The Texas Department of Agriculture announced today that cotton producers in the Northern High Plains Boll Weevil Eradication Zone have voted to continue program operations. Final results were 882 voting "for" and 129 voting "against" continuation.

TDA issued 2,666 ballots to cotton producers who were eligible to vote in the referendum. A total of 1,011 valid ballots were postmarked by the October 9 deadline and counted.

In addition to deciding if an eradication program should be continued in the zone, voters elected Weldon Melton to serve as the board member on the statewide board of directors for the Texas Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation, Inc.

The Northern High Plains Eradication Zone consists all of Swisher and Hale counties; that part of Randall County that lies south and east of a line running along Highway 60 from the Deaf Smith County line east to Interstate 27, then running north along interstate 27 to the Potter County line; the part of Armstrong County that lies west and south of a line running along FM 294 from the Carson County line to Hwy 287; then running due south to Mulberry Creek; then running east along Mulberry creek to the Donley County line; the part of Briscoe County that lies west of a line running along Hackberry Creek from its intersection with the Armstrong County line to its intersection with the Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River; continuing south along Cherokee Creek from its intersection with the Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River to County Road 27; continuing south along County Road 27 to Hwy 256; continuing west along Hwy 256 to the Caprock escarpment; and continuing south along the Caprock escarpment to the Floyd County line; and the part of Floyd County that lies south and west of a line running along FM 97 beginning at the Motley County line; continuing west to the Caprock escarpment; and continuing north along the Caprock escarpment to the Briscoe County line.