its our income," said the farmer of 37 years.
Walker isn't the only one dealing with the drought.
Here at the Stamford Coop Gin they're down by more than half of the cotton they normally produce.
"Probably a 75-80 percent loss," said Rex Ford, the administrator at the gin.
It may not affect the price of clothing or other goods produced from cotton, but it is affecting towns like Stamford who depend on the income from the harvest.
"We've got lots of pans that normally would come that haven't come this year," said Ford.
"It could be that if its a better crop I would have hired people to help us," said Walker.
Many have already set their New Years' resolution.
"Look forward to 2013 and hope everything changes," said Ford.
For now they'll do what they can and in the meantime envision next year's crop, hoping it will be a more abundant one.
"We try and harvest most of it but its not very good crop, its pretty poor," he said.
A bad year means tough economic times.
"It's what we live off of, its our income," said the farmer of 37 years.
Walker isn't the only one dealing with the drought.
Here at the Stamford Coop Gin they're down by more than half of the cotton they normally produce.
"Probably a 75-80 percent loss," said Rex Ford, the administrator at the gin.
It may not affect the price of clothing or other goods produced from cotton, but it is affecting towns like Stamford who depend on the income from the harvest.
"We've got lots of pans that normally would come that haven't come this year," said Ford.
"It could be that if its a better crop I would have hired people to help us," said Walker.
Many have already set their New Years' resolution.
"Look forward to 2013 and hope everything changes," said Ford.
For now they'll do what they can and in the meantime envision next year's crop, hoping it will be a more abundant one.
