Contributed
RALEIGH — The board of the Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation of North Carolina has set the 2022 boll weevil assessment at 75 cents per acre of cotton. The amount remains the same as in 2021.
The fee supports the foundation’s efforts to monitor cotton acreage in North Carolina for any re-introduction of the boll weevil and to respond promptly with eradication treatments if necessary.
“We certainly don’t want to see the return of this devastating pest, and this program has helped us keep an eye on cotton fields in case of any spot re-introductions so they can be quickly addressed,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “I consider this to be a good investment for cotton farmers.”
Foundation contractors will install the green-colored traps and monitor from late summer until after harvest and frost. Because the focus of North Carolina’s program has shifted from eradication to monitoring, the number of traps in fields has decreased. As such, each trap is critical, and farmers are encouraged to contact the foundation if traps are damaged or knocked down.
More than 6,650 traps were placed and maintained in North Carolina last year, with each trap monitoring an average of 54 acres. To allow for trapping and monitoring, cotton growers are required to certify cotton acreage with their local U.S. Farm Service Agency office by July 15.
Farmers in 48 counties grew 363,609 certified acres of cotton last year. This acreage represented an 8 percent increase from 2020. The top three cotton-growing counties were Halifax, Martin and Northampton.
To learn more about the boll weevil monitoring program, go online to www.ncagr.gov/plantindustry/plant/entomology/BW.htm
About Author
