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Drought conditions hurting farmers in San Patricio County

Conditions in areas like western San Patricio County are so dry that area farmers are very concerned.

San Patricio County (KIII News) — Farmers in San Patricio County are worried that the severe drought conditions might end up costing them a large percentage of their crops.

Conditions in areas like western San Patricio County are so dry that area farmers are very concerned.

"We've got a little bit of irrigation running and I made a comment and I said I am furrow irrigating and it goes in the crack and it comes up in the next county. It does not stay where I wanted," farmer Charles Ring said.

Ring's family began farming land just north of the St. Paul community back in the 1930s. He said there are always ups and downs in agriculture and his grain sorghum crop may only make 20-percent of what he brought in last year. He also said his cotton is in danger, too, because of lack of rain.

"Cotton still has a little hope if we can get a rain in the next two or three weeks," Ring said.

Bobby Nedbalek is a longtime farmer and is also an expert on agriculture. He too believes that this year's crops are in bad shape.

"A rain is not going to do very much good to either one of them. It will help to salvage maybe a little bit of a yield for cotton," Nedbalek said. "The grain sorghum is already at it's yield."

"This was devastating to most of us," Ring said.

Corn is another crop that is planted throughout the county and because of the lack of rain, nearly all of it seems to be lost this year.

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