Cotton is king in Lubbock because of its tremendous impact on our local economy. In fact, it's not unheard of for cotton to have a $5 billion impact on the greater Lubbock area.
But the king is not doing well, so-to-speak. The cotton harvest this year could drop by 40 percent as compared with last year's crop.
The USDA predicts 3.7 million bales, but the Lubbock-based Plains Cotton Growers estimates a harvest of only 3.2 million bales. Cooler weather, along with drought early in the growing season took their toll on this year's crop.