Combs applauds more federal weevil funds

AUSTIN — Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs today applauded increased funding allocated in an agricultural appropriations conference report to aid states, including Texas, in boll weevil eradication efforts.

The conference report, which provides for $79.157 million for the federal government’s share of boll weevil eradication to states with active eradication zones, is expected to be signed and finalized by the president within days.

“This additional funding will provide a tremendous boost to Texas’ boll weevil eradication efforts,” Combs said.

“Under this bill, Texas’ existing eradication zones can expect to receive about $25 million total. An additional $4 million would be provided by the federal government if producers in the proposed Southern High Plains/Caprock Zone vote in November to establish an eradication program in their eight-county area covering 1.29 million acres.”

The weevil causes an estimated $50 million in crop losses and crop protection treatments each year in our state, Combs said.

In September, Combs declared the 10 counties in the Southern Rolling Plains Zone near San Angelo to be functionally eradicated of boll weevils. The declaration was a historic milestone for the state and farmers.

Cotton is Texas’ top cash crop, earning $1.2 billion in 1999 in cash receipts with 30 percent of the U.S. cotton grown in the Lone Star State.