Texas winter storm agricultural losses estimated at $600 million: report

Texas experienced at least $600 million in agricultural losses as a result of the recent winter storm, according to data from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.

The freezing temperatures and ice killed or harmed many producers’ crops and livestock and caused financial hardships and operational setbacks, said Jeff Hyde, AgriLife Extension director, adding that “the residual costs from the disaster could plague many producers for years to come.”

According to the analysis, the biggest agricultural losses were citrus crops (at least $230 million), livestock (at least $228 million) and vegetable crops (at least $150 million).

Livestock losses included cattle, sheep and goats and their offspring that died or were badly injured during the freeze, as well as damage to livestock industry infrastructure, said David Anderson, AgriLife Extension livestock economist. It also included poultry losses and costs related to bird loss, damage to housing facilities and increased heating costs to keep the animals warm.

Some Texas dairy operations lost as much as $8 million a day because trucks were unable to pick up and deliver milk for processing, said Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller.

“It will take some time before many producers are able to replace their livestock,” Anderson said. “And when they do, it’s going to be costly.”

Still, the livestock losses could have been much worse if ranchers had failed to act quickly before temperatures dropped, said Justin Benavidez, AgriLife Extension economist in Amarillo.

More information is available from Morning Ag Clips.