Craig Heinrich, like many Texas High Plains cotton farmers expected a bumper cotton crop this year, following better than average winter and spring precipitation. That didn’t pan out, but things still look pretty good.

“We expected a bumper crop but we’re harvesting an average crop with bumper prices,” Heinrich said.

He was about two-thirds through harvest in early November and said most growers around his Slaton, Texas, farm were pleased with what they consider an above average cotton crop. Heinrich’s dryland acreage is “better than average and irrigated cotton is just above average.”

He said dryland cotton will average more than a bale per acre—550 to 600 pounds. Irrigated may do two bales or a bit more.

 “We expected a bumper crop but we’re harvesting an average crop with bumper prices,” Heinrich said.