VETERAN’S AWARDS FOUND — A shadowbox frame, pictured above, containing eight medals and three pins, including a purple heart medal and a bronze star medal, was found by a Kingsville resident in an alley in the area around Fourth Street and Avenue B recently. The owner’s name is located on the back of the frame and anyone related to the owner or who can recognize the frame will be given the frame back for safe keeping. Anyone with information can call 361-355-0682. If no one comes forward the frame will be placed in the Kleberg County Veteran’s Memorial. (Photo by Erika Hernandez) Kleberg County is currently harvesting its agricultural commodities, including grain sorghum and cotton with revenue totals projected to be bountiful.

John Ford, Kleberg-Kenedy County Texas AgriLife Extension Agent, said Tuesday this year is a complete turnaround compared to last year’s drought that sent the area’s agriculture into economic distress.

“Last year we had reduced cattle numbers, minimum grain sorghum and non-existing cotton crops, which hurt the economy and lost us millions,” he said.

Ford said this year’s grain sorghum harvest of 45,000 acres began in mid-July and has already wrapped up.

“We averaged between 4,200 pounds and 5,200 pounds per acre,” he said.

“It looks like it will go out of here at $6 per hundred weight, so we are looking at $14 to $15 million dollars in sales.”

The cotton harvest began in early August, and Ford said they are about 80 percent complete.

“This year we are harvesting 32,000 acres of cotton and yields are extremely pleasing,” he said.

“Countywide our average is going to be about 1.8 bales per acre or about 925 pounds per acre, which is looking to generate about $20 million dollars in revenue,” Ford said.

As far as cattle, Ford said over the past five years there has been a decreasing trend in the amount of cattle in the count due to the extreme weather conditions.

“I estimate we are probably below 20,000 mother cows in the county and we have been seeing that number slowly decrease as times goes by,” he said. “Calf prices are very good but that number has also decreased over the past five years.”

Overall Ford said he is happy with this year’s harvest and expected revenue despite our unpredictable weather.

“This year’s harvest has been extremely pleasing, we did suffer some damage with the grain sorghum from the extensive moisture at harvest time but after last year’s experience this year has been outstanding,” he said.