The Texas Department of Agriculture announced today that cotton producers in the El Paso/Trans Pecos Boll Weevil Eradication Zone have voted to continue program operations. Final results were 60 voting "for" and 3 voting "against" continuation.

TDA issued 148 ballots to cotton producers who were eligible to vote in the referendum. A total of 63 valid ballots were postmarked by the May 27 deadline and counted.

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

The El Paso/Trans Pecos Eradication Zone consists of all of El Paso, Hudspeth, Culberson, Jeff Davis, Presidio, Brewster, Pecos, Reeves, Ward, Loving, Winkler, Crane, Terrell, Crockett and Val Verde Counties.