Dateline: August 19, 2004

Eradication efforts may restrict movement of harvest equipment

ABILENE – Cotton harvest has begun in the southern parts of the state and will begin soon in other areas.

Custom harvesters move from area to area as the season progresses, and growers have to move the harvested cotton to the state’s gins for processing.

The Texas Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation would like to remind cotton producers and custom harvesters that the commissioner of agriculture declared several areas of the state to be suppressed or functionally eradicated of the cotton boll weevil, and movement of raw cotton products and harvesting equipment into or through these zones may be regulated.

The Rolling Plains Central zone, surrounding Abilene, and the Southern Rolling Plains zone, surrounding San Angelo, are functionally eradicated. The El Paso/Tran Pecos, Permian Basin, Western High Plains, Southern High Plains Caprock, Northwest Plains, Northern High Plains, and Northern Rolling Plains zones are suppressed. These zones make up a large portion of the western and northern portions of the state’s cotton-growing areas.

Harvesting equipment moving from areas outside of either a suppressed or functionally eradicated zone cannot be brought into one of these areas until the equipment has been thoroughly cleaned.

Raw cotton cannot be moved into or through suppressed or eradicated zone unless a protection plan has been filed with the Texas Department of Agriculture

TDA has developed a protection plan template for growers who fall under these restrictions and wish to gin cotton in a suppressed or eradicated zone.

The department also has developed guidelines for ensuring harvesting equipment is properly cleaned before entering one of these zones.

Many of these restrictions are placed on the movement of raw cotton and harvesting equipment from a suppressed area to a functionally eradicated area.

Brochures that provide more specific information on the restrictions are available from TDA or from the boll weevil foundation. Contact your local TDA office, or write the foundation at Box 5089, Abilene, TX 79608 to obtain a brochure.

The Texas Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation is a nonprofit, grower-initiated and funded organization dedicated to eliminating the cotton boll weevil from the state in the most cost-effective and environmentally responsible manner possible.